Why Have Birds Never Gotten as Big as T. Rex?
Even the most massive birds have never reached the sizes of their dinosaur relatives
How an Indomitable Environmental Activist Saved the Outer Banks From Impending Development
Fifty years ago, Carolista Baum passionately fought to create Jockey’s Ridge State Park, an unusually biodiverse ecosystem of dunes, thickets and marshes
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These Extraordinary Archaeological Sites Are a Portal to Ancient Egypt
The Valley of the Kings and other bucket-list Egyptian destinations offer a glimpse into millennia-old majesty and artistry
To Safeguard Threatened Plants, Scientists Must Master the Tricky Art of Seed Banking
Researchers are working to unravel the hidden biology of often-persnickety seeds as they age, sleep and awaken
Looking Back on the L.A. Wildfires Through the Lens of Two Photographers
As wildfire becomes an increasingly lethal force that’s remaking broad swaths of California, people and animals alike are in the hot seat
Why Do Mosquitos Bite Some People More Than Others? Your Blood Type, Sweat Contents and Even Alcohol Consumption May Make You More Attractive to the Pesky Insects
Scientists are working hard to discover the factors that drive the blood-sucking insects to target certain individuals
What Free Diving in a Kelp Forest Taught Me About an Overlooked but Incredibly Valuable Ecosystem
A photographer shares the epiphanies she has had while chronicling underwater jungles off the California coast
What Does the Future Hold for Psychiatric Brain Surgery?
For some patients, removing brain tissue can help treat OCD and other disorders. But ethical concerns remain
Why Have European Wolves Recovered So Much in the Past Decade?
The predators have increased by almost 60 percent on the continent
Making Ride Hailing, Bike Shares and Other Transportation Options Accessible to All
Shared mobility is good for the environment, but not equal opportunity. What can be done to make travel easier for everyone?
As Norway Considers Deep-Sea Mining, a Rich History of Ocean Conservation Decisions May Inform How the Country Acts
In the past, scientists, industry and government have worked together in surprising, tense and fruitful ways
Why Does This Endangered Butterfly Thrive After Hurricanes?
For Schaus’ swallowtail butterflies, the powerful storms mean clear skies and bright futures
From Massive Eyes to Shark-Like Tails, Seven Amazing Adaptations That Helped Prehistoric Reptiles Thrive at Sea
The creatures cruised the world’s oceans with features we often associate with marine mammals, such as coats of blubber and the ability to birth live young
Thousands of Giant Tortoises Anchor a Thriving Ecosystem on Aldabra, a Remote Atoll in the Indian Ocean
The animals graze the vegetation into a picturesque turf, fertilize the soil with their dung and disperse seeds over large distances
Destinations Hit by Natural Disasters Need Tourists Back—but Maybe Not in the Same Way as Before
Places like Maui and Asheville, North Carolina, rebuilding after wildfires and hurricanes, are doing so with a mind to sustainable tourism
A Revealing Look Into the Surprisingly Tricky Sex Lives of Birds
Even among the most durable migratory bird pairings, sexual exclusivity is rarely part of their relationship
You Might Think of Shrimp as Bugs of the Sea. But a Remarkable Discovery Shows the Opposite: Bugs Are Actually Shrimp of the Land
A recent study suggests that insects branched out from crustaceans on the tree of life
The Long, Strange History of Nitrous Oxide, a Popular Drug Users Have Been Inhaling for Hundreds of Years
Galaxy Gas has brought the drug back into the spotlight, and scientists are raising alarms about its health risks
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See 15 Photos That Will Remind You to Appreciate the Rain
Take a look at these Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest pictures of this precious precipitation
How Do Cancer Cells Migrate to New Tissues and Take Hold?
Scientists are looking for answers about how these confounding trips, known as metastases, occur throughout the human body
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