Fire | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/fire/RSS feed for FireenMon, 06 Jul 2026 15:31:58 +0000How a Hungry Komodo Dragon Led Scientists to Determine Our Small, Hobbit-Like Cousins Probably Weren't That Smart After Allhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-a-hungry-komodo-dragod-led-scientists-to-determine-our-small-hobbit-like-cousins-probably-werent-that-smart-after-all-180989078/New research indicates "Homo floresiensis" probably wasn't hunting big game or using fire on Flores Island, suggesting the small-brained species wasn't quite as "behaviorally advanced" as once hypothesizedMon, 06 Jul 2026 15:31:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-a-hungry-komodo-dragod-led-scientists-to-determine-our-small-hobbit-like-cousins-probably-werent-that-smart-after-all-180989078/Early Humans May Have Used Fire 1.8 Million Years Ago, Nearly Doubling the Age of the Oldest Known Evidence for the Feathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-humans-may-have-used-fire-1-8-million-years-ago-nearly-doubling-the-age-of-the-oldest-known-evidence-for-the-feat-180989015/In Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, burned bones were found in a dirt layer associated with Homo erectus. The inhabitants probably hadn't mastered fire-making, but researchers say they may have moved and maintained flames from a natural fireFri, 26 Jun 2026 16:59:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-humans-may-have-used-fire-1-8-million-years-ago-nearly-doubling-the-age-of-the-oldest-known-evidence-for-the-feat-180989015/This Building Hosted Lincoln's Inaugural Ball and Displayed the Declaration of Independence. Today, It's Home to Two World-Class Art Museumshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-building-hosted-lincolns-inaugural-ball-and-displayed-the-declaration-of-independence-today-its-home-to-two-world-class-art-museums-180988990/The Old Patent Office Building now houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. A new exhibition spotlights the structure's rich history of encouraging innovationThu, 25 Jun 2026 14:00:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/this-building-hosted-lincolns-inaugural-ball-and-displayed-the-declaration-of-independence-today-its-home-to-two-world-class-art-museums-180988990/Brazil Lost 80 Percent of Its National Museum Collection in One Night. Here's How It's Fighting to Rebuildhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/brazil-lost-80-percent-of-its-national-museum-collection-in-one-night-heres-how-its-fighting-to-rebuild-180988796/Ever since a 2018 blaze destroyed priceless artifacts and scientifically important specimens, museum staff have devoted themselves to reopening its doors to the publicTue, 26 May 2026 11:00:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/brazil-lost-80-percent-of-its-national-museum-collection-in-one-night-heres-how-its-fighting-to-rebuild-180988796/