Articles

No longer masked by city noise, San Francisco sparrows are singing a new tune

The Pandemic Shutdown in San Francisco Had Sparrows Singing Sexier Tunes

Birds adapted to singing above the urban noise chirped lower, softer melodies

To solve the puzzle, you must twist the cubes so that eventually each side returns to its original color: The challenge is the astounding number of potential variations — more than 43 quintillion of them.

A Brief History of the Rubik’s Cube

Nearly half a century after its humble invention, the cube continues to be a global sensation. What’s the secret?

People enjoy a picnic at the Zeytiburna coastline in Istanbul, Turkey, on August 23, 2020.

How Do People Picnic Around the Globe?

Outdoor dining is having a moment. Let these traditions from eight different places help you put together the ultimate open-air meal

The Zoo's one-month-old giant panda cub had its first veterinary exam over the weekend. Get the scoop from Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas.

Pandamonium

Check Out Pictures and Video of the Giant Panda Cub's First Veterinary Exam

At one-month-old, all signs point to a healthy, strong cub

The United Daughters of the Confederacy presented the granite monument to the city of Charlotte in 1948.

Charlotte's Monument to a Jewish Confederate Was Hated Even Before It Was Built

For more than seven decades, the North Carolina memorial has courted controversy in unexpected forms

A student tries to solve a math problem.

What Is Math?

A teenager asked that age-old question on TikTok, creating a viral backlash, and then, a thoughtful scientific debate

Novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson is one of 24 authors featured in "Her Story: A Century of Women Writers."

The Women Writers Who Shaped 20th-Century American Literature

A new show at the National Portrait Gallery spotlights 24 authors, including Lorraine Hansberry, Sandra Cisneros and Maxine Hong Kingston

Play the Smithsonian Magazine Crossword: October Issue

Test your mettle with this puzzle created exclusively for 'Smithsonian' readers

Christopher Lee as the titular vampire in Terence Fisher’s 1958 Dracula, showing off bloody canines that would prove weirdly influential.

How the Vampire Got His Fangs

An incisive history of a Halloween snarl

Halahtookit, a Nez Perce man, widely believed to be the son of William Clark.

Ask Smithsonian

Are There Native Descendants of the Lewis and Clark Expedition? And More Questions From Our Readers

You've got questions. We've got experts

Rock legend Chuck Berry drove his 1973 Cadillac Eldorado onto a St. Louis stage in Hail! Hail! Rock ’n’ Roll, a 1987 documentary.

Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch on How the Institution Builds Its Collections

Finding the next awe-inspiring artifact requires flexibility, help from the community—and a healthy dose of good luck

The spotted lanternfly has landed. This adult was seen in Pennsylvania, hard hit by the alien species.

Can Scientists Stop the Plague of the Spotted Lanternfly?

The voracious, shape-shifting insect native to Asia is attacking crops, vineyards and trees

Art Hiding in New York is a new book by Lori Zimmer featuring 100 pieces of artwork hidden around New York City.

Eight Works of Art Hiding in New York City

In her new book, author Lori Zimmer reveals some of the city’s best art pieces not found in museums

School children are spaced apart in one of the rooms used for lunch at Woodland Elementary School in Milford, Massachusetts on Sept. 11, 2020.

Covid-19

Exactly How Far Should You Distance From Others to Avoid Covid-19?

The CDC recommends 6 feet or more, the WHO about half that distance, but experts say the science is far from settled

A mid-1970s painting by illustrator Rick Guidice depicts an extraterrestrial colony designed by Princeton University physicist Gerard O'Neill.

How NASA Marketed Its Space Program With Fantastical Depictions of the Future

When it came to exploring the stars, Americans had to see it to believe in it

Some exhibitions, galleries, interactives, theaters or indoor spaces may be closed or operating at limited capacity, but the Kogod Courtyard at Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery is always a pleasant place to relax.

Here's What's New to Explore as Smithsonian Museums Reopen

Two more museums, the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of the American Indian, open Friday

Towers of the Stadtkirsche rise above Wittenberg, Germany. Much of the church was demolished and replaced in 1522, but the “Judensau” has remained despite controversy.

Germany May Have Banished Nazism, but Its Medieval Anti-Semitism Is Still in Plain Sight

In the city where Martin Luther revolutionized Christianity, a vile, 700-year-old sculpture openly denigrates Jews. Why is it still there?

Ed Bearss on a Smithsonian Associates tour of the Antietam battlefield.

What Made Ed Bearss a Rock Star of Civil War History

On any battlefield, he struck the mystic chords of memory

Some Covid-19 patients are reporting that foods including coffee, chocolate and red wine smell awful.

Why Covid-19 Patients Are Suffering From Distorted and Phantom Smells

An increasing number of patients are reporting awful scents that aren’t present

A child sleeps in his parents bed.

Researchers Say the Purpose of Sleep Shifts During the 'Terrible Twos'

A multidisciplinary team offers up an exact age when REM sleep decreases

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