Ben Panko

Ben Panko is a staff writer for Smithsonian.com

Radiocarbon dating has been used to determine of the ages of ancient mummies, in some cases going back more than 9000 years.

Thanks to Fossil Fuels, Carbon Dating Is in Jeopardy. One Scientist May Have an Easy Fix

If only there were such an easy fix for climate change

Showy traits, like the large antlers of these bull moose, can be detrimental to an animal's health.

Go Big or Go Generic: How Sexual Selection Is Like Advertising

When it comes to attracting mates, it pays to either go all out—or not try at all

How does language influence our thoughts? Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in "Arrival."

Does the Linguistic Theory at the Center of the Film ‘Arrival’ Have Any Merit?

We asked a Smithsonian linguist and an anthropologist to debate the matter

"I will never forget that you did this to me."

Dogs May Possess a Type of Memory Once Considered 'Uniquely Human'

New research suggests that man’s best friend remembers more than we thought

Conforming to masculine norms can leave men isolated and unable to cope with the stresses of life.

Sexism Sucks for Everybody, Science Confirms

Adhering to masculine norms can be toxic for men, not to mention everybody else

Take heart: researchers are probing how the hard-hearted get that way, and whether they can be turned back.

How the Heart Hardens, Biologically

With age and injury, the soft tissues of the heart can turn to bone. Can this deadly process be reversed?

Sputnik Planitia is a 325,000-square-mile, ice-covered basin on Pluto.

How the Pull of an Icy “Heart” Sent Pluto’s Poles Wandering

Using New Horizons data, scientists determine that the erstwhile planet has a more dynamic past than we thought

What secrets do those lonely ice sheets hold?

A Radioactive Cold War Military Base Will Soon Emerge From Greenland’s Melting Ice

They thought the frozen earth would keep it safely hidden. They were wrong

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