Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News / Smart News Science

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on this day in 1769 in Corsica. As a young man at school, one instructor said that he "has always been distinguished for his application in mathematics."

Napoleon’s Lifelong Interest in Science

Napoleon was a Frenchman of his time, which means he was interested in how science could do good–he just took it farther than most

Dana, a lioness rescued from a Syrian zoo, is shown in the enclosure of its new home the day after giving birth to a cub named Hajar

Lion Saved from Syrian Zoo Gives Birth

Just hours after reaching its new home following a daring rescue, the lion gave birth to a healthy cub

This bubble eye goldfish may or may not be drunk.

New Research

How Do Goldfish Survive Winter? They Make Alcohol

A mutant enzyme allows goldfish and carp to live in low oxygen ponds by turning toxic lactic acid into ethanol

Nyanzapithecus alesi skull

New Research

Is This Baby Animal the Last Common Ancestor of Humans and Apes?

The 13-million-year-old skull found in Kenya combines early ape and gibbon-like features

Maiopatagium furculiferum fossil found in China

New Research

Exceptional Fossils Show Ancient Winged Mammals May Have Glided Above the Dinosaurs

The discovery of two flying squirrel-like fossils suggest mammal diversity began earlier than previously thought

A meteor from the Perseids is seen falling over the Very Large Telescope array in Chile.

Catch the Perseid Meteor Shower’s Fiery Show

Though the moon will partially obscure the normally dazzling sight, the shower’s peak is still worth a peek

Salicylic acid, the main ingredient in aspriin, is found in a number of plants, including jasmine, beans, peas and clover as well as willow trees.

Aspirin’s Four-Thousand-Year History

It’s 2000 B.C. and you have a headache. Grab the willow bark

Americans have started feeding their pets an abundance of high-quality meats, suitable for human consumption. But fido doesn't need filet mignon.

New Research

America’s Fancy Pet Food Addiction Is a Big Problem for the Environment

American pets have been increasingly served up prime cuts of meat, but this food comes at a cost

Asteroid 2014 MU69 may be composed of two spheres

Cool Finds

New Horizon’s Next Target Is an Oddly Shaped Asteroid

New data shows that MU69 is less than 20 miles long and may actually be two asteroids orbiting one another

An unlit church in Sweden

New Research

Lights Are Driving Bats From Their Belfries

The trend of pointing floodlights at churches in Sweden has driven some long-eared bat colonies out of their historic roosts

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel

New Research

Survey Finds Most People Are Biased Against Atheists, Including Atheists

The findings revealed that the bias was strongest in more religious countries including the United States, United Arab Emirates and India

The sport of angling ("angle" is an old work for "hook") was a popular 1600s pastime that had a number of guides written about it.

This Obscure Fishing Book is One of the Most Reprinted English Books Ever

‘The Compleat Angler’ is much more than an instruction manual on fishing. It’s a Walden-like meditation on nature and friendship

Voyager 1 is currently zipping along at around 38,000 miles per hour​ nearly 13 billion miles from Earth.

Send a Birthday Message to Voyager 1, Humanity’s Most Distant Traveler

To mark its 40th anniversary, NASA is asking for your help crafting a message

Chantek, an Orangutan Who Knew Sign Language, Has Died at 39

The ape was raised by an anthropologist who taught him to clean his room, use the toilet and bargain for cheeseburgers

One of the cats involved in the Acoustic Kitty Project was a grey-and-white female.

The CIA Experimented On Animals in the 1960s Too. Just Ask ‘Acoustic Kitty’

Turns out that cats really don’t take direction well

New cloud complex discovered on Neptune

Cool Finds

New Storm as Big as Earth Is Stirring Up Neptune’s Atmosphere

Astronomers aren’t sure if the 5,600-mile-wide storm will peter out or if a deep vortex will keep it churning

Joseph Moxon, author of 'Mathematicks Made Easie,' was born on this day in 1627.

Is One A Number? According to ‘Mathematicks Made Easie,’ Yes

The ancient Greeks, and people for almost 2,000 years after them, argued over whether one was a number

William Maples holds a bone fragment during a presentation about the Romanov Investigations, circa 1992.

William R. Maples Popularized Forensic Anthropology Long Before CSI

Maples worked on a number of high-profile cases that helped to bring the field of forensic anthropology to prominence

Amid Soaring Produce Prices, Indian City Launches “State Bank of Tomato”

The bank began as a tongue-in-cheek protest, but residents are taking it seriously

Under the Sun's surface is a rapidly rotating core with a temperature of 29 million degrees Fahrenheit

The Sun’s Core Spins Roughly Four Times Faster Than Its Surface

Satellite data lets scientists peer into the depths of our star, uncovering hints to its formation

Page 349 of 537