Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News

Men Shop for Groceries, And Food Companies Are Noticing

Those companies have designed dark, bold packaging and bigger “man-sized” portions

U.S. paratroopers drop into Grenada

30 Years Ago Today, the U.S. Invaded Grenada

The conflict pit the U.S. military against Grenadian revolutionaries and the Cuban army

None

The Most Isolated Tree in the World Was Killed by a (Probably Drunk) Driver

The acacia was the only tree for 250 miles in Niger’s Sahara desert and was used as a landmark by travelers and caravans

In the Wake of the Boston Marathon Bombing, Twitter Was Full of Lies

Of the 8 million tweets sent in the days following the Boston bombing, just 20% were accurate pieces of factual information

Coral Reefs Are Fighting Back Against Global Warming

When they get stressed by the heat, coral make their own shade by releasing a chemical that helps clouds form

Should EpiPens Be Stocked Everywhere People Eat?

Laws are in the works to get EpiPens into schools and restaurants

Archimedes Would Be Proud of This Now-Bright Norwegian Town

Inspiration for the idea traces back to the 212 BC legend about Archimedes’ burning mirrors used to set Roman battle ships ablaze

What Percent of the Population is Gay? More Than You Think

There may never be a time when people will accurately answer surveys, but at least survey givers are getting better at tricking us into being honest

There are 37.2 Trillion Cells in Your Body

You know that your body is made of cells - but just how many? Turns out that question isn’t all that easy to answer

(Not the temple in question)

Ancient Buddhist Frescoes in China Got Painted Over with Cartoons

he temple affairs head and the the cultural heritage monitoring team lead have both lost their jobs, and the Communist party chief has been scolded

What Is the Exactly Perfect Time to Drink Your Coffee?

It’s a good thing that science is here to figure out the exact perfect way to drink a cup of coffee

Before Hollywood Had Ratings, Films Were Way Racier

In the 1934 movie Murder at the Vanities there’s a whole musical number about the pleasures of marijuana sung by half naked women

The First Venomous Crustacean We’ve Ever Found Liquefies Its Prey

Whether or not the remipede venom would have any effect on a curious diver poking at the tiny creature, however, remains unknown

A High Schooler Discovered the Best Fossil Yet of a Baby Tube-Crested Dinosaur

The new fossil, nicknamed “Joe,” sheds light on its species’ characteristic tube-like head formation

The In-Depth Science of Why a Beer Bottle Erupts When You Whack It

More than you ever thought you needed to know about the physics of erupting beer bottles

Fire Is a Quickly Growing Threat to the Amazon Rainforest

If the Amazon continues to dry at just half the pace as it has over the past 30 years, yearly drought will become the new norm by the end of this century

None

This Six-Year-Old Ran a Half Marathon in Under Three Hours

Keelan Glass finished her recent half marathon in 2:47:30

None

Australia’s Military Accidentally Set the Country on Fire

Australia’s largest wildfire is the result of a weapons test gone awry

None

Bacon Boosts Recipe Ratings

Sandwiches, kale, lettuce, asparagus and spinach all benefit from a bit of bacon, according to aggregate recipe ratings

Yellowstone Bears Actually Eat Moths for Food

It turns out that bears can eat 40,000 moths a day

Page 1008 of 1132