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California

A harbor porpoise surfaces near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Marine Biologists Solved a Wildlife Mystery From the Walkway of the Golden Gate Bridge: How the Harbor Porpoise Mates

The dolphin-like marine mammals returned to San Francisco Bay in 2008 after a decades-long absence from the area. Scientists took the rare opportunity to closely observe their behavior, and what they uncovered might help at-risk porpoise populations

The global bodyboard market is estimated to reach $623.6 million by 2035, up from $296.3 million in 2024.

How the Boogie Board Became One of Summer’s Most Popular Toys

Fifty-five years ago, surfer Tom Morey cut a piece of polyethylene foam with a carving knife and created a wave-riding board with a low barrier of entry

Screenshot of Jackie from a livestream in April

Jackie the Bald Eagle, Who Captured Hearts Around the World Via Livestream, Has Died After Battling a Mysterious Illness

A raptor center in California had been caring for the animal since mid-July, after she had an altercation with two young eagles. But she had probably been sick long before then

A saber-toothed cat skull found at the La Brea Tar Pits

Spinal Deformities in Saber-Toothed Cat Fossils Reveal How the Now-Extinct Felines May Have Spent Their Final Days

Researchers studied saber-toothed cat vertebrae found in the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. They identified a surprisingly high number of deformations, including signs of spinal nerve tumors, hinting at a dwindling population suffering the consequences of inbreeding

The Watts Towers, a 17-structure architectural landmark, were built between 1921 and 1954. 

The Iconic Watts Towers in Los Angeles Will Get a $22 Million Campus Expansion Ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics

Five acres of green space will surround the 17-structure landmark, a folk art masterpiece that an Italian immigrant built over the course of three decades

The "Jane!" exhibition is on view at the Cantor Arts Center through May 18, 2028.

Women Who Shaped History

Stanford University’s Founding Matriarch Was a Travel-Loving Philanthropist Who Met a Tragic End. A New Exhibition Explores Her Life, Grief and Death by Poison

Jane Stanford’s legacy is the focus of a new showcase at the California university. The display features artifacts that have never previously been exhibited

When they hatch, echidna puggles are about the size of a jellybean and weigh half as much as a mini marshmallow.

Good News

Double Puggles: See the Adorable ‘Twin’ Echidnas Born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

The two babies hatched this year to one mother during the same breeding season—an extremely rare occurrence, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Investigators say a man stole Chinese manuscripts worth more than $200,000 from UCLA.

Man Sentenced for Stealing ‘Rare and Unique’ Chinese Texts, Valued at More Than $200,000, by Using Aliases, Fake IDs and Dummy Manuscripts

The works were stolen from the University of California, Los Angeles, over the course of several years

Space Shuttle Endeavour

See the Space Shuttle ‘Endeavour’ in a Unique Vertical Display Before Its New Exhibition Launches at the California Science Center

This November, visitors to the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Los Angeles will get to see the “ready-to-launch” “Endeavour” complete with rocket boosters and a fuel tank

The strawberry full moon rises behind the Empire State Building in New York City on June 29, 2026, as seen from Weehawken, New Jersey.

These 17 Stunning Photos of the Strawberry Moon Show Earth’s Natural Satellite in All Its Glory

The first full moon of the summer delivered dazzling visuals from across the globe. Its low position in the sky from the perspective of the Northern Hemisphere gave it a golden hue

Two people wearing hot dog hats line up to watch the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, 2025.

From a Sea Turtle Release to an Outhouse Race, These Ten Fourth of July Traditions Celebrate America Like No Other

Revelers typically mark Independence Day with a barbecue and fireworks show, but these festivities across the country offer quirky alternatives

The technology uses thermal cameras and artificial intelligence to detect whales based on the water spewed from their blowholes, which is slightly warmer than the surrounding water.

Gray Whales Are Getting Struck by Ships in San Francisco Bay. Could This New A.I.-Powered Tech Save Them?

The recently launched system involves two thermal cameras that can detect gray whales up to four miles away, giving ships enough time to slow down or change course—and avoid running into the marine mammals

Henry Geldzahler and Christopher Scott on display ahead of a Christie's auction in 2019

Who Were the Couples That Posed for David Hockney’s Famed Double Portraits?

One of his subjects was a cousin I never knew. I wanted to learn more about the large-scale portraits that helped define the English artist’s legacy

Crews are wrapping up work on a new wildlife crossing in Northern California.

Mule Deer Are Already Using California’s First Wildlife Crossing—and It’s Not Even Finished Yet

Construction on the $20 million bridge in Siskiyou County began last year and is expected to be complete by this fall, with miles of eight-foot-high fencing along the highway to help funnel animals toward it

Director Steven Spielberg on the set of Disclosure Day, his latest UFO-inspired film

What’s Behind Steven Spielberg’s Lifelong Obsession With Flying Saucers and Extraterrestrial Visitors?

Half a century after “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” the director returns to the subject of UFOs with “Disclosure Day.” His science fiction films are informed by his fascination with alien encounters in American suburbia

Angel Island Immigration Station 

America's 250th Anniversary

To Mark America’s 250th Birthday, See the Country’s ‘Most Endangered Historic Places’ You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

From a Revolutionary War battlefield to a civil rights-era safe haven, these historic sites are at risk, according to the latest list from the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Each by-the-wind sailor is made of a community of genetically identical organisms called "zooids" that perform different tasks.

Millions of Bright Blue Blobs Called ‘By-the-Wind Sailors’ Are Littering Beaches Along the West Coast

The strange creatures are washing up on shores across California, Oregon and Washington this spring—and making the coast smell especially fishy

This Socorro dove recently hatched at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Conservationists have been undertaking a decades-long effort to breed the extinct-in-the-wild species and one day reintroduce it to its native Socorro Island in Mexico.

New, Rare Dove Hatchlings Are a ‘Source of Hope’ for the Extinct-in-the-Wild Birds and a Step Forward in the Ambitious Project to Save Them

The Socorro dove has not been recorded in the wild since 1972, but that could change within only a few years, conservationists say, thanks to a long-term reintroduction effort

The spray from the cascade of Bridalveil Falls captures sunlight to create a rainbow of colors.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

These 15 Breathtaking Photos of Yosemite National Park Will Have You Planning Your Next Vacation to the Great Outdoors

The park’s picturesque peaks, wonderful waterfalls and towering trees aren’t just photo opportunities; they’re visual poetry. And they’re just some of the reasons to love Yosemite

The first image of newly hatched California giant salamanders in the wild can teach biologists about the nesting habitat of the little-known species.

A Snorkeling Biologist Snapped the First-Ever Photo of Newly Hatched California Giant Salamanders in the Wild. Here’s Why That’s a Big Deal

The discovery provides another key data point about a little-known species for which every observation matters

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