Books
This Captivating Guide Uncovers the History and Mystery of Dinosaurs in 50 Fossils
A paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London chronicles the age of the famous and fascinating massive reptiles
This 19th-Century 'Toy Book' Used Science to Prove That Ghosts Were Simply an Illusion
"Spectropia" demystified the techniques used by mediums who claimed they could speak to the dead, revealing the "absurd follies of Spiritualism"
Amateur Historian Discovers Lost Story by 'Dracula' Author Bram Stoker Hiding in Plain Sight at a Dublin Library
History forgot about "Gibbet Hill" for more than a century—until a fan of the Gothic horror writer stumbled upon the haunting tale at the National Library of Ireland
These Rare Artifacts Tell Medieval Women's Stories in Their Own Words
A new exhibition at the British Library explores the public, private and spiritual lives of such figures as Joan of Arc, Christine de Pizan and Hildegard of Bingen
This Savvy Librarian Was the True Force Behind New York’s Iconic Morgan Library
It fell to Belle da Costa Greene, a Black woman whose racial identity was kept secret for decades, to catalog J.P. Morgan's immense collection of books and art
From Silk Moths to Fruit Flies, These Five Insects Have Changed the World
It’s easy to write bugs off as pests, but consider the ways in which they have positively impacted our lives
A Treasure Hunt for an Ornate Golden Owl Buried in France Has Ended After 31 Years
The quest drew thousands of curious participants hoping to solve a series of elaborate riddles—and win a bejeweled statue worth an estimated $165,000
These 17 Pictures Tell the Stories of Black Athletes in America
A new book from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture shows the images and impacts of athletes on and off the playing field
Han Kang Becomes the First South Korean Author to Win the Nobel Prize in Literature
Best known for "The Vegetarian," the novelist and poet was praised for her "intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life"
Halloween Is Spooky. But So Are These Eight Other Celebrations Around the World
From Setsubun in Japan to Fèt Gede in Haiti, these festivals relish in the macabre
See 11 of the Best Wildlife Photographs From Years Past
A new book reveals striking images from six decades of the beloved Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition
See the Tools and Gadgets From Julia Child’s Kitchen That Reveal How the Beloved Chef Cooked
From the microwave to the food processor, the book author and television personality tried many appliances and devices to figure out the best ways to use them for her audience
‘Pride and Prejudice’ Gets a New Adaptation: an Interactive A.I. Avatar
Lizzy, the avatar based on the novel’s Elizabeth Bennet, will hold period-accurate conversations with visitors at Jane Austen’s cottage home
Why a Minnesota Man Walked Around the World, Traversing 13 Countries and 14,450 Miles in Four Years
Fifty years ago, on October 5, 1974, David Kunst completed the first verified circumnavigation of the globe on foot. Along the way, he met Princess Grace of Monaco, raised money for UNICEF and lost a brother to bandits
Divers in Mexico's Underwater Caves Get a Glimpse of Rarely Seen Artifacts, Fossils and Human Remains
Cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula are time capsules preserving remnants of Maya culture and fossils of extinct megafauna
Explore Abraham Lincoln's Life and Legacy Through Rare Copies of Historic Books and Documents
A new exhibition in New York City uses more than 200 texts and artifacts to contemplate Lincoln's rise to the nation's highest office
Why the Debut Issue of America's First Newspaper Was Also the Publication's Last
On this day in 1690, "Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick" attracted colonial officials' ire by repeating a scandalous rumor and condemning a British alliance with the Mohawk
Why the World's First Pet Cemetery Was Revolutionary
A new book charts the history of pet cemeteries and honors the universal experience of grieving an animal companion
See the Wonders of Bird Engineering in These Photos of Intricate Nests
In a new book, a curator at England's Natural History Museum describes rare and interesting nests and eggs—from the house sparrow to the village weaver—and the lessons they hold for avian conservation
This Massive New Guidebook Will Forever Change the Way You Look at Trees
Written by Smithsonian botanist W. John Kress, the book details more than 300 North American tree species in words, maps and photographs—and why we shouldn't take them for granted
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