Articles

Ask Smithsonian

Ask Smithsonian: What Is a Dimple?

Michael Jordan, Vanessa Hudgens and all those celeb dimples to die for? Just a result of a double zygomaticus major muscle

The Cascadia Subduction Zone could unleash "the big one" soon, causing havoc in Seattle.

Journey to the Center of Earth

Slow Earthquakes Are a Thing

Slow earthquakes regularly move more earth than deadly fast quakes, but no one feels a thing

Marie Tharp's map helped vindicate plate tectonics, but her work was initially dismissed as "girl talk."

Journey to the Center of Earth

Seeing Is Believing: How Marie Tharp Changed Geology Forever

Marie Tharp's maps helped prove continental drift was real. But her work was initially dismissed as "girl talk"

Surprise: Gladiators Were Vegetarians

A huge factor in a gladiator's physical fitness was a meatless diet. During training, he primarily ate beans for protein and barley for carbohydrates

These glow-in-the-dark roaches have the goods.

I Am Officially in Love With Cockroaches

And after you read this, you will be too

Breaking Ground

The Definitive Story of How the National Museum of African American History and Culture Came to Be

From courting Chuck Berry in Missouri to diving for a lost slave ship off Africa, the director's tale is a fascinating one

Breaking Ground

The Powerful Objects From the Collections of the Smithsonian's Newest Museum

These artifacts each tell a part of the African-American story

Hutton, as painted by Sir Henry Raeburn in 1776.

Journey to the Center of Earth

The Blasphemous Geologist Who Rocked Our Understanding of Earth's Age

James Hutton was a leading light of his time, but is rarely talked about today

The Dog Aging Project Wants to Help Your Pet Live Longer

Biologists at the University of Washington are launching a long-term study that involves testing medications that could enhance dogs' life spans

Reconstruction of Lucy’s vertical deceleration event, by the authors of the new study.

Did Anthropologists Just Solve the 3-Million-Year-Old Mystery of Lucy’s Death?

Researchers think they've reconstructed the fatal plunge and last terrifying seconds of the hominin's life

Michael Jackson performs in Kansas City, Kansas during the "Victory" tour in 1984.

Breaking Ground

Michael Jackson's Costumes Show Why Nobody Can Beat the King of Pop When it Comes to Style

Outfits from the Jackson's "Victory" tour will be part of an inaugural exhibition at the African American History Museum

Free timed-entry passes to the new museum, which opens September 24, are available beginning August 27 at 9 a.m., EDT

Breaking Ground

How to Get Timed-Entry Passes for National Museum of African American History and Culture

It's finally time to plan your trip to NMAAHC

What's in here? A new study aims to find out.

Age of Humans

Garbage Can Teach Us a Lot About Food Waste

A novel and slightly gross study aims to fill in gaps in our understanding of Americans' food waste

IBM’s Watson Takes On Yet Another Job, as a Weather Forecaster

The integration of the supercomputer and weather stations around the world could have a huge impact on global industry

Redd Velvet (born Crystal Tucker) started her career as a classically trained singer. In her early 40s she moved to Memphis and switched to the blues.

Keeping the Blues Alive

Is blues music a thing of the past? A festival in Memphis featuring musicians of all ages and nationalities shouts an upbeat answer

Incredible: Five Lions Take Down a Giraffe

Free from their mother's care, five young lions must fend for, and feed, themselves. Their first challenge: a giant giraffe who refuses to be caught

This marker denotes both the highest point in Finland and the border with Norway.

Norway Wants to Give Finland a Mountain

If the country succeeds, it will be the world's best 100th-birthday gift

In the past few weeks, thousands of fish have gone belly-up.

The Massive Yellowstone Fish Die-Off: A Glimpse Into Our Climate Future?

This unprecedented kill reveals why we need to keep rivers resilient

The Block Island Wind Farm should be operational before the end of this year.

Future of Energy

Getting Up Close and Personal With America’s First Offshore Wind Farm

The newly-erected turbines off of Block Island may signal the future of American wind power

In addition to photos, teddy bears are also on display.

This Is What 3,000 Photos of Teddy Bears Look Like

An exhibition at The New Museum takes collection obsession to an over-the-top (but adorable) extreme

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