United Nations | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/united-nations/RSS feed for United NationsenMon, 14 Sep 2026 19:15:35 +0000World Maps Might Soon Get an Upgrade. The United Nations Votes to Endorse Global Charts That Better Represent Africa's True Sizehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-maps-might-soon-get-an-upgrade-the-united-nationas-votes-to-endorse-global-charts-that-better-represent-africas-true-size-180989495/The most widely used global map is almost 500 years old and was designed for navigation. But landmasses near the poles look larger than their actual relative sizes, and those near the equator look much smallerMon, 14 Sep 2026 19:15:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-maps-might-soon-get-an-upgrade-the-united-nationas-votes-to-endorse-global-charts-that-better-represent-africas-true-size-180989495/Did You Suffer a Sweltering August? You Weren't Alone. It Tied for the Month With the Hottest Global Temperatures on Recordhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-you-suffer-a-sweltering-august-you-werent-alone-it-tied-for-the-month-with-the-hottest-global-temperatures-on-record-180989482/Last month, the air temperature averaged 62.53 degrees Fahrenheit, tying with July 2023 as the toastiest month ever documented by the European Union's climate serviceFri, 11 Sep 2026 16:57:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-you-suffer-a-sweltering-august-you-werent-alone-it-tied-for-the-month-with-the-hottest-global-temperatures-on-record-180989482/