Articles

Tucked inside the campus of Indiana University, the Lilly Library is your one-stop shop for rare cultural treasures

See the Gutenberg Bible, 32,000 3D Mechanical Puzzles and a Lock of Edgar Allen Poe’s Hair at This Rare Library

Curiosity is a credential at Indiana University Library’s Lilly Library

"Beach at Bologne" by Edouard Manet

Inventing the Beach: The Unnatural History of a Natural Place

The seashore used to be a scary place, then it became a place of respite and vacation. What happened?

Hospital staff in West Darfur receive the yellow fever vaccine.

Why We're Giving People 20 Percent Doses of the Yellow Fever Vaccine

Vaccine stores in Africa have repeatedly been depleted. The WHO's decision to allow mini-doses reflects a precarious—and cyclical—shortage

Workers start to encircle the island of San Paolo with the first floating elements, April 2016.

Nine Northern Italian Destinations to Visit After You View Christo's "Floating Piers"

Cultural and historical treasures abound near Lake Iseo

Hal Rumel, Red Canyon, near Entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, ca. 1940

How Photography Shaped America's National Parks

Jamie M. Allen explores how conservation and consumerism have impacted America's natural heritage

Likely made from a cow’s horn, this Revolutionary War era gunpowder holder belonged to patriot fighter Prince Simbo.

Breaking Ground

The Revolutionary War Patriot Who Carried This Gunpowder Horn Was Fighting for Freedom—Just Not His Own

Simbo, an African-American patriot, fought for his country's liberty and freedom even as a large population remained enslaved

Blake Lively in "The Shallows."

Shark Week

How Realistic Is the Shark Science in "The Shallows"?

We ask shark expert Chris Lowe whether the science in the upcoming shark thriller has any teeth. Beachgoers: You're welcome.

This Is Martha, the World's Last Known Passenger Pigeon

Martha, was the last passenger pigeon to ever fly

Invasive kudzu girdles a forest.

Age of Humans

The Global Price of Invasive Species

The U.S. and China pose the greatest threat as exporters of invasive species, but other countries have more to lose

Tagliatelle with meat sauce, an iconic Italian dish.

Immerse Yourself in Italian Cuisine at These Eight Cooking Schools

From local women to world-renowned chefs, here's a delicious way to get in touch with your inner Italian

Did Atlantis Really Have Indoor Plumbing?

In 1967, archeologists discovered Akrotiri. It may be the missing city of Atlantis, as well as the origin of the modern toilet

In this watercolor painting, the Zika virus (in pink) infects a cell (cell membrane and receptors in green, interior in blue). Blood plasma surrounds the viral particles.

Art Meets Science

This Painting Shows What It Might Look Like When Zika Infects a Cell

David S. Goodsell's watercolor-and-ink artworks use the latest research to illustrate viruses, proteins and more

Rough diamonds from the Juina region of Brazil.

Journey to the Center of Earth

Diamonds Illuminate the Origins of Earth's Deepest Oceans

Crystals could be the key to where our water came from, and what that means for finding life on other planets

Written in alternating lines of gold and black in Baghdad in 1307 for the Mongol ruler Uljaytu; the Qur'an was intended for his monumental tomb in Sultaniyya in northwestern Iran. (The monument is still standing today).

In a Historic First, a Large Collection of Islamic Qur'ans Travels to the U.S.

The art of the ancient Qur'an is showcased with the loan of some 48 manuscripts and folios from Istanbul, Turkey, and on view at the Smithsonian

The One Place JFK Felt He Could Be Alone

In the midst of the biggest crises of his presidency, John F. Kennedy always knew there was one place he could go to collect his thoughts alone

A man walks by a botanica, a store stocking medicinal plants, in Chicago.

Age of Humans

Will Medicine Survive the Anthropocene?

Up to ten percent of major drugs contain plant-derived ingredients, but a warming world could put those—and other medicines—at risk

Some architects are in a timber state of mind.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

Will Skyscrapers of the Future Be Built From Wood?

Why cross-laminated timber might become the newest trend in urban architecture

The Consuegra Windmills.

Relive 'Don Quixote' With a Trip Through Miguel de Cervantes’ Spain

Tilt at windmills for the 400th anniversary of the author's death

Dawn at the dock at Piscataway, with the many mast stays outlined by the morning light.

Nine Days of a Sailor-Scholar’s Life Aboard the Canoe Circumnavigating the Globe

A Smithsonian expert learns the hard-knock lessons of when to be quiet and how to take a poop

An algal bloom caused by eutrophication, when an ecosystem is overloaded with nutrients like phosphorus.

Age of Humans

Podcast: On the Way to Peak Phosphorus

On this episode of Generation Anthropocene, we dive into one of the most underappreciated elements on the periodic table

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