Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News

Dianne Ashworth has her eyes, both bionic and natural, tested.

Blind Woman Sees the Light Thanks to Bionic Eye

A patient with no vision was recently outfitted with a bionic eye that restored some of her sight

After a hurricane, you may be experiencing a few conflicting emotions.

“After the Storm” Workbook Helps Kids Deal with Hurricane Stress

The “After the Storm” workbook that helps parents sort out their kids’ feelings following a potentially traumatic hurricane

Here’s How Hurricane Naming Works

Who gets to chose hurricane names, and how do they do it?

None

Playing Video Games At Home Turns 40

The Magnavox Odyssey went on sale 40 years ago, sparking the home video game revolution

None

Teen ‘Sick-Lit’ Should Leave Parents Feeling Queasy

The newly defined genre of “teen sick-lit” is awash with tear-jerking stories of ill adolescents who seek only to find the love of their life during their final days, but researchers say it reinforces negative stereotypes of the ill

New Maps Will Keep Ecotourists From Ruining Dolphins’ All-Important Naps

Ecotourists in Hawaii might be inadvertently harming the very dolphin species they hope to interact with by interrupting essential daytime naps

None

Watch Hurricane Isaac Grow and Slam Into Louisiana

A range of satellites are set to watch Isaac, giving a step-by-step look into the storm’s evolution

None

Transit Users Trust Distorted Subway Maps Way Too Much

Subway map design might have a lot bigger impact on the way you travel than you might think

Maykah’s first toy, Roominate, comes with real circuits.

Female Engineers Design Toys for Girls That Aren’t Just Pink

Three engineers at Stanford are developing science toys for girls that will actually inspire young women to go into math and science

Amazing Shots Captured by Google Street View

One artist scours Google Street View for shocking, beautiful and amazing images

Artist Sue Austin scopes out a pool in her underwater wheel chair.

Artist Explores the Deep in Underwater Wheelchair

None

UFO or Crazy Cloud? ‘Weird Cloud Atlas’ Helps You Decide

Clouds come in a vast array of unusual shapes and sizes, and the Weird Cloud Atlas wants to help you sort of what is what

None

Relive the 1940s Through These Old Color Photographs

The Library of Congress has more than 1600 color photos of WWII-era America

None

Welcome to Beefspace, Where the Battle for Fast Food Dominance Rages On

This is a beautiful, and detailed map of the most influential fast food chains at each point

None

Your Significant Other Might be Spying on You

About a third of people think it’s okay to snoop on a significant other’s cell phone or email if they suspect foul play

None

Rigor in the Ring – How Statistics is Changing The Way We Fight

How science and statistics are changing the world of mixed martial arts

Five Epic Patent Wars That Don’t Involve Apple

The recent Apple patent decision was a big one, but here are some historical patent wars you might not have heard of

None

Your Password Will Probably be Hacked Soon

Passwords are getting weaker and hackers are getting better at figuring them out

90s Pop Music Was Really, Really Depressing

Scientists found that pop music has grown more depressing with time

None

Wracked by Face Cancer, Tasmanian Devils Fight Off Extinction

Tasmanian devils are on the verge of extinction, but a captive breeding program may be able to bring them back

Page 1114 of 1132