Abigail Tucker

A frequent contributor to Smithsonian, Abigail Tucker is the author of The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World and Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct. More information is available at her website: abigailtucker.com

Black widows’ red hourglass tells birds to back off but is almost invisible to insects.

The Deadly Cunning of the Black Widow's Color Scheme

Why did the spider evolve to have that crimson hourglass on its back?

Giraffes make their way across the Mara River. Whether they’re ambling or galloping, giraffes maintain balance by moving their necks in synchrony with their legs.

What Elephants, Zebras and Lions Do When They Think No One's Watching

The stunning results when a photographer uses remote cameras to capture Africa's great beasts

Foot fluid may help bugs escape in a hurry.

Foot Fluids Work in Surprising Ways to Help Insects Stick to Walls

Long though to boost bug stickiness, the fluid may instead help insects mold to contours and make quick exits

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Spectacular High Fashion Rises From a Landscape of Trash

Photographer Fabrice Monteiro conjures the specter of environmental ruin

Opah caught off the coast of Hawaii can weigh 200 pounds.

Taking the Temperature of the First Warmblooded Fish

What can the opah tell us about the deep blue sea

Harper's Ferry, West Virginia (top) and Chickamauga, Georgia (bottom) were the sites of two Civil War battles.

A Photographic Requiem for America's Civil War Battlefields

Walking far-flung battlefields to picture the nation's defining tragedy in a modern light

Q'eswachaka suspension bridge. Q'eswachaka, Apurímac River, Canas Province, Cusco, Peru.

A Dozen Indigenous Craftsman From Peru Will Weave Grass into a 60-Foot Suspension Bridge in Washington, D.C.

The ancient technology used lightweight materials to create soaring 150-foot spans that could hold the weight of a marching army

Switching testing scenarios used to take 20 minutes. Rolling waters can now be calmed in just 30 seconds.

The Navy Tests Its Ships in This Indoor Ocean

New technology can precisely recreate eight open-water conditions

What Can Rodents Tell Us About Why Humans Love?

A relative of the mouse may hold the key to understanding why human beings are one of the few mammals that seek lifelong mates

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The Freshman at MIT Who is Revolutionizing Nanotechnology

Teenager Saumil Bandyopadhyay has harnessed cutting-edge physics to upend industries ranging from automobiles to astronomy

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The Science Behind Why Pandas Are So Damn Cute

There’s a reason why millions adore these furry exemplars of China’s “soft power”

McCoy with the Milky Way, which his Miami Indian forebears called the “Spirit Trail.”

Rediscovering a Lost Native American Language

Tim McCoy’s astronomy course is helping to revive the words of the Miami tribe

The lava lamp was invented by Edward Craven Walker whose other claim to fame was making underwater nudist films.

The History of the Lava Lamp

At 50, the legendary relic of the college dorm room is still groovy after all these years

Jellyfish glow with the flow in the Gulf of Maine and the Weddell Sea.

Bioluminescence: Light Is Much Better, Down Where It’s Wetter

From tracking a giant squid to decoding jellyfish alarms in the Gulf, a depth-defying scientist plunges under the sea

Because they have barely been exposed to the world, children are some of psychology's most powerful muses.

Are Babies Born Good?

New research offers surprising answers to the age-old question of where morality comes from

The Tucker on display at the National Museum of American History.

The Tucker Was the 1940s Car of the Future

Visionary inventor
 Preston Tucker risked everything when he saw his 1948 automobile as a vehicle for change

Only a sophomore in high school, Jack Andraka may have invented a new test for a deadly form of cancer.

Jack Andraka, the Teen Prodigy of Pancreatic Cancer

A high school sophomore won the youth achievement Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for inventing a new method to detect a lethal cancer

According to a new study, beautiful people are indeed happier but not always for the same reasons.

How Much is Being Attractive Worth?

For men and women, looking good can mean extra cash in your bank account

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Rare and Intimate Photos of a Gorilla Family in the Wild

Two photographers ventured deep into the forests of central Africa to capture touching photos of a 33-year-old wild silverback and his clan

Michelangelo's Expulsion from Paradise.

How Does the Brain Process Art?

New imaging techniques are mapping the locations of our aesthetic response

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