Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News

Dolly was a female sheep—and the first mammal ever cloned from an adult cell. Her preserved remains are on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

On This Day in History

Why Scientists Kept the Birth of Dolly, the World’s First Cloned Mammal, a Secret for Seven Months

The scientific breakthrough, announced on this day in 1997, proved that geneticists could clone an adult mammal, giving rise to a new era of ethical debate and experimentation

Some argue that the statue depicts an unnamed philosopher, rather than Marcus Aurelius.

A Looted Bronze Statue That May Depict Marcus Aurelius Is Returning to Turkey

The repatriation comes after years of legal disputes over the true identity and provenance of the 6-foot-4 artwork, which has been housed at the Cleveland Museum of Art

Plains-wanderers are difficult to spot because their feathers serve to help them blend in with Australia's grasslands.

Researchers Use A.I. to Find an Elusive and ‘Odd’ Australian Bird. It Hadn’t Been Recorded in the Area Since 1989

Once abundant throughout southeastern Australia, the critically endangered plains-wanderer is now on the brink of extinction

An oarfish surfaced in Playa El Quemado, Mexico, earlier this month.

Cool Finds

See a Deep-Sea Oarfish Caught Alive on Video in a Rare Encounter on a Beach in Mexico

In Japanese folklore, appearances of these elusive marine creatures dubbed ‘doomsday fish’ are believed to foreshadow earthquakes, though scientists found no strong relationship between these events in a recent study

The Getty Museum has acquired Cristian en el Amor de Calle by Matías Sauter Morera.

The Getty Museum Acquires Its First A.I.-Generated Artwork

“Cristian en el Amor de Calle” by Costa Rican artist Matías Sauter Morera will appear in the museum’s upcoming exhibition, “The Queer Lens: A History of Photography”

A man attacked the stone with a metal object.

Man Vandalizes Famed 12-Angled Stone, an Inca Engineering Marvel in Peru

The stone, which sustained damage in six spots, had been carved to fit perfectly in a palace wall hundreds of years ago

An artist's illustration portrays the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, known as Sagittarius A*.

James Webb Telescope Reveals a Dazzling Light Show From the Milky Way’s Black Hole

Unpredictable bursts of light are pulsing from the debris surrounding Sagittarius A*, offering new insights into the mysterious behavior of the most massive object in our galaxy

Police helped keep the baby seal out of harm's way until help could arrive.

Lost Baby Seal Found Wandering in Downtown New Haven Has Been Rescued—and Attained Local Fame

The juvenile gray seal recently weaned off his mother’s milk and ventured five miles into the coastal Connecticut city

Pottery shards helped researchers identify the tomb as Thutmose II's.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Say They’ve Discovered the First Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh’s Tomb Since Tutankhamun’s in 1922

Researchers initially thought the tomb belonged to a royal wife. Then they unearthed fragments of alabaster jars that identified it as Thutmose II’s

For reasons scientists still don’t totally understand, these beautiful and mystical birds went extinct on February 21, 1918.

On This Day in History

The Last Member of This Bird Species Died in Captivity on This Day in 1918

Incas died at the Cincinnati Zoo, leaving behind mysteries over his death, his final resting place and the factors that led to the extinction of the Carolina parakeet

A pod of 157 false killer whales washed up on a beach in Tasmania.

Pod of 157 False Killer Whales Stranded on a Tasmania Beach Could Not Be Rescued, Wildlife Officials Say

In the area’s largest stranding event for the species since the 1970s, experts decided euthanasia was the most humane course of action

The left wall features a painting of men and women dancing around a flute player.

Cool Finds

Vivid Wall Paintings Unearthed at a 2,500-Year-Old Etruscan Necropolis in Italy

Found beneath an older tomb near Tarquinia, the painted chamber depicts several intricate scenes, including a metallurgical workshop

Discovery images of asteroid 2024 YR4, which is highlighted in green

Chance of Asteroid Strike in 2032 Drops Sharply After Record-Setting Rise. Here’s Why It Keeps Changing

NASA announced that asteroid 2024 YR4 now has a 0.28 percent chance of hitting Earth in 2032, but that number is expected to continue shifting with further observations

The bronze gadget helped filter out large grains and pulp.

Cool Finds

This 1,600-Year-Old Filter Helped Ancient Drinkers Sip Beverages Through a Straw

Archaeologists discovered an unusual bronze artifact studded with holes while excavating the ancient city of Hadrianopolis in Türkiye

Scientists suggest finding extraterrestial intelligence is more likely than thought, arguing that complex life is not a cosmic fluke.

Intelligent Life May Be More Likely to Exist on Other Planets Than Previously Thought, Scientists Say

Researchers present an alternative to the long-held “hard steps” theory to explain the evolution of complex life, suggesting it’s the natural outcome of a habitable environment rather than a lucky break

Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, 1511

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Sketches Are Coming to America

A new exhibition opening next month at the Muscarelle Museum of Art in Williamsburg, Virginia, explores the Italian Renaissance master’s preparations for his famous ceiling frescoes

On February 20, 1792, George Washington made sure the post office would remain part of the federal government, establishing the postmaster role first held by Benjamin Franklin as the head of a permanent cabinet department, the Post Office Department.

On This Day in History

Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor Heat Nor Gloom Stopped the United States Post Office Department From Launching on This Day in 1792

The American Revolution cemented the importance of a federally protected post office in the minds of the people and politicians

One of the study authors, Maëlan Tomasek, with a fish. The scientists found that wild fish will start to follow humans for food and can recognize individual divers based on what they're wearing.

Wild Fish Can Tell Human Divers Apart Based on Their Outfits, Study Suggests

Using visual cues, including colors on wetsuits, seabream in the Mediterranean learned to identify researchers that would feed them

The ring dates to between 1650 and 1750.

Cool Finds

This 17th-Century ‘Lovers’ Ring’ Unearthed in England Is Marked by a Romantic Inscription

Found near a historic property in Lancashire, the ring represents a history of affectionate gifts

The 166-pound Florida panther is an adult male around ten years old.

Scientists Find the Heaviest Florida Panther on Record, a Giant Cat Tipping the Scales at 166 Pounds

Wildlife officials in Florida captured and collared the adult male feline during a routine population check in late January

Page 98 of 1113