Hair | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/hair/RSS feed for HairenMon, 23 Mar 2026 21:52:31 +0000Platypus Hair Shares a Puzzling Feature With Bird Feathers, Adding to the Egg-Laying Mammal's List of Unusual Characteristicshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/platypus-hair-shares-a-puzzling-feature-with-bird-feathers-adding-to-egg-laying-mammals-list-of-unusual-characteristics-180988401/The species’ melanosomes—tiny, pigment-filled structures inside hair cells—are hollow, a trait never before seen in mammalsMon, 23 Mar 2026 21:52:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/platypus-hair-shares-a-puzzling-feature-with-bird-feathers-adding-to-egg-laying-mammals-list-of-unusual-characteristics-180988401/A Rare Medieval Hair-Styling Tool Was Found at Scotland’s Eilean Donan Castlehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-medieval-hair-styling-tool-was-found-at-scotlands-eilean-donan-castle-180987436/The artifact is part of a large assemblage of excavated artifacts recently acquired by National Museums ScotlandThu, 02 Oct 2025 17:20:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-medieval-hair-styling-tool-was-found-at-scotlands-eilean-donan-castle-180987436/Human Evolution Traded Fur for Sweat Glands—and Now, Our Wounds Take Longer to Heal Than Those of Other Mammalshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-evolution-traded-fur-for-sweat-glands-and-now-our-wounds-take-longer-to-heal-than-those-of-other-mammals-180986533/Even compared to chimpanzees, one of our closest relatives, humans' scrapes and cuts tend to stick around for more than twice as long, new research suggestsWed, 30 Apr 2025 19:21:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-evolution-traded-fur-for-sweat-glands-and-now-our-wounds-take-longer-to-heal-than-those-of-other-mammals-180986533/Scientists Unlock the Secrets of Crocodile Skin and Its Irregular, Mystifying Patternshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-unlock-the-secrets-of-crocodile-skin-and-its-irregular-mystifying-patterns-180985654/The scales on crocodiles’ heads are very different from the skin appendages of other animals and even distinct from the scales on the rest of their bodiesFri, 13 Dec 2024 16:33:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-unlock-the-secrets-of-crocodile-skin-and-its-irregular-mystifying-patterns-180985654/How to Make a Mammal in Nine Evolutionary Stepshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-to-make-a-mammal-in-nine-evolutionary-steps-180985289/From the formation of inner ear bones to the rise of hair to cover our bodies, these developments made us distinct from other animalsTue, 12 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-to-make-a-mammal-in-nine-evolutionary-steps-180985289/Anus-Breathing Animals and Pigeon-Guided Missiles: Ig Nobel Prizes Reward Unusual but Valuable Sciencehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/anus-breathing-animals-and-pigeon-guided-missiles-ig-nobel-prizes-reward-unusual-but-valuable-science-180985090/The annual award ceremony featured costumes, songs and paper airplanes as scientists recognized comedic research across ten disciplinesWed, 18 Sep 2024 13:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/anus-breathing-animals-and-pigeon-guided-missiles-ig-nobel-prizes-reward-unusual-but-valuable-science-180985090/These Artworks Explore the Cultural Significance of Hairhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-exhibition-in-melbourne-features-explores-the-meaning-of-hair-180984358/A new exhibition at the Heide Museum of Modern Art in Australia examines what hair says about identity, gender, social status and moreWed, 15 May 2024 20:10:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-exhibition-in-melbourne-features-explores-the-meaning-of-hair-180984358/Trove of Viking Combs Sheds Light on English Town's Medieval Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-trove-of-viking-combs-unearthed-in-england-illustrates-the-raiders-penchant-for-hair-care-180984089/The hair care items are part of a sprawling collection of artifacts found in Ipswich between 1974 and 1994, which are now the subject of a new bookThu, 04 Apr 2024 19:30:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-trove-of-viking-combs-unearthed-in-england-illustrates-the-raiders-penchant-for-hair-care-180984089/Why the Ken Doll Will Never Truly Emerge From Barbie’s Shadowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-the-ken-doll-will-never-truly-emerge-from-barbies-shadow-180982607/The blockbuster film sparks a podcast discussion about why Ken can’t possibly be (k)enoughThu, 27 Jul 2023 11:05:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-the-ken-doll-will-never-truly-emerge-from-barbies-shadow-180982607/Curly Hair Keeps the Head Coolesthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/curly-hair-keeps-the-head-coolest-but-any-hair-is-better-than-none-180982424/A new study suggests our locks may have evolved to prevent our brain from overheatingFri, 23 Jun 2023 20:29:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/curly-hair-keeps-the-head-coolest-but-any-hair-is-better-than-none-180982424/