Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News / Smart News Science

Protesters hold signs during the demonstration in Rome's Trevi Fountain.

Climate Activists Turn Water in Rome’s Trevi Fountain Black

The action was a protest against public subsidies for fossil fuels and called attention to the deadly floods occurring in northern Italy

The concrete and mortar used to build this 387-square-foot, single-story house contains 8 percent diaper shreds.

See the House Engineers Built From Dirty Diapers

Using concrete and mortar made with shredded diapers could address issues like plastic waste and sand shortages, per a new study

A massive ice island breaks free of the Petermann Glacier in northwestern Greenland in July 2012.

Satellites Show Warming Tides Melting a Massive Greenland Glacier

The finding could mean that past predictions of sea-level rise from glaciers should double

A close-up view of the Titanic's bow

See the Titanic in Stunning Detail With New 3D Scan

Researchers collected 16 terabytes of data to create the very first full-sized 3D scan of the wreckage

Landscape of Saudi Arabia where some of the to-scale engravings were found.

Archaeologists Discover the Oldest Known Blueprints

The Stone Age engravings are to-scale depictions of desert kites, massive stone structures used by hunters to capture animals

This is the first documented rainbow sea slug in a rock pool in the United Kingdom.

Rare ‘Technicolor’ Rainbow Sea Slug Found in England

It’s only the fourth record of the species in the U.K., and experts say it’s a sign of warming waters due to climate change

One of the study's participants was Woofus, a 15-year-old basset hound mix.

Older Dogs With Dementia Sleep Poorly—Just Like Humans

The findings may help veterinarians and pet parents identify canine cognitive decline

A death cap mushroom, the most poisonous mushroom in the world. Around 90 percent of all mushroom-related fatalities are caused by the fungus.

Possible Antidote to World’s Deadliest Mushroom Discovered

A dye used in medical imaging appeared to make the death cap’s toxin less fatal to mice in a new study

Bone fractures suggest that structural damage killed the two Pompeii residents.

These Two Ancient Pompeii Victims Died in an Earthquake—Not a Volcanic Eruption

Archaeologists have found the bodies of two men who perished in the days before Mount Vesuvius erupted

An MRI of the brain of a person with Alzheimer's not connected to the new study.

A Man’s Rare Genetic Mutation May Have Prevented Alzheimer’s for Decades

Scientists hope the findings could lead to treatments for the memory-destroying disease

Hormiphora californensis, also called the California sea gooseberry, is a comb jelly common in California coastal waters.

Comb Jellies May Be the World’s Oldest Animal Group

A new study suggests that ancestors of comb jellies, not sponges, were the first to break off from the common ancestor of all animals

An artistic rendering of the newly discovered LP 791-18 d exoplanet

Newly Discovered Exoplanet May Be Covered in Volcanoes

Astronomers found an Earth-sized world that could have liquid water on its surface and may be able to support life

Researchers Jessica Farrell and Sean Goggin collect water samples at Moultrie Creek in St. Augustine, Florida.

Scientists Can Now Pull Human DNA From Air and Water, Raising Privacy Questions

Environmental DNA helps monitor elusive and endangered animals, but it could be an ethical minefield when used with humans, new study shows

Wildfire during Greece's 2021 heatwave, which experts have linked to climate change

The Next Five Years Will Almost Certainly Be the Warmest on Record, U.N. Says

Earth is likely to pass 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming over pre-industrial levels, a key climate threshold, by 2027, according to a new report

With wingspans of up to nine feet, California condors are the largest birds in North America.

Bird Flu Vaccine Approved in Emergency Effort to Save California Condors

The virus has set back the endangered birds’ recovery, but a newly hatched chick is flu-free and being raised by veterinarians

Paris is working on an ambitious project to clean the Seine river for use during swimming events in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The Paris Olympics

For the First Time in a Century, Paris Is Making the Seine Swimmable

The city’s ambitious project will allow Olympians, and later the French public, to return to the famous river’s waters

Trichophyton simii, shown here under a microscope, is one of 40 species of fungi that can cause ringworm infections.

First Cases of Drug-Resistant Ringworm Found in the U.S.

The two patients—both in New York City—developed itchy rashes that did not go away with typical antifungal medications

A spider hides between its own legs.

See 15 Breathtaking Shots From the Close-Up Photographer of the Year Challenge

This themed contest rewarded minimalism, with clean photographs of insects, spiders and plants earning accolades

Illustration of a black hole pulling in surrounding gas.

Astronomers Identify the Largest-Ever Cosmic Explosion

The burst is ten times brighter than any known exploding star and has lasted for more than three years

The Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park

Art Meets Science

Listen to Music Made From Yellowstone’s Seismic Data

A scientist and a musician performed a live musical rendition of the park’s underground rumblings

Page 137 of 545