Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News / Smart News Science

Researchers estimate that sea spray could release up to 136,000 tons of microplastic particles into the air per year.

The Salty Sea Breeze Contains Microplastics, New Study Suggests

Researchers recorded the tiny particles in ocean air off the coast of France

A California biologist watches an old male desert tortoise from a distance following the construction of a solar farm in 2011.

Solar Energy Project in Nevada Will Be Biggest in United States

The Department of the Interior approved the $1 billion project on Monday despite concerns for threatened wildlife

A quick-thinking Boston police officer used an electronic mating call to lure an escaped peacock into a fenced-in yard.

Police Lure Escaped Peacock Into Custody With Mating Call Played On Cell Phone

Zoo officials say it is peacock mating season, and the male bird may have escaped to search for a female

Silver Y Moth (Autographa gamma), feeding on fuchsia flowers at night in a garden.

New Research

Moths Work the Pollination Night Shift, Visiting Some Flowers Bees Skip

A new study highlights the importance of moths as nocturnal pollinators in the English countryside

This map shows the Long March 5B's projected orbit before it reentered Earth's atmosphere.

A Huge Hunk of Space Debris Fell to Earth

The 20-ton object, part of a Chinese rocket, is one of the largest ever to fall uncontrolled from space

Excavations at the Bacho Kiro Cave in Bulgaria uncovered ancient human bones along with stone tools, animal bones, bone tools and pendants.

Humans and Neanderthals May Have Overlapped in Europe Longer Than Previously Thought

Remains found in a Bulgarian cave are between 44,000 and 46,000 years old, making them the oldest confirmed Homo sapiens discovered in Europe

The "Drive-By-Art" exhibition featured roadside sculptures, live performances, video projections, paintings and other works of art.

Covid-19

Drive-By Art Exhibition Provides Socially Distanced Dose of Culture

Fifty-two artists participated in the Long Island event

Even if you're stuck in the city, birding is a great social distancing hobby—you can start from your window. Pictured: A male pine warbler perched in a redbud tree.

Education During Coronavirus

Here’s How to (Safely) Bird-Watch During Lockdown

Birding can be a lark, but don’t run a-fowl of safety guidelines

Researchers at the Allen Institute for Brain Science averaged the structures of 1,625 mouse brains to create a standard model.

New Research

Researchers Created a 3-D Map of 100 Million Cells in the Mouse Brain

Neuroscientists have been using the tool since 2017 to pinpoint where exactly their data are coming from

Otters get fidgety when they're hungry.

New Research

Otters ‘Juggle,’ but the Behavior’s Function Remains Mysterious

The animals seem to fidget more when they are hungry

Jupiter seen in high resolution thermal infrared via the Gemini Observatory's Lucky Imaging technique.

Check Out These New Images of Jupiter’s Stormy Surface

The images allowed scientists to map lightning strikes and revealed holes in the Great Red Spot

Comb jelly larvae, highlighted by red arrows, shown inside an adult.

New Research

Invasive Comb Jellies Might Overproduce Babies in Summer to Eat Them in Winter

Comb jellies might have evolved to eat their young when prey runs out, but some experts are skeptical of the strategy

The Bayeux Tapestry depicts Harold II with an arrow jutting from his head, but whether the English king actually died in this manner remains a point of contention.

Medieval Arrows Inflicted Injuries That Mirror Damage Caused by Modern Bullets

New research demonstrates the immense power of the medieval English longbow

To detail the Picts' diet, researchers studied 137 skeletons buried under Portmahomack's old Tarbat Parish Church.

New Research

Why These Ancient Scottish Seafarers Didn’t Snack on Fish

New research suggests fish, which are widely celebrated in Pictish lore, were simply too special to eat

The Melbourne Zoo welcomed three baby snow leopard cubs in February.

Celebrate Mother’s Day With Nine Baby Animal Livestreams

This Sunday, celebrate the moms of the animal kingdom with kittens, polar bear cubs, eaglets and more

A bottlenose dolphin swims with her biological daughter and her adopted melon-headed whale calf.

Eight Things We’ve Learned About Moms Since the Last Mother’s Day

From pregnancy to birth and beyond, mothers, both animal and human, show off some amazing skills

The full fossil with the body of the squid on the left and the fish to the right.

Cool Finds

200-Million-Year-Old Fossil Captures Squid Viciously Entangled With Its Prey

The specimen may be the earliest known example of a squid-like creature on the attack

Reduced traffic in Los Angeles reveals a clear view of the San Gabriel Mountains beyond downtown.

Air Pollution May Make COVID-19 Symptoms Worse

Research linking air pollution to elevated death rates remains preliminary but scientists hope the pandemic spurs tighter air quality regulations

Rubble from the Museo de la Masacre de Ponce fell from the top of the building and caused the collapse of its second-floor balcony.

5.4-Magnitude Earthquake Damages Puerto Rican Museums

The Museo de la Massacre de Ponce and Casa Paoli were among the buildings affected by Saturday’s tremors

Male pug-nosed tree frogs confuse predators by overlapping their mating calls with those their neighbors.

New Research

Illusionist Frog Attracts Mates Without Unwanted Attention From Predators

The simultaneous mating calls of the male pug-nosed tree frog confuses bats but not female frogs

Page 240 of 538