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Science

The Wright brothers' 1903 flight made history, regardless of other claims about earlier flights.

Ask Smithsonian

Was Jakob Brodbeck First in Flight? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions, we’ve got experts

In Pursuit of Better Baby Formula

Replicating human milk is no easy feat—nor is separating the science from the hype

Photosynthesis evolved some 2.5 billion years ago, transforming life on Earth.

This Type of Algae Absorbs More Light for Photosynthesis Than Other Plants

Though evolutionary mergers between cells, some algae have developed the ability to convert a wider spectrum of light energy into sugars

Entering German cities within days of their capture by Allied forces, the special Army-led team slipped into bomb-ravaged Cologne in early March 1945.

The Untold Story of the Secret Mission to Seize Nazi Map Data

How a covert U.S. Army intelligence unit canvassed war-torn Europe, capturing intelligence with incalculable strategic value

Unlike classic CRISPR-based editing, which fully cleaves DNA in two, prime editing starts with a cut to only one strand of the double helix.

A New Gene Editing Tool Could Make CRISPR More Precise

Prime editing offers a new way to make changes to DNA while avoiding some of the drawbacks and clunkiness of traditional CRISPR

An aye-aye lemur.

Extra Thumb Discovered on Aye-Aye Lemurs, Giving These Primates Six Fingers

Used for gripping limbs, a “pseudo-thumb” makes the hands of these bizarre primates even creepier

Celebratory events are scheduled November 11 to 18 to wish Bei Bei, the giant panda, a Bon Voyage.

Pandamonium

National Zoo Says Bye Bye to Bei Bei

The giant panda recently turned four years old and will soon move to China to breed

By collecting images and GPS data from citizen divers, scientists can get a better sense of the health of the entire Great Barrier Reef.

Massive Citizen Science Effort Seeks to Survey the Entire Great Barrier Reef

Only about 1,000 of 3,000 individual reefs have been documented, but the Great Reef Census hopes to fill in the gaps

The Spectacled Flowerpecker

The Spectacled Flowerpecker Is Now Known to Science

First spotted a decade ago, this elusive bird hangs out in the canopy of Borneo’s lowland forests

Eileen Collins in space in 1995, when she became the first woman to pilot a space shuttle.

What It Was Like to Become the First Woman to Pilot and Command a Space Shuttle

Eileen Collins talked to Smithsonian about her career in the Air Force and NASA, women in aerospace and more

"An important first step is understanding how tropical forests worldwide, climate, and the food and other products that we consume are all interconnected on the global scale. Collectively we can have a real impact," says forest ecologist Kristina Anderson-Teixeira.

Yes, Tropical Forests Tragically Burned This Summer, but Here’s What You Can Do

Fires stoked worldwide anxiety, but Smithsonian forest ecologist Kristina Anderson-Teixeira offers a few practices for making a difference

Scientific illustrations, Humboldt once wrote, should “speak to the senses without fatiguing the mind.” His famous illustration of Chimborazo volcano in Ecuador shows plant species living at different elevations.

Alexander von Humboldt

The Pioneering Maps of Alexander von Humboldt

Beautiful and insightful, the illustrations of the German naturalist helped shape a new understanding of the world

Illustration of a hot Jupiter planet in the Messier 67 star cluster. Hot Jupiters are so named because of their close proximity — usually just a few million miles — to their star, which drives up temperatures and can puff out the planets.

What Astronomers Can Learn From Hot Jupiters, the Scorching Giant Planets of the Galaxy

Many of the planets that are roughly the size of Jupiter orbit right next to their stars, burning at thousands of degrees

A reconstruction of a Siamraptor skull based on fossil evidence.

Newly Discovered Dinosaur Was a Giant ‘Shark Tooth’ Carnivore

Siamraptor suwati, discovered in Thailand, sliced flesh with razor-sharp teeth rather than crushing the bones of its prey

Coyotes are one of the most resourceful and resilient predators and play an important role in controlling populations of small mammals.

Connecting With Coyotes on the Prowl

Biologist Joe Guthrie embarks on a new study to track five adults in the Shenandoah Valley using GPS collars

Climate change is driving a surge in wildfires, and it’s only going to get worse.

This Gel Could Prevent Wildfires

Developed by Stanford researchers, the nontoxic, biodegradable gel can be sprayed on vegetation as a long-term fire retardant

Though the Iberian lynx seemed destined for extinction, a conservation effort in Spain and Portugal has helped the population stabilize.

How the Iberian Lynx Bounced Back From the Brink of Extinction

Two decades ago, fewer than 100 Iberian lynx remained, but thanks to captive breeding and habitat management, the population is recovering

The Global Change Environmental Research Wetland spans 173 acres in Edgewater, Maryland.

Marshes Grow Stronger When Faced With Increased Carbon Dioxide

Marsh plants respond to increased CO2 by growing many small stems, creating a denser wetland that may protect against sea level rise

Scientists at the University of Central Florida have modeled a path toward self-sufficiency for one million settlers of Mars over the course of 100 Earth years.

What Will Humans Eat on Mars?

Planetary scientist Kevin Cannon talks about the logistics of feeding a population of one million on the Red Planet

In this agricultural revolution, there are plenty of mind-blowing devices to awe and excite.

Five Roles Robots Will Play in the Future of Farming

From picking fruit to pulling weeds, robotics are bringing precision farming to life

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