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Science

Wilson works to band waterfowl in the summer to help track the birds. Hunters that harvest banded birds will report their harvest to state wildlife officials.

Age of Humans

This Biologist Defies Gravity (and Glass Ceilings) to Document the Effects of Climate Change

As one of five American women in this role, Heather Wilson blends aviation and birds to bolster climate change records

British statesman and author Winston Churchill reads correspondence at his desk in 1933.

Think Big

“Are We Alone in the Universe?” Winston Churchill’s Lost Extraterrestrial Essay Says No

The famed British statesman approached the question of alien life with a scientist’s mind

Pandamonium

How to FedEx a Giant Panda

On February 21, the United States says #ByeByeBaoBao

The woolly arctic moth caterpillar produces alcohols that allow it to avoid freezing at temperatures reaching -70 degrees F.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What Do Insects Do in Winter?

When winter comes, most bugs either migrate or time travel. But some get far more creative

Think human dating is hard? Try being a panda.

Pandamonium

Why Panda Sex Isn’t Black and White

Reproductive experts weigh in on panda porn, panda Viagra and other biological myths

Could This Tiny Drone Covered in Sticky Goop Do the Work of Bees?

Well, it may not replace bees. But it’s a fun project nonetheless

In nature and in human history, cannibalism is actually quite mainstream. No humans were harmed in the making of this image, which is of Ribeye steak.

Fall in Love With Cannibalism This Valentine’s Day

Pair your red wine and chocolate hearts with another delicious accompaniment: cannibalism, in the form of a new book

Still Life with Fruit, Oysters, and Wine by Everhart Kuhn, ca. 1865

Ask Smithsonian

Are Oysters an Aphrodisiac?

Sure, if you think so

After the defeat of Cleopatra's forces by Octavian (later Augustus, emperor of Rome), the Egyptian queen and her lover Marc Antony fled to Egypt. In Shakespeare's imagining, one of Cleopatra's greatest fears was the the horrid breath of the Romans. Shown here: "The Death of Cleopatra" by Reginald Arthur, 1892.

The History and Science Behind Your Terrible Breath

Persistent mouth-stink has been dousing the flames of passion for millennia. Why haven’t we come up with a cure?

On October 8, 2013, panda cub Bao Bao is examined by Zoo staff Juan Rodriguez and Brandie Smith.

Pandamonium

It’s Easy to Fall in Love With a Panda. But Do They Love Us Back?

Keepers admire them, but have no illusions. Pandas are solitary creatures

Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki)

Here’s Why You Should Never Kiss a Toad

A scientist at Smithsonian’s Tropical Research Institute helped catalog everything known about toxins in the skins of endangered frogs and toads

An infrared image of 47 Tucanae, a dense globular cluster of stars located roughly 16,000 light years from Earth. A new study has predicted that a black hole lies at its center.

Think Big

How Astrophysicists Found a Black Hole Where No One Else Could

A new method could help scientists peer inside universe’s densest star clusters to find undiscovered black holes

When it comes to reversible ways to prevent pregnancy, men have limited options—for now.

New Research

Contraceptive Gel Called the “IUD For Men” Makes It Through Monkey Trials

Vasalgel aims to make contraception for men as easy and effective as IUDs have for women

The packaged foods you get at the grocery store are all regulated by the FDA. So are drugs, medical devices, cigarettes and condoms.

Where Did the FDA Come From, And What Does It Do?

From unglamorous origins, the federal agency has risen to ensure the safety of everything from lasers to condoms

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