Articles

The seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the dwarf star TRAPPIST-1.

Think Big

Scientists Spot Seven Earth-Sized Planets Orbiting a Nearby Star

This newly discovered solar system presents the best opportunity yet to study potentially habitable worlds, NASA scientists report

After orbiting the moon, Columbia made a nationwide tour that ended in 1971 when the command module came to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.

Apollo 11 Command Module Makes Another Journey

The command module "Columbia" will visit four U.S. museums, leaving DC for the first time in 46 years.

Most players of “Walden” go straight to survival tasks, admits Fullerton.

Can a Video Game Capture the Magic of Walden?

Henry David Thoreau's famed retreat gets pixelated

Rothschild’s giraffes typically have five nubby horns, or ossicones, instead of the usual two.

Future of Conservation

To Save Giraffes, We May Need to Put Our Necks Out

With populations plummeting, researchers race to understand a beloved but enigmatic animal

Seward paid $200,000 extra to get the territory “free and clear.”

The Everlasting, Awe-Inspiring Power of Alaska

For 150 years, Alaska has been a part of the United States, and it's never ceased to amaze

David Monteleone’s self-portrait as Lenin in Trelleborg, Sweden, where the Russian revolutionary arrived by ferry from Germany.

Russian Revolution

Vladimir Lenin's Return Journey to Russia Changed the World Forever

On the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, our writer set out from Zurich to relive this epic travel

Misty Copeland sees dance as a “language and a culture that people from everywhere, all over the world, can relate to and understand and come together for.”

In the Footsteps of Three Modern American Prima Ballerinas

A new exhibition shows that classical ballet and the role of the ballerina are rapidly changing

Lithodomos VR creates immersive virtual recreations of iconic ruins.

Virtual Travel

See the Ancient World Through Virtual Reality

An archaeological VR company wants to show you what ruins looked like before they were, well, ruins

What Maximum Security Meant for Ancient Tomb Raiders

The Han dynasty tombs were packed with some of the empire's most valuable relics. To guard against theft, colossal stones, each weighing six tons

Bao Bao's last day

Pandamonium

Poignant Panda Moments in These Last Photos of Bao Bao

The National Zoo sends its much-loved giant panda home to China

Hitler used the Reichstag fire in 1933 to seize almost unlimited power.

History of Now

The True Story of the Reichstag Fire and the Nazi Rise to Power

When the German parliamentary building went up in flames, Hitler harnessed the incident to seize power

The best defense is a good offense.

New Research

The Real Reason the Turtle Learned to Hide its Head Will Surprise You

Turtles retract their heads for protection, but new research suggests that ability evolved for an entirely different reason

A newly discovered katydid species uses drumming to communicate.

A New Age of Discovery Is Happening Right Now in the Remote Forests of Suriname

Today’s explorers and scientists are identifying new species at a rate that would’ve amazed Charles Darwin

Left: Matisse's Notre Dame, a Late Afternoon, 1902. Right: Diebenkorn's Ingleside, 1963.

The Lasting Influence Matisse Had on Richard Diebenkorn's Artwork

The great American painter owed a luminous debt to the French Modernist

A proposed museum in the former Jewish ghetto in Vilnius, Lithuania, features portraits of families who once lived there.

The Holocaust's Great Escape

A remarkable discovery in Lithuania brings a legendary tale of survival back to life

Andrew Jackson's sarcophagus

Andrew Jackson Was a Populist Even on His Deathbed

This lavishly decorated crypt was considered too ornate for the American president

A Rolls Royce concept for an autonomous ship

What Will the Autonomous Ship of the Future Look Like?

Shipbuilding companies are experimenting with self-driving, remotely-operated and crewless vessels

The award-winning, responsive-design website fits your phone, tablet and computer and can be used to make an itinerary for easy printout and planning.

You Don't Need to Wait for Spring to Enjoy the Smithsonian Gardens

This new tour guide will help you relax in these urban oases

This Device Unearthed an Ancient Gladiator School

With its abundant greenery, you'd have no idea there was once an ancient city located just outside of Rome

Iowa State University scientists modeled their artificial leaves after cottonwood leaves.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

Are Artificial Trees the Future of Renewable Energy?

While a new device's flapping leaves can generate a lot of energy, extracting it is far from a breeze

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