Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Smart News / Smart News Science

Age of Humans

Mesmerizing Animation Shows Potential Animal Escape Routes in a Warming World

“Migrations in Motion” models the journeys over 2,900 species may take to find new habitats

The dark galaxy Dragonfly 44

New Research

Discovery of a New Class of Galaxies Challenges Our Understanding of How Galaxy Formation Works

Dragonfly 44 near the Coma cluster has the same mass as the Milky Way but only 1 percent of the visible matter

"Sturgeon Whisperer" Nick McCabe with his catch, the 650-pound "Pig Nose"

Trending Today

Canadian Fishermen Caught Fabled 650-Pound, Century-Old Sturgeon

Nicknamed “Pig Nose,” the fish was quickly released back into the wild

New Research

Playing the Bagpipes Can Literally Kill You

Known as “Bagpipe Lung,” the reaction can wreak havoc on your respiratory system

The HAARP antenna array

Cool Finds

Calling All Conspiracy Theorists: Alaska’s “Mind-Control Lab” Is Hosting an Open House

Depending on who you ask, HAARP can control minds, weather, and even earthquakes

New Research

Coffee Consumption Could Be in Your Genes

A new study shows a genetic variation in caffeine metabolism may lead some to drink a little less joe

Meet Octobot.

New Research

This Robot Is Soft and Squishy Inside and Out—No Wires or Batteries Necessary

“Octobot” uses a deceptively simple fuel source and inspiration from the depths of the sea

An artist's impression of Proxima b

New Research

Astronomers Have Discovered an Earth-Sized Exoplanet in Our Cosmic Backyard

But what would potential life look like on this planetary neighbor?

The 75-pound "Pearl of Puerto."

Trending Today

At 75 Pounds, This Could Be the World’s Largest Pearl

The Filipino fisherman found the massive gem over a decade ago and kept it as a good luck charm

Rescuers search for survivors following the earthquake that struck central Italy early this morning.

Journey to the Center of Earth

The Geology Behind Italy’s Catastrophic Quake

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook the Apennine Mountains—and given the region’s geology, that’s no surprise

Cool Finds

After Two Years, Lost NASA Spacecraft Phones Home

Using the Deep Space Network, mission control has reestablished contact with the solar observatory STEREO-B

The first photo of Earth from the moon was taken on August 23, 1966.

Cool Finds

Fifty Years Ago, This Photo Captured the First View of Earth From the Moon

And Earth’s view of itself changed forever

Murray Buttes may look like an earthbound mesa, but there's a difference: It's on Mars.

Cool Finds

Here’s a Panoramic Glimpse of the Curiosity Rover’s Next Destination

Welcome to Murray Buttes. You are now free to rove about the landscape

Adonis, a Bosnian pine, is the new oldest tree in Europe

Cool Finds

Celebrating at Least 1,075 Years, This Pine Could Be Europe’s Oldest Tree

The Bosnian pine stands in a forest of ancient trees in the Pindus Mountains

Lake Burlinskoye in June, 2016.

Cool Finds

Summer Heat Turns This Siberian Lake Bright Pink

And it’s not the only one

New Research

Tree Rings Help Circle in on Dating Pre-History Events

Solar flares create spikes in the Carbon-14 of woody plants that can provide anchor years for more accurate dating of artifacts

New Research

Scientists Have Found The Most Efficient Way to Hold a Coffee Mug

Drinking it is a different story

New Research

Science Officially Debunks Chemtrails, But the Conspiracy Will Likely Live On

A panel of 77 atmospheric scientists and geochemists weigh in on the controversial streaks in the sky

New Research

Soon Everyone Will Be Able to Read NASA-Funded Research

Get ready for a lot more space science

Including it's current dirt and plaster packing, the skull weighs roughly 2,500 pounds.

Cool Finds

Rare Complete T. Rex Skull Found in Montana

The “Tufts-Love skull” will be cleaned and put on display at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture

Page 397 of 545