Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News

An illustration of the Victorian grassland earless dragon, which, until February, had not been seen in the wild since 1969.

Scientists Find the ‘Extinct’ Victorian Earless Dragon, Not Seen Since 1969

Once thought to be gone from the wild, the lizards will now enter a breeding program in an attempt to save them from the brink of extinction

A free exhibition in Washington, D.C., shows 12 pages from the multi-volume collection of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks called the Codex Atlanticus.

Leonardo da Vinci Sketches Go on Display in the U.S. for the First Time

Pages of the “Codex Atlanticus” provide a rare glimpse into the Renaissance icon’s imagination and scientific prowess

Female Anopheles mosquitoes infected with the parasite that causes malaria can spread the disease to humans through a bite.

Malaria Spread in the U.S. for the First Time Since 2003, CDC Says

Five infections caught locally in Florida and Texas have prompted health alerts from state and federal agencies

Vienna earned top marks for its stability, education, health care and infrastructure.

Vienna Is the Most Livable City in the World

The city also topped the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual rankings in 2018, 2019 and 2022

Researchers think that this pendant could be the oldest known depiction of a penis—and early evidence of humans' ability to think symbolically.

New Research

Is This the Earliest Known Phallic Art?

Researchers think the 42,000-year-old artifact was carved from graphite to resemble a penis

The massive sharks known as megalodons ruled the oceans for some 20 million years.

Megalodons Were Warm-Blooded—and It Was a Blessing and a Curse

The giant sharks likely warmed some of their body parts, helping them grow massive but leaving them vulnerable to environmental changes, a new study finds

NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan during a 2020 space walk at the International Space Station. Researchers theorize that the weightlessness astronauts experience on the ISS contributes to immune system dysfunction.

Why Astronauts Have Weaker Immune Systems in Space

Gene activity in white blood cells decreased once astronauts got to space—and it didn’t rebound until they returned, a new study finds

A photo of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption taken on December 24, 2021, before the biggest eruption on January 15, 2022. Tsunamis caused by the eruption killed at six people in Tonga and Peru and displaced more than 1,500 people on Tongan islands.

Tonga Volcano Sparked the Most Intense Lightning Storm Ever Recorded

Last year’s eruption produced a raging storm at unprecedented altitudes, with 2,600 lightning flashes per minute at its peak

A rendering of what the site in Tiel may have once looked like

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover 4,000-Year-Old ‘Dutch Stonehenge’

The ritual site was once used to determine the longest and shortest days of the year

A recent incident suggests the boat-bashing behavior of orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar might be spreading to other groups.

Orca Rams Into Yacht Near Scotland, Suggesting the Behavior May Be Spreading

The incident occurred roughly 2,000 miles away from the recent encounters near Spain and Portugal

This icon featuring images of Saints Sergius and Bacchus is one of four encaustic paintings on display at the Louvre after being evacuated from Ukraine.

Secretly Evacuated From Ukraine, Rare Icons Now on View at the Louvre

Amid Russian attacks, Kyiv’s Khanenko Museum sent 16 precious artworks to Paris for safekeeping

A coral reef in Honolulu, Hawaii. Half of global coral coverage has disappeared since the 1950s.

Coral Reefs Host a Vast Diversity of Microbes

A two-year expedition at sea uncovered more than half a million varieties of microbial life in Pacific reef-dwelling organisms

An inscribed stone found at the Ocomtún site

Cool Finds

This Ancient Maya City Was Hidden in the Jungle for More Than 1,000 Years

Archaeologists surveying the ruins of Ocomtún found pyramids, stone columns and a ballgame court

Tighter curls may dissipate more heat than other types of hair or no hair.

Curly Hair Keeps the Head Coolest

A new study suggests our locks may have evolved to prevent our brain from overheating

Inscriptions on the statues in both Etruscan and Latin are still legible after thousands of years.

Found in Ancient Spa, Stunningly Preserved Bronze Statues Go on View in Rome

The trove of 2,300-year-old bronzes was discovered last year in a thermal spring in Tuscany

The three-inch-long pottery shard contains only parts of a passage from Virgil's Georgics.

Cool Finds

Virgil Quotation Found Etched on 1,800-Year-Old Roman Jar

Researchers say the ancient inscription is the first of its kind ever discovered

The white spots on the edges of a monarch butterfly's wings might give it an advantage while migrating, according to new research.

Monarch Butterflies’ Signature White Spots May Help Them Fly

These long-distance migrants could get a boost from their striking coloration, which may reduce drag by heating and cooling air unevenly

Mormon crickets, present in several states across the U.S., are linked to crop damage and can be a nuisance.

Mormon Crickets Are Creating Havoc in Nevada

In Elko, the insects have caused accidents on roads and problems in town

After more than 100 years, Germany returned two centuries-old masks to Colombia's Indigenous Kogi community.

Germany Returns Sacred Wooden Masks to Colombia

In Berlin, the centuries-old artifacts were treated with chemicals that could pose health hazards

The original stencil for Banksy's Girl With Balloon is among the items on display in a new solo show at Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art.

Rare Banksy Solo Exhibition Opens in Glasgow

The secretive street artist has officially authorized the show, which features never-before-seen stencils

Page 256 of 1143