Articles

President Boris Yeltsin hands over a copy of the Russian constitution to Vladimir Putin, December 21, 1999.

The Popularity of Putin and What It Means for America

In the 25 years since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has changed dramatically--and it’s more important than ever to understand those changes

Leah Desrochers, a former employee of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, holds a stranded Kemp's ridley sea turtle.

Why Are Endangered Sea Turtles Showing Up Cold and Seemingly Lifeless on Northeastern Shores?

In the past three decades, scientists have confronted a worsening epidemic of stranded Kemp's ridley sea turtles

Poppies near Ribeira de Piscos, Côa Valley, Western Iberia, Portugal

Europe

A Project to "Rewild" Europe, Brings a Safari-Style Camp to Portugal

See Europe as it was five thousand years ago

Cars are a liability and expensive to maintain for most Americans. The Future Cycles team builds human-powered vehicles that combine the efficiency of a bicycle or moped with the weather protection and carrying capacity of a car.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

These Locally Grown Design Ideas Were Created by the People for the People

A Cooper Hewitt exhibition spotlights the innovative and sustainable designs generated by those in search of solutions

Incredibly Cute Polar Bear Cubs See the World for First Time

After a long winter in their den, a polar bear mother and her cubs emerge at the first signs of spring.

Lorna Seela Nabaala, one of only about 10 women safari guides out of the roughly 400 guides working today in the Maasai Mara

Meet One of the Few Female Safari Guides in Kenya

Though outnumbered by their male counterparts in the field, women have begun to take the reins in ecotourism

These ancient amber fossils from Burma in Southeast Asia help complete the patchy record of lizard evolution.

This Year in Ancient Amber: Prehistoric Feathers, Mushrooms, Lizards and More

It’s no <i>Jurassic Park,</i> but this treasure trove of new creatures will still transport you to an ancient world

Yerevan, Armenia

Armenia

How Ancient Volcanoes Created Armenia’s Pink City

In the capital city of Yerevan, volcanic rock flows pink

In Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, America's most beloved native insect faces threats from illegal loggers and avocado growers.

New Research

The Best Way to Protect the World’s Forests? Keep People in Them

Instead of kicking indigenous groups out, let them continue to manage these lands effectively, argues a new report

"Painless Parker" wore a necklace of teeth to lure in achy victims.

A Brief History of America's Most Outrageous Dentist

Painless Parker and his dental circus live on in a Philadelphia museum

Inspectors examined the eyes of immigrants at Ellis Island in New York Harbor, but did they change their names?

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Did Ellis Island Officials Really Change the Names of Immigrants?

On the 125th anniversary of the famous portal to the U.S., history shows inspectors were not the ones changing people's names

Native Americans Saw Buffalo as More Than Just Food

The relationship between some Native American tribes and the American buffalo was a sacred one

The Santa Fe Railyard

The New Art Scene Transforming Santa Fe

The city's image as a mecca of Southwestern-themed art and folksy spiritualism has begun to evolve, thanks to artists and entrepreneurs

Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy in the new film Jackie directed by Pablo Larraín.

Natalie Portman's "Jackie" Reminds Us Why JFK's Assassination Became Our National Tragedy

A Smithsonian scholar revisits those critical decisions Jacqueline Kennedy made following the death of her husband

The DF-24 camera, invented in 1932, is one of several that were used by cinematographer Hal Rosson to film the  Wizard of Oz.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

Without This Camera, the Emerald City Would Have Been the Color of Mud

That dramatic Dorothy in Oz moment was brought to you in living color by the DF-24 Beam Splitter

Eight Innovators to Watch in 2017

Meet original thinkers who are breaking ground in medicine, art, drone design, fighting climate change and more

The Risky Way a Polar Bear Attack Victim Confronts Her Fear

For Erin Greene, walking up to a polar bear requires even more courage than most of us can imagine

A Farm From a Box is capable of feeding 150 people.

Smart Startup

A San Francisco Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container

Brandi DeCarli, cofounder of Farm From a Box, wants to deploy farm kits to governments, NGOs, schools and individuals

A Fertile Polar Bear's Hard Journey From Mating to Motherhood

After mating takes place, a female polar bear will prepare for her impending pregnancy by eating voraciously. In all, she will pack on more than 400 pounds

This year's science left us speechless and maybe a tiny bit more knowledgeable.

The Top 9 Baffling, Humbling, Mind-Blowing Science Stories of 2016

From gravity's song to the evolutionary secrets of dogs, this year unlocked a treasure trove of scientific discovery

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