There's More to That / Video
The Remarkable, Amazing Stories of Route 66 Reflect the Twists and Turns of 100 Years of Americana
The famed Route 66 has had many lives (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-america-found-itself-ready-rock-roll-route66-stretching-chicago-los-angeles-road-endless-possibilities-180988406/?preview) . It emerged in an era when cars were new but roads were dangerous and intended for horses. But there were …
A Photographer’s Glimpse Into the Dwindling World of the Cascade Red Fox
Gretchen Kay Stuart (https://gretchenkaystuart.com/) is a wildlife photographer who has cultivated a special relationship with the Cascade red fox. She first spotted the rare animal in 2020 on the slope …
The Real Story Behind Abigail Adams’ ‘Remember the Ladies’ Letter
In March of 1776, Abigail Adams — who would go on to become the nation’s second first lady — wrote a letter to her husband, John Adams, as he and …
Venomous Snakes Represent a Serious Public Health Problem. Scientists Are Biting Back With a Grou…
Snakes bite five million people each year, killing some 125,000 and disfiguring or blinding three times as many. Antivenoms aren’t always readily available where the problematic snakes live. They also …
How to Fit 250 Years of American History and Culture Into One Map
In honor of the United States’ 250th birthday this year, Smithsonian magazine has curated an interactive map, “250 Places to Celebrate America (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/250-places-to-celebrate-america-180987824/) .” The map features 250 of the …
The Tragedy of the Alps’ Disappearing Glaciers for Those That Live, Visit and Ski There
Some 2,500 huts dot the landscape across the Alps. For more than two centuries, hikers and climbers have sought out these refuges as they’ve navigated the snowy, high elevations. But …
A Stunning Escape From Slavery Told on Tattered Pages
In the mid-1800s, before the Civil War, Thomas White fled his enslavement in Maryland for freedom. It was a risky escape, one that involved a horseback ride under the cover …
The Foods and Flavors That Make Our Holidays Delicious
Cherished recipes are often passed down from generation to generation, but how much do we know about the stories that shaped those foods? Whether a tasty cookie, a flavorful side, …
The Astronomical Problem of Space Junk
We have launched all manner of satellite and machinery into low-Earth orbit. But what goes up must come down. Most often, these items burn up in the atmosphere upon re-entry, …
Why Are There So Many Shipwrecks in the Great Lakes?
Beneath the waters of the Great Lakes, thousands of shipwrecks, hulking carcasses of a bygone era, have been hiding for generations, just waiting to be revealed. Once someone stumbles upon …
The ‘Edmund Fitzgerald’ Sank Half a Century Ago. We’re Still Fascinated.
Half a century ago, on an unseasonably warm fall day, the freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald set off from the western edge of Lake Superior with a cargo full of iron …
Birds, Bats and Bugs: The Teeming World Above Our Heads
The skies above us are filled with legions of migrating birds, bats, bugs and microbes. And yet we know little about their movements and intentions, mostly because this ethereal world …
A Chance for Healing, 170 Years After a Lakota Massacre
This fall, 69 belongings made their way home to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. These items, which included …
How Superman Became a Character for the Ages
This summer’s big blockbuster, Superman, marks the latest installment of the Man of Steel — a character whose identity has evolved over the decades, connecting with the concerns and ideas …
Why You Should Love Durian, the World’s Smelliest Fruit
The durian, a spiky fruit that grows across Southeast Asia, has a polarizing reputation for its pungent odor and strong taste. There are the durian haters — people who experience …
The Prehistoric Cave That Trapped and Entombed Animals for Millennia
Natural Trap Cave is a pit in northern Wyoming into which countless animals have fallen and met their untimely demise since the Pleistocene. Paleontologists today find the cave a treasure …
The Stunning Search for the Remains of Fallen WWII Airmen
In the fall of 1944, Japanese fighters opened fire on a wave of U.S. planes near Palau, including a bomber carrying pilot Jay Ross Manown Jr., gunner Anthony Di Petta …
The Joys of Discovering the Roman Underground, From the Colosseum to What’s Beneath the Trevi Fou…
Tourism is surging in many places around the world—swarmed national parks, throngs of visitors amassing in churches and museums, and sidewalk cafes overburdened with diners. In this episode, we’d like …
Looking Back on the L.A. Wildfires Through the Lens of Two Photographers
After multiple wildfires ripped through greater Los Angeles earlier this year, Californians were left to rebuild communities and grapple with the loss of life, nature and property. Thousands of homes …
Dive Into the Deeper Story of the American Revolution on How New England and Virginia United Agai…
Two hundred and fifty years ago this month, silversmith Paul Revere took to his horse on a midnight ride to warn American rebels that British troops were approaching. The famous …
A Field of Dreams Built in an Unlikely Place: A Japanese American Internment Camp
Baseball was a way of life in the camps that incarcerated Japanese Americans during World War II. The United States government stripped the Americans who lived in these camps of …
The Swarm of People Intent on Saving Our Bees
Native bees in the United States are dying due to pesticides, disease and habitat loss. These insects play a critical role in nature and on farms, yet we know very …
A Mystery Surrounding the Grave of JFK Is Solved
Before he was a civil rights activist, James Felder was a member of the elite U.S. Honor Guard who helped bury John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery after his …
The Truth About the Sex Lives of Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs are often thought of as aggressors—giant beasts that dominated our planet for millions of years. But these prehistoric animals almost certainly had a softer side. In the last decade, …
Why Auroras Are Suddenly Everywhere All at Once
For millennia, auroras have both enchanted and haunted human beings. Ancient lore is filled with myths attempting to explain what caused the celestial phenomenon. More recent historic documentation of auroras …
How to Use Renaissance Paintings to Improve the Farming of Tomorrow
Italian researcher Isabella Dalla Ragione has a most unusual job. An “arboreal archaeologist,” Dalla Ragione scours Renaissance paintings and medieval archives, discovering endangered fruits that might be revived. Her life’s …
RE-BROADCAST: Meet the Wide-Awakes, The Club of Cape-Wearing Activists Who Helped Elect Lincoln a…
We’re busy at work on our new season, which will hit your feeds later this month. In the meantime, we’re bringing you an episode of the Smithsonian Institution’s podcast Sidedoor …
Coming July 27: There’s More to That from Smithsonian magazine and PRX
Smithsonian magazine covers history, science and culture in the way only it can — through a lens on the world that is insightful and grounded in richly reported stories. On …
How We See Oppenheimer. Plus: Smithsonian’s Inside Look at the Top-Secret Los Alamos Site
Christopher Nolan’s epic new film “Oppenheimer” is no mere biopic… nor is it the first attempt to capture the father of the atomic bomb in fiction. We look at prior …
He’s (Not) Just Ken: The True History of Barbie’s Beau
He is (K)enough… or is he? With filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s Barbie breaking box-office records—and devoting much of its story to Ken’s existential crisis—we wondered if there’s any more to Barbie’s …
What Happens When the Colorado River Dries Up?
What happens when one of the nation’s largest rivers dries up? Photojournalist Pete McBride tells us about the consequences of a prolonged drought in the Colorado River, which provides drinking …
Beyond the Titanic: The Real Science of Deep Sea Exploration
After five people perished on a controversial submersible dive to the wreckage of the Titanic in June, we got to thinking about what genuine undersea exploration looks like. In this …
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