Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News

A simulation of a particle collision as seen by the Large Hadron Collider’s CMS experiment.

Eight Months Later, Physicists Double Down on Claim of Higgs Particle Discovery

No longer Higgs-like, now just Higgs

None

The U.S. Is Stocking Drugs for a Hypothetical Smallpox Bio-Attack

In the event of a bio-terrorism smallpox attack, at least 2 million Americans will be able to get treatment, though we can all receive vaccinations

None

Resurrecting Extinct Species Is Conservation’s Next Frontier

Some of the world’s experts in endangered and extinct species will gather for a conference aimed at figuring out the who, what, when and where behind resurrecting extinct species

Cannibals of the Past Had Plenty of Reasons to Eat People

For a long time cannibalism was a survival technique, a cultural practice, and a legitimate source of protein

Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio who chose the name of Francis is the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.

Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio Chosen As New Pope

Pope Francis is the first South American ever to hold the position and the first non-European pope in more than 1,000 years

None

Pluto May Have Ten More Teeny Tiny Moons

Poor little Pluto could have a dozen moons and some rings, and yet it still isn’t a planet

Lake Vostok has been cut off from the environment for ages beneath the thick Antarctic ice.

Brand New, Never Before Seen Bacteria Found in Frozen Antarctic Lake—Maybe

Scientists are revealing, then recanting, then reaffirming their claim to have discovered a new type of bacteria

Anesthetists, At Least, Report That Only an Unlucky Few Are Aware During Surgery

Researchers used to think about one in 500 people are conscious during surgery, but new research puts that number at one in 15,000

An artist’s rendering of methane hydrate’s small-scale structure, with a methane molecule in green and gold trapped within a blue and silver cage of water.

Japan Just Opened Up a Whole New Source for Fossil Fuels

For the first time, natural gas has been pulled from offshore methane clathrates

None

The Twisted Reasons People Poison Pets

Journalist Deborah Blum found a few culprits that cropped up again and again

None

An Otter Learns to Play Therapeutic Basketball at the Oregon Zoo

Zookeepers show that it is possible to teach an old otter new tricks

Cloth Coated in Fish Sperm DNA Doesn’t Burn

Coated in sperm DNA and set on fire, this cotton cloth just doesn’t want to burn

None

These Little Robot Bees Could Pollinate the Fields of the Future

If the bees can’t be saved, maybe these little robobees can assume their role

None

Eclipses Look Even More Gorgeous From Outer Space

With roiling red Sun and the black disk of Earth, eclipses don’t get much prettier than this

Centuries Ago, a Cat Walked Across This Medieval Manuscript

While pawing through a stack of medieval manuscripts from Dubrovnik, Croatia, a student stumbled upon a familiar set of splotches marring the book’s pages

None

This Giant Snail Is Giving Australia Terrible Flashbacks to the Last Giant Snail Takeover

The giant African snail is a true nightmare. So when Australian officials found one in a shipping container yard in Brisbane, they destroyed it as quickly as possible

None

Roller Derby Players Go Home With Bruises And a New Microbiome

Roller derby players come home with lots of bruises, scrapes and aches. But they also come home with an altered microbiome

None

Here You Still Can Listen to Sound of a Nintendo Game Boy

One technology enthusiast set out to capture the sounds of old gadgets in his Museum of Endangered Sounds

None

What Mosh Pits Can Teach Us About Disaster Planning

Moshers might have more to offer society than you once thought. It turns out that mosh pits behave a lot like a container of gas, with each individual behaving like an atom

None

Sharks and Manta Rays Earn Stronger International Protection

All manta rays and several species of sharks will likely gain international protection this Thursday through the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species

Page 1052 of 1120