Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Science

For the first time, human beings harnessed the power of atomic fission.

The Science Behind the First Nuclear Chain Reaction, Which Ushered in the Atomic Age 75 Years Ago

That fateful discovery helped give us nuclear power reactors and the atomic bomb

Transient killer whales, hunters extraordinaire, cruise by a sea lion haulout in the northeast Pacific.

A Tale of Two Killer Whales

Orca whales actually comprise two distinct types—and one may soon be destined to rise above the other

Simply by pooping, the once-endangered cape zebra helps researchers measure its health and well-being.

New Research

How Stressed Out Are Zebras? Just Ask Their Poop

Scientists are scooping up the pungent piles of data to measure the health of once-endangered ungulates

Don't touch that thermostat.

Future of Energy

The Things People Do To Foil Energy-Saving Buildings

New research on how occupants inhabit energy-efficient buildings reveals behaviors designers don’t anticipate—and a slew of bloopers

Natalie Batalha

American Ingenuity Awards

Meet Natalie Batalha, the Explorer Who’s Searching for Planets Across the Universe

The Kepler mission’s project scientist, she has guided the discovery of thousands of planets

Gary Steinberg

American Ingenuity Awards

A Neurosurgeon’s Remarkable Plan to Treat Stroke Victims With Stem Cells

Gary Steinberg defied convention when he began implanting living cells inside the brains of patients who had suffered from a stroke

Plants are keeping time.

The Next Pandemic

To Make Precision Medicine, Scientists Study the Circadian Rhythms in Plants

Biologists are taking a close look at how precisely calibrated timekeepers in organisms influence plant-pathogen interactions

H1N1 influenza virus particles shown in a colorized transmission electron micrograph

The Next Pandemic

Scientists Are One Step Closer to a “Personalized” Flu Shot

While still decades away, new research shows how custom vaccines could be developed

Stanford scientists are building up an archive of mosquito sounds.

The Next Pandemic

Before You Swat That Mosquito, Record It on Your Cell Phone

That’s the strategy behind Abuzz, a crowdsourcing project designed to track mosquito activity around the world

The Ten Best STEM Toys of 2017

Kid tested and parent approved, these tech toys stand out for holiday wish lists

The proof is in the lack of pudding.

Why You Won’t See Pudding on the Thanksgiving Table

The once-classic American dish has been widely replaced with the casserole—thanks in part to anti-immigrant sentiments

Using seal bombs to deter marine mammals is legal, though using them to round up target species is not.

Why California Fishermen Are Throwing Deafening “Seal Bombs” at Sea Lions

…and why no one is stopping them

Thirteen Books That Informed and Delighted Smithsonian Scholars This Year

With a mission to increase and diffuse knowledge, Smithsonian thought leaders are voracious readers

The Next Pandemic

What Foods Are Most Likely to Make You Sick?

We put some common myths to rest—and help you tackle your next turkey dinner with confidence

The way a fruit fly fires neurons could inform machine learning.

How Fruit Fly Brains Could Improve Our Search Engines

Fruit flies have a unique way of matching data, which could teach scientists to create better, faster search algorithms

Bill Nye speaks at a press conference in New York as environmental advocates gather on the eve of the Paris Climate Summit (COP21).

The Blessing and the Curse of Being Bill Nye

The zany scientist talks about his recent transformation into the public—and controversial—face for science

Page 140 of 457