Drones | smithsonianmag.com

'Fresh Eyes on Ice' Teaches Kids to Collect Vital Ice Data in Remote Alaskan Communities

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:10:43 +0000

Students measure ice thickness and monitor spring break-up to help save lives in areas where frozen rivers are used as roadways

The Penguins That Thrive—and the Ones Left Behind—as Antarctica Warms

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 19:07:06 +0000

A new decade-long study tracked 37 penguin colonies and found that the birds are breeding earlier. The shift marks one way among many that climate change is transforming life at the bottom of the world

Ten Top Smithsonian Stories of 2025, From Eerie Clay Puppets With Detachable Heads to a New Look at the American Revolution

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 12:00:00 +0000

The magazine’s most-read articles of the year included a deep dive on the Scopes "monkey trial," an interview with award-winning documentarians and a profile of quintuplets who found fame during the Great Depression

From Collecting Whale Snot to Capturing Surprising Behaviors, Aerial Drones Are Giving Scientists a New View of Sea Life

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:36:43 +0000

The robots can hover over marine mammals and gather all sorts of information in a way that’s less invasive to the animals than researchers trying to approach them by boat or plane

Studying Clever Creases in Nature May Inspire Foldable Structures for Drones and Robots

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 16:33:50 +0000

Engineers are turning to animal origami, from insects that tuck away wings to a protist with an accordion-like neck, for design help

Killer Whales Hunt Fish in Highly Coordinated Pairs and Perfect Their Movements With Practice, Drone Videos Reveal

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 20:01:37 +0000

Footage taken off the coast of Norway reveals that orcas team up to maximize their prey, according to a new study

See Ten Stunning Images From the International Aerial Photographer of the Year Awards

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:28:30 +0000

Breathtaking views of glaciers, volcanoes and animals were celebrated in the competition’s inaugural year

Archaeologists Map Two Forgotten Medieval Cities That Flourished Along the Silk Road in the Mountains of Central Asia

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:07:05 +0000

The new research could change history's understanding of the sprawling trade network that connected Europe and the Middle East to East Asia

This Newly Discovered Sunken Warship Served on Both Sides of World War II

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:54:38 +0000

The USS Stewart was purposefully sunk off the coast of California after the war

Rare Drone Footage Captures Orcas Feeding on Dusky Dolphins

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 18:34:33 +0000

The predatory pod hunts off the coast of Chile and is led by a matriarch called Dakota