Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

New Research

New Research

Puppy Pics May Add Spark to Struggling Relationships

A new study asked couples to look at photo streams that paired images of their spouses with pictures of pooches

The Cairo Toe

Cool Finds

This 3,000-Year-Old Wooden Toe Shows Early Artistry of Prosthetics

Crafted from leather and wood, the ancient Egyptian prosthesis was was adjusted to precisely fit its wearer’s foot

Researchers now think that most stars—like this pair in the Perseus constellation—form in pairs.

New Research

Our Sun Probably Grew Up With a Sibling

But now its buddy is long gone

A spiny crab pulled up by the Investigator team

Cool Finds

Australian Expedition Dredges Up Crazy Creatures From the Deep Sea

After a month exploring Australia’s deepest ocean, researchers found over 300 new species of toothy, blobby and glowing animals

Fasten your seatbelts for record heat, Phoenix—just don't burn yourself while you're at it.

New Research

Half the World’s Population Will Experience Deadly Heat by the End of the Century

And Arizona is kicking things off

New Research

Kepler Finds 219 New Planets

NASA released the final catalog from its planet-hunting telescope, bringing its total up to 4,034 potential planets

New Research

Dogs Will Sniff Out Stomach Cancer in New Japanese Trial

The nose knows

This elk is unimpressed by your feeble attempts to hunt her.

New Research

Female Elk Learn to Give Hunters the Slip

The majestic beasts learn how to outsmart hunters—and even modify their behavior based on the kinds of weapons used to kill them

Cyanobacteria, sometimes known as blue-green algae, are single-celled organisms that use photosynthesis to produce food just like plants do.

New Research

Need to Fix a Heart Attack? Try Photosynthesis

Injecting plant-like creatures into a rat’s heart can jumpstart the recovery process, study finds

Cats rule the world. But how did they get here?

New Research

How Cats Conquered the World

Scientists use 9,000 years of feline genetics to chart their global rise to power

Mateo-Vega (derecha) muestra a los compañeros Emberá y Kuna cómo tomar medidas forestales. De izquierda a derecha, los técnicos indígenas Edgar Gariboldo, Chich Chamarro, Baurdino López, Evelio Jiménez, Alexis Solís. (Sean Mattson / Smithsonian)

Future of Conservation

Cómo Los Científicos y Grupos Indígenas Pueden Aliarse Para Proteger Los Bosques y el Clima

Nesting space is at a premium as humans tear down natural habitats.

New Research

The Early Birds Might Be Crowding Out the Bees

As humans expand, nesting space contracts—and competition heats up

New Research

Jupiter Could Be the Solar System’s Oldest Resident

The early former may have set up just the right conditions for Earth to take shape

Ancient DNA revolutionized archaeology. Now, researchers think they can use it to create a GPS system for the remains of the long-dead.

New Research

Ancient DNA Could Unravel the Mystery of Prehistoric European Migration

New research pinpoints the geographic origins of ancient Eurasians, showing how the continent’s population changed

When it comes to a crowdsourcing campaign, food might be an easier sell than feces. “Food is this amazing platform because we all have a connection to it, we all can relate,” says microbiologist Rachel Dutton. Not that poop isn't relatable, but, you know.

New Research

You Are What You Eat, And What You Eat Is Millions of Microbes

Now that they’ve tallied up American feces, researchers are turning to the other half of the microbial equation: food

This flatworm fragment went to space and became a double-headed worm.

New Research

What Space-Faring Flatworms Can Teach Us About Human Health

Their experiment had some weird results—and could one day help humans thrive in microgravity and back here on Earth

Charles Blomfield

Cool Finds

After 130 Years, Lost Natural Wonder May Have Been Rediscovered in New Zealand

It was believed the Pink and White Terraces were destroyed in an eruption, but research suggests they are buried under ash and mud

A simulation of the large-scale structure of the universe

New Research

We May Live in a Massive Cosmic Void

If the universe were a block of Swiss cheese, the Milky Way would sit within one of the cheesy holes

Aerial view of the wooden circle site

New Research

Massive Wooden Fire Monument Is Older Than Stonehenge

Carbon dating shows that the site dates back to 3300 B.C.

Male deer grow these impressive face ornaments every year, in a cycle of life, death and itchiness.

New Research

Antlers Are Miraculous Face Organs That Could Benefit Human Health

There’s so much more to deer antlers than fighting and impressing the ladies

Page 157 of 295