Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

New Research

An Astatotilapia burtoni fish with a barcode attached to its head. 

This Fish Eats Its Own Young

Some female cichlids counter the stress of protecting their offspring by munching on them, study suggests

The Taposiris Magna Temple west of the ancient city of Alexandria

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover 4,300-Foot-Long Tunnel Under Ancient Egyptian Temple

Researchers have been digging near the Taposiris Magna Temple in hopes of finding Cleopatra’s long-lost tomb

Human red blood cells at 1,000 times magnification. 

Scientists Perform First Transfusions of Lab-Grown Blood

A clinical trial is testing how lab-grown cells might help patients with blood disorders and rare blood types

An illustration of a springtail jumping

Springtails Are Nature’s Tiny Gymnasts, Videos Reveal

The insect-like creatures that leap through the air with remarkable control might inspire new jumping robots

New research finds that excessive alcohol consumption is killing Americans during their prime working years.

Alcohol Caused One in Eight Deaths of Working-Age U.S. Adults

CDC research shows excessive drinking is killing Americans in the “prime of their life”

Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms, a species of psychedelic mushrooms

Psychedelic Mushroom Chemical May Help Treat Depression

A new study found the drug temporarily relieved symptoms for some patients, but it needs to be tested in larger and longer trials, experts say

Nearly ten percent of all deer-vehicle collisions occur in the two weeks surrounding the time change in the fall.

 

Deer-Car Collisions Rise When Daylight Saving Time Ends

Forgoing the “spring forward, fall back” pattern could save 33 human lives, 37,000 deer and more than $1 billion per year, study suggests

Car companies are only required to test vehicle safety using crash dummies modeled after men.

The First Female Crash Dummy Has Arrived

Women are more likely to get injured in car crashes, but the currently available test dummies don’t reflect the average female body

An Anopheles stephensi mosquito feeds on a human. 

Invasive Mosquito Tied to Malaria Outbreak in Ethiopia

The species can survive the dry season and infect residents of urban areas

HAARP's antennas

Why Scientists Are Sending Radio Signals to the Moon and Jupiter

Researchers conducted wide-ranging experiments at Alaska’s HAARP facility, known for atmospheric research and conspiracy theories

A tiger shark swims above seagrass.

Tiger Sharks Carry Cameras to Help Scientists Map Seagrass

A new study found what might be the world’s largest seagrass ecosystem: a 35,500-square-mile meadow in the Bahamas

Scientists recorded 50 species of turtles making vocalizations.

Scientists Thought These 53 Species Were Silent. Now, They’ve Recorded Their Sounds

Vocal communication may have evolved from a common ancestor some 407 million years ago

This aye-aye is not picking its nose, at least at the moment. 

This Primate’s Long Middle Finger Has a Startling (And Rather Gross) Use

The aye-aye, long seen as spooky, spurred scientists to probe into primate nose-picking

Honeybees have a very good sense of smell.

Honeybee Swarms Can Produce as Much Electric Charge as a Storm Cloud

Denser swarms create more atmospheric electricity, new research suggests

An image captured by a scanning electron microscope of Yersinia pestis bacteria, which causes the bubonic plague. 

Medieval Skeletons Reveal How the Bubonic Plague Influenced Human DNA

Genes passed down by survivors fended off the Black Death, but they now increase the risk of immune disorders

An illustration of NASA's Perseverance rover approaching Mars

‘Conan the Bacterium’ Has What It Takes to Survive on Mars

After experiments here on Earth, researchers say some hardy microbes could endure hundreds of millions of years on the Red Planet

Previous research has shown that dogs respond to pet-directed speech, but there's less research on cats' responses. 

Cats React to ‘Baby Talk’ From Their Owners, but Not Strangers

New research provides evidence cats see their person as “more than just a food provider”

About one in five students has a language-based learning disability. 

Scientists Identify Genes Linked to Dyslexia

In the largest study of its kind, researchers pinpointed 42 genetic variations tied to the language-based learning disability

Researchers detected toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, benzene and other harmful compounds in samples from unlit gas stoves.

Gas Stoves Are Leaking Toxins Into California Homes

Researchers found cancer-causing benzene and other air pollutants in samples from 159 Golden State residences

Researchers used multispectral imaging to reveal the hidden text (which is traced in yellow above).

Cool Finds

A Medieval Manuscript Has Revealed the Oldest Known Map of the Stars

Advanced imaging uncovered part of the Greek astronomer Hipparchus’ long-lost star catalog

Page 81 of 293