Articles by Laura Helmuth from Smithsonian Magazine

A new study spotlights the plight of the polar bear, but there's still time to help the beloved creature

November 2007

Paleobiologist Aaron O'Dea has made his name by sweating the small stuff

October 2, 2007

A new book of photographs taken in the ocean depths reveals a world abounding in unimagined life

October 2007

Meet Cristián Samper, Acting Secretary

June 2007

On the surprise evidence of flowing water on Mars

February 2007

A trip to Mount Erebus yields a rare, close-up look at one of the world's weirdest geological marvels

December 2006

The "missing link?" At least a step in a new direction

June 2006

A veteran photographer shows the extraordinary knack that some animals have for...disappearing

October 2005

A unique study documents the disappearance of Alaska's glaciers, blamed on global warming

August 2005

A new photo library of West Africa's desert elephants is helping researchers track the dwindling herd and protect their imperiled migration routes.

July 2005

A woodpecker feared extinct reappears in Arkansas

June 2005

Microscope jockeys from around the world enter their masterpieces in an annual art show

October 2004

The orbiting space telescope has captured star births and deaths, galactic collisions and the accelerating expansion of the universe

July 2004