Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News

Researchers just revealed previously hidden text from a 2,000-year-old scroll called PHerc. 172, which is housed at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries.

Using A.I., Researchers Peer Inside a 2,000-Year-Old Scroll Charred by Mount Vesuvius’ Eruption

For the past two years, citizen scientists and scholars have been working to reveal the previously hidden texts of the Herculaneum scrolls

Arthur Ashe playing tennis against Dennis Ralston in 1964

On This Day in History

The Death of a Sports Legend on This Day in 1993 Changed How Americans Viewed AIDS

Tennis star Arthur Ashe achieved many firsts as a Black athlete. In the months leading up to his death, he thrust AIDS advocacy into the mainstream

The Brook, Frits Thaulow, 1875/1906

Dozens of Artworks Rescued From War-Torn Ukraine Go on Display in Berlin

A new collaborative exhibition showcases 60 breathtaking pieces that were evacuated from the Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art

The Vital de Oliveira was discovered by divers in 2011, but the ship's identity was not officially confirmed until now.

Warship Sunk by the Nazis During World War II Located Off the Coast of Brazil

A German submarine torpedoed the “Vital de Oliveira” in July 1944, killing some 100 of the 270 crew members onboard

LEDA 1313424, nicknamed the Bullseye, appears next to the small blue dwarf galaxy on its immediate left.

Check Out NASA’s New Image of the Brilliant Bullseye Galaxy, the Aftermath of a Rare Cosmic Collision

After a blue dwarf galaxy shot through it like an arrow, the large Bullseye now has nine rings—six more than any other galaxy known to scientists

Nyota, a 25-year-old male bonobo at Ape Initiative in Iowa, participated in the study.

When Bonobos Know What You Don’t, They’ll Tell You. It’s a Sign of a Cognitive Ability Called ‘Theory of Mind’

A first-of-its-kind study suggests bonobos, like humans, can understand someone else’s lack of knowledge—and adjust their actions accordingly

The earliest traces of lead pollution the researchers identified were 5,200 years old.

New Research

Oldest Known Evidence of Lead Pollution Found in Ancient Greece

New research has uncovered the earliest traces of lead contamination caused by human activities, linking the development of ancient metal smelting practices to long-term environmental change

As the second-largest museum in the world, it is also one of the most visited and home to a reported three million objects.  

On This Day in History

The Breathtaking Hermitage Museum, Filled With Treasures Like the Kolyvan Vase and the Peacock Clock, First Opened to the Public on This Day in 1852

Russia’s palatial institution is now the second largest in the world, with an impressive collection of three million objects and 50 beloved house cats

The hunk weighs a whopping five pounds and measures more than six inches long.

Cool Finds

A Five-Pound Hunk of the World’s Oldest Known Synthesized Pigment Was Found in Nero’s Palace

The discovery might illuminate the link between the blue pigment’s ancient Egyptian roots and its rediscovery by Renaissance artists centuries later

Researchers found higher levels of microplastics in brain tissue than in liver and kidney tissue.

The Human Brain May Contain as Much as a Spoon’s Worth of Microplastics, New Research Suggests

The amount of microplastics in the human brain appears to be increasing over time: Concentrations rose by roughly 50 percent between 2016 and 2024, according to a new study

Blue Ghost captured an Earth "selfie" from its orbit.

See the First Stunning Images Taken by the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander on Its ‘Scenic Route’ to the Moon

The lander built by Firefly Aerospace has captured incredible views as it orbits Earth. Its next phase is an engine burn that will propel it toward lunar orbit

The Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century masterpiece of medieval embroidery, famously narrates the events leading up to and including the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

New Research

Archaeologists Say They’ve Located Harold II’s Lost Manor House

A latrine found in Bosham, England, has helped identify the location of the king’s long-lost residence, offering new insights into medieval life before the Norman Conquest

The 315-page police docket from 1904 is bound in red leather with gold accents.

Rooted in the American West: Food, History and Culture

This 120-Year-Old Police Docket Documented Crimes Like Reckless Horse Riding

Discovered in a thrift store, the historic docket lists incidents that occurred in the town of Casper, Wyoming, in 1904—including “reckless riding [of a horse]” and “keeping a house of prostitution”

Residents of Summerville have reported sightings of a mysterious glowing light over the town's old railroad tracks. The pictured tracks, while not the "haunted" site, were studied in an effort to determine the source of the 1886 Charleston earthquake.

The ‘Ghost’ Haunting This South Carolina Town Might Have an Earthly Explanation, Scientist Says

In a new research article, a seismologist argues that earthquakes are the reason for the mysterious lights associated with a local urban legend in Summerville

Marilyn Monroe performs in front of service members in Korea in 1954.

On This Day in History

The Wartime Organization That Brought Hollywood Stars Like Marilyn Monroe and Nancy Sinatra to the Front Lines to Entertain the Troops

Established on this day in 1941, the United Service Organizations offers wholesome entertainment options to off-duty service members

The mammoths were not all related to each other, according to the new analysis.

Mammoth Bones Used to Build Mysterious 25,000-Year-Old Site in Russia Came From Different Herds

DNA and radiocarbon dating analyses of the bones are offering new insights into the ambitious Ice Age site constructed by hunter-gatherers

Experts think the sketch dates to between 1809 and 1814.

A Stunning John Constable Sketch That Hadn’t Previously Been Recorded in the Literature Is Heading to Auction

Experts think the early 19th-century artwork could be an early draft of the British painter’s “View of Dedham Vale From East Bergholt”

Chorus waves can produce high-energy “killer electrons” that can damage satellites.

Mysterious ‘Chirping’ Waves Detected 100,000 Miles Above Earth Are Surprising Scientists

Chorus waves, quick bursts of energy known to occur relatively close to Earth and around other planets, were found in an unexpected part of the magnetosphere, according to a new study

The cache pit was discoverd on a hill overlooking the Knik Arm, a thin brach of the Gulf of Alaska.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Rare 1,000-Year-Old Food Storage Pit in Alaska

Initial findings suggest the cache was used to preserve moose and caribou meat in the harsh climate of southeastern Alaska

Alfred L. Cralle optimized his invention for one-handed use by adding a thumb grip and a scraping tool that kept food from sticking to the scooper.

On This Day in History

Meet the Black Inventor Who Developed the Ice Cream Scoop, Revolutionizing a Beloved Frozen Treat

While working as a porter, Alfred L. Cralle witnessed how hard it was to serve ice cream cones one-handed. He saved the day with his mold and disher tool, patented on this day in 1897

Page 115 of 1126