A long-anonymous college student in New York City reflected both the gravity and zaniness of that first Earth Day protest.

An Earth Day Icon, Unmasked

The 1970 photograph became an instant environmental classic, but its subject has remained nameless until now

Jellyfish such as these Northeast Pacific sea nettles in Monterey Bay Aquarium, are brainless, bloodless and mostly aimless.

Jellyfish: The Next King of the Sea

As the world’s oceans are degraded, will they be dominated by jellyfish?

Richard Branson, shown here in a replica spaceship, wants to place CO2-intensive activities above Earth.

Richard Branson on Space Travel

The billionaire entertainment mogul talks about the future of transportation and clean energy

Brian Boutin, a Nature Conservancy biologist, stands protectively over a newly planted bald cypress sapling. Park managers hope to slow the submersion of the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.

Rising Seas Endanger Wetland Wildlife

For scientists in a remote corner of coastal North Carolina, ignoring global warming is not an option

The discovery of new species is driven by new technologies, targeted surveys of little-studied ecosystems and a determined effort to identify plants and animals before their habitat is lost. The kipunji is one of 300 mammal species discovered in the past decade; it is thought to be Africa’s rarest monkey.

Meet the New Species

From old-world primates to patch-nosed salamanders, new creatures are being discovered every day

A "living skyscraper" could rise from the shallows of Lake Michigan and serve Chicago.

The Rise of Urban Farming

Grow fruits and vegetables in city towers? Advocates give a green thumbs up

Invest in the poorest of the poor, advises Rosamond Naylor.

Rosamond Naylor on Feeding the World

The economist discusses the stresses that climate change and a greater world population will have on our food supply

Using scaffolds and a patients own cells grown in a laboratory, researchers are building replacement body parts.

Organs Made to Order

It won’t be long before surgeons routinely install replacement body parts created in the laboratory

NASA is studying a mission, for launch in the 2020s, that would visit the only moon known to have an extensive atmosphere—Titan, a satellite of Saturn.

What’s Next in Space?

Probes and landers sent into the final frontier will bring us closer to answering cosmic mysteries

Astronomers like Rik Hill scan the heavens from Arizona looking for errant asteroids.

Asteroid Hunters

Astronomers are determined to protect human beings from inanimate outer space invaders

"New research will increasingly be driven by ... evolutionary theory," says Melvin Konner.

Melvin Konner on the Evolution of Childhood

The anthropologist and physician talks about how our understanding of child development will change

Polymer fronds a few thousand nanometers long wrap around even tinier plymer spheres.

Can Nanotechnology Save Lives?

Harvard professor and scientific genius George Whitesides believes that nanotechnology will change medicine as we know it

Kevin Kelly worries devices like Apple's iPad, shown here with Smithsonian's first cover, nurtures action over contemplation.

Reading in a Whole New Way

As digital screens proliferate and people move from print to pixel, how will the act of reading change?

Angela Belcher got her powerful idea from an abalone shell.

Invisible Engineering

Chemist Angela Belcher looks to manufacture high technology out of viruses

Common Thresher Shark

Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Cobras, sharks, lemurs, hermit crabs and more…

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Five Species Likely to Become Extinct in the Next 40 Years

Experts estimate that one-eighth of all bird species, one-fifth of mammal species and one-third of amphibian species are at risk

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Extreme Jellyfish

There are some 2,000 species of jellyfish. Some are tasty, others will kill you with the tap of a tentacle. Here are nine varieties that really stand out

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