Nora McGreevy

Nora McGreevy

 

Nora McGreevy is a former daily correspondent for Smithsonian. She is also a freelance journalist based in Chicago whose work has appeared in Wired, Washingtonian, the Boston Globe, South Bend Tribune, the New York Times and more.

European authorities recovered 200 rare books, including valuable first editions of works by Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton, last week.

Stolen First Editions by Galileo, Newton Discovered Beneath Floor in Romania

Authorities have recovered 200 rare books pilfered in a 2017 London heist

One of the 14 sealed coffins found at the Saqqara necropolis

Trove of 27 Sealed Sarcophagi Unearthed in Egypt

Authorities say the 2,500-year-old coffins, found during excavations at the Saqqara necropolis, have likely remained unopened for millennia

This illustration depicts a giant planet the size of Jupiter, WD 1856 b. The planet is about seven times larger than the white dwarf star that it orbits every 34 hours.

This Giant Planet Is Orbiting a Dead Star

In a first, NASA astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting a 'dead' white dwarf star

An aerial view from September 17 shows people walking through a flooded street after Hurricane Sally passed through Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Why Did Hurricane Sally Move So Slowly? It Has to Do With Climate Change

Creeping along at just 2 to 3 miles per hour, Sally is the latest in a trend of slow-moving storms, scientists say

“Armed with a fierce intelligence and a love of analytical reasoning, Ginsburg (by Everett Raymond Kinstler, 1996) fought passionately for all Americans to have equal representation under the law and inspired women in particular, to believe in themselves to make positive change,” say Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery.

Nation Mourns Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Who Broke Barriers and Became a Feminist Icon

The Supreme Court justice, who died at 87, "inspired women to believe in themselves," says the Smithsonian's Kim Sajet

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship's debut in Plymouth, England, is one of many events marking the 400th anniversary of the original Mayflower's 1620 journey.

An A.I.-Driven 'Mayflower' Will Cross the Atlantic Next Year

The autonomous vessel's launch, originally scheduled to mark the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims' landing at Plymouth, was delayed by the pandemic

Stan, a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, will go on the auction block at Christie's on Oct. 6.

You Can Buy This T. Rex Skeleton—for a Hefty Price

Paleontology enthusiasts with an extra $8 million lying around can bid on Stan, a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex

The Knights Templar constructed the Saint Stanislaus chapel in the Polish village of Chwarszczany during the 13th century.

Crypts, Tunnel Discovered Beneath Knights Templar Chapel in Poland

Last fall, an archaeological investigation revealed tantalizing structures hidden below the 13th-century building

Smoke rises from a fire in the Amazon rainforest, south of Novo Progresso in the Para state, Brazil.

Humans Wiped Out Two-Thirds of the World’s Wildlife in 50 Years

Threats to global biodiversity are also threats to humans, experts warn

Curators removed the tsantsa, or shrunken heads, from display in July.

Oxford Museum Permanently Removes Controversial Display of Shrunken Heads

Citing the exhibit's reinforcement of "racist and stereotypical thinking," the Pitt Rivers Museum moved a total of 120 human remains into storage

Stacks of Wheat (End of Summer), 1890-1, is one of 25 in a series by Impressionist painter Claude Monet, who frequently created similar depictions of a single subject in different lights, seasons and atmospheres.

How Chicago Became a Monet Destination

A new exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago explores the Impressionist painter's connection to the Midwestern city

Venus, the second planet from the sun

In Clouds on Venus, New Potential for Microbial Life

Astronomers have detected a chemical in Venus’ atmosphere that signifies life on Earth. Could it mean the same on Venus?

The Golden Coach, as seen during Budget Day celebrations in 2011

Why Is the Dutch Royal Family's Golden Carriage So Controversial?

Critics say the coach, which is set to go on view at a museum next June, features racist, colonialist imagery

Autumn near Killington, Vermont

See Where Brilliant Fall Foliage Will Peak Across the Country in This Map

An interactive map predicts when the orange, red and yellow hues of autumn will brighten up the countryside

Patricia Marroquin Norby will serve as the museum's inaugural associate curator of Native American art.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Hires First Full-Time Curator of Native American Art

Patricia Marroquin Norby previously worked at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian–New York

Left: an artist's rendering of the GW Orionis system depicts its misaligned rings of dust and gas. Right: a view of GW Orionis

A Rare Planet Might Be Hiding in This Oddly Shaped, Triple-Star System

Two new studies explain why GW Orionis, a rare triple-star system 1,300 light years away, looks so misshapen

In one example of redlining, this Home Owners' Loan Corporation map depicts part of Chicago, Illinois and labels neighborhoods as "hazardous" (red) or "best" (green). Borrowers could be denied access to credit if their homes or businesses were located in "hazardous" neighborhoods, typically economically disadvantaged neighborhoods with large minority populations.

How Redlining Made City Neighborhoods Hotter

A growing body of research highlights the connection between systemic discrimination and the local climate

The exterior of Maeshowe, a chambered tomb in Scotland's Orkney Islands, pictured in September 2019

Why Were This Ancient Scottish Tomb's Chambers Built Upside Down?

New research suggests the inverted designs seen at Maeshowe were designed to ensure passage into the underworld

A recent study found that a single pair of used blue jeans can release, on average, 56,000 microfibers per wash.

Microfibers From Blue Jeans Are Polluting Arctic Oceans

Researchers found that bits of denim are much more prevalent in our oceans than previously thought

Smoke billows over Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921.

Lawsuit Seeks Reparations for Victims of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Led by a 105-year-old survivor of the attack, the plaintiffs detail almost 100 years of lasting harm

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