Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News / Smart News Science

Researchers identified seven prehistoric human footprints at Alathar, a dried-up lake bed in Saudi Arabia.

New Research

Human Footprints Found in Saudi Arabia May Be 120,000 Years Old

If confirmed, the footfalls would represent the oldest evidence of Homo sapiens’ presence on the Arabian Peninsula

The postage-stamp sized sample of amber contained 39 half-millimeter-long crustaceans called ostracods, including 31 of a new species.

New Research

Scientists Discover Oldest Sperm Yet Preserved in Amber

The longest sperm in the sample is one-third the body length of the creature that produced it

An aerial view from September 17 shows people walking through a flooded street after Hurricane Sally passed through Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Why Did Hurricane Sally Move So Slowly? It Has to Do With Climate Change

Creeping along at just 2 to 3 miles per hour, Sally is the latest in a trend of slow-moving storms, scientists say

Vikings' maritime expeditions brought them out of Scandinavia and into Northern Europe, where they intermingled with local populations.

Sweeping DNA Survey Highlights Vikings’ Surprising Genetic Diversity

A new study suggests Viking identity didn’t always equate to Scandinavian ancestry

A split image showing an active Sun during solar maximum (on the left, taken in 2014) and a quiet Sun during solar minimum (on the right, taken in 2019).

A New Solar Cycle Promises Calm Space Weather

Experts say the sun’s next decade will likely feature a low number of events like solar flares that can disrupt power grids and satellites

Stan, a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, will go on the auction block at Christie's on Oct. 6.

You Can Buy This T. Rex Skeleton—for a Hefty Price

Paleontology enthusiasts with an extra $8 million lying around can bid on Stan, a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex

This cave bear probably lived between 22,000 and 39,500 years ago, and researchers hope to get a better estimate with closer study.

Ice Age Cave Bear Found Preserved in Permafrost on Siberian Island

According to preliminary analysis, the bear is between 22,000 and 39,500 years old

NMSU professor Martha Desmond, biologist in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology is trying to find out why hundreds of thousands of migratory birds have been found dead across the state.

Thousands of Migrating Birds Drop Dead Across Southwestern U.S.

Researchers aren’t sure what’s causing the mass die-off impacting birds flying south for the winter

“The pandemic has, in almost every dimension, made inequity worse,” said Bill Gates during a press conference about the results of the Goalkeepers Report.

New Report Details Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic on Global Health

The annual Gates Foundation report assesses global progress toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

The sun sets behind the Manhattan Bridge and One World Trade Center in a haze created by smoke from the west coast wildfires reaching the east coast on September 15, 2020 in New York City, according to Getty Images.

West Coast Wildfire Smoke Reported as Far East as the Netherlands

Hazy skies covered the United States and parts of Europe this week as jet streams pushed fumes eastward

Smoke rises from a fire in the Amazon rainforest, south of Novo Progresso in the Para state, Brazil.

Humans Wiped Out Two-Thirds of the World’s Wildlife in 50 Years

Threats to global biodiversity are also threats to humans, experts warn

Climate change is causing trees, like black spruces, grow fast and die early, which in turn negates the trees' ability to absorb as much CO2 as scientists previously thought.

Trees Are Growing Fast and Dying Young Due to Climate Change

Rapid growth reduces the capacity of forests to absorb and store carbon dioxide

An acorn woodpecker wearing one of the radio tags used in the study.

New Research

These Woodpeckers’ Bloody Wars Draw Crowds

Acorn woodpeckers will fight to the death to control the finest habitat and new research finds up to 30 non-combatants will pull up a branch to watch

Starlet anemone grow tentacle arms based on how much food they intake.

These Sea Anemones Grow Limbs When They Eat

The starlet sea anemone is the first known species to translate food into limbs

Storm Francis uncovered more petrified tree stumps in Wales' Cardigan Bay, 15 miles south of the sunken forest in Borth.

New Section of Petrified Forest Uncovered on Wales Beach After Storm

The petrified forest in Borth appears in a myth written in the oldest surviving Welsh manuscript

Venus, the second planet from the sun

In Clouds on Venus, New Potential for Microbial Life

Astronomers have detected a chemical in Venus’ atmosphere that signifies life on Earth. Could it mean the same on Venus?

The cave angel fish's unique pelvic shape was first documented in 2016. Its uncommon anatomy allows it to walk with all four appendages the way a salamander or a lizard might.

New Research

Study Finds Ten Species of Fish That May Have a Secret Talent for Walking on Land

The strange fish may help researchers envision the gaits of Earth’s first terrestrial vertebrates

A research team surveyed the seafloor near Thwaites Glacier on the RV Nathaniel B Palmer in early 2019.

New Research

Mapping Technology Reveals Channels of Warm Water Under Florida-Sized Glacier

The new research will inform computer models of how quickly the glacier is melting

A regular mouse is pictured on the left of a bulky "mighty mouse."

Space Mice Return to Earth, Mighty as Ever

Their space voyage provides new insights for treating muscle and bone loss

Autumn near Killington, Vermont

See Where Brilliant Fall Foliage Will Peak Across the Country in This Map

An interactive map predicts when the orange, red and yellow hues of autumn will brighten up the countryside

Page 234 of 545