Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News

National Geographic Sells a Painting of Pirates for More than One Million Dollars

For the first time in its 125 year history, National Geographic has opened up its collection to bidders at Christie’s an art auction house based in NYC

None

Stylish But Illegal Monkey Caught at Ikea

A confused monkey wearing a shearling coat and diaper was found wandering around outside an Ikea store in Toronto

None

On This Day in 1901, the First Nobel Prizes Were Awarded

One-hundred and eleven years ago today the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace

None

The Fungus in Your Cheese Is Having Weird Sex

It turns out that the fungi in cheeses like blue cheese aren’t just sitting there, waiting for you to eat them

None

What Would It Be Like To See Infrared Light?

Scientists have engineered some proteins to “see” infrared

None

Scientists Accidentally Create a Pina Colada Pineapple That Tastes Like a Coconut

Now, scientists have created the cocoapple—a pineapple that tastes like a coconut

Help a Scientist By Playing This Word Association Game

If you like playing games on the internet, you can help one of those psychologists out by playing a word association game online

None

Catfish Are Teaching Themselves to Catch Pigeons

In southwestern France, catfish are throwing themselves on the shore to catch pigeons

None

Climate Change May Have Driven Genghis Khan’s Army Across Eurasia

A multidecadal blip in temperature and rainfall patterns may have spurred the rise of the Mongol Empire

Eugene Cernan on the surface of the Moon, December 1972.

It’s Been 40 Years Since Anyone Rode a Rocket to the Moon

Apollo 17 took off forty years ago today

Climate justice protestors in Doha.

It’s the Final Day of the Doha Climate Talks, And, Uh, Did Anything Actually Happen?

Reports from Doha don’t provide much hope that any progress has been made on the increasingly urgent issue of global climate change

None

This Is Every Bomb Dropped on London During the Blitz

See all 100 tones of explosives the Germans dropped on London in one map

Middle School Jocks Actually Get the Best Grades

The fittest kids on the playground are also the ones who excel in the classroom at standardized tests and good grades

None

Lions Are Disappearing From Africa

Research shows that lions are quickly disappearing across Africa’s once-thriving Savannah due to human population growth and massive land use conversion

None

Extroverted Gorillas Live Longer Than Shy Ones

In New Zealand, Dogs Are Being Taught How To Drive Cars

Because people didn’t think dogs were awesome enough

After Decades of Wishing for a Mars Colony, It May Finally Be Within Reach

With multiple paths to the red planet laid out, we might actually see people on Mars in the next few decades

Here’s How to Make a Scorpion Bomb

Want to keep your enemies at bay? How about throwing a jar of scorpions at them?

None

These Beautiful Blurs Are Nude Portraits

New York–based photographer Shinichi Maruyama has a knack for capturing motion on film

Does Blood Doping Even Work?

A recent study found no evidence that using blood doping drugs gives elite athletes any advantage

Page 1098 of 1142