Articles

How the New Deal Left Out African-Americans

During the Great Depression, unemployment among African-Americans was twice that of whites – mostly due to segregation

Why Winter Is the Perfect Time to Visit Bavaria

This corner of Germany is the ultimate cold-weather playground, a place where sledding down a mountain, or knocking back beers are equally worthy pursuits

The USS Pueblo, a Navy intelligence-gathering ship, was patrolling international waters in January 1968 when it was captured by North Korean vessels.

History of Now

Fifty Years Ago, North Korea Captured an American Ship and Nearly Started a Nuclear War

The provocative incident involving the USS Pueblo was peacefully resolved, in part because of the ongoing Vietnam War

The “Dodge City Peace Commission,” June, 1883. Wyatt Earp is seated, second from left.

How Dodge City Became a Symbol of Frontier Lawlessness

Fake news and smoking guns gave the Kansas town its reputation as the ultimate Wild West

A Counterintuitive Idea for Treating Severe Depression: Stay Awake

Doctors are finding that sleep deprivation actually helps lift some people out of depression. Now they want to know why

Could a secret ingredient make crumbling concrete a thing of the past?

With Fungi in the Mix, Concrete Can Fill Its Own Cracks

Adding fungus might be one way to endow concrete with the ability to repair any damage, without the need for human intervention

Rare Footage of FDR Walking With Leg Braces

FDR contracted polio at the age of 39, which left his legs partially paralyzed. Fearing this would impact his bid for presidency, he came to an agreement

A North American F-100D Super Sabre drops a napalm bomb near Bien Hoa, South Vietnam, 1967.

This Fighter Jet Turned the Tide During Vietnam's Decisive Tet Offensive

More than five decades ago, America won this huge battle, but lost the war

Why Americans Are Suddenly Flocking to This Gorgeous Caribbean Island

Long ignored by U.S. travelers, this French island is finally enjoying its moment in the sun

Likenesses of American Indians have been used to sell everything from cigars to station wagons.

Probing the Paradoxes of Native Americans in Pop Culture

A new exhibition picks apart the cultural mythologies surrounding the first “Americans”

Envelope for stationary packet, "Torch of Love," George W. Fisher Bookseller and Stationer, Rochester, New York.

How the Civil War Taught Americans the Art of Letter Writing

Soldiers and their families, sometimes barely literate, wrote to assuage fear and convey love

Approximately 80 percent of all pharmaceuticals used by Americans are produced overseas.

The Next Pandemic

A Saline Shortage This Flu Season Exposes a Flaw in Our Medical Supply Chain

Most IV saline bags used in U.S. hospitals are made in Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria has shown how troubling it can be to rely on one producer

At just 18 months old, young children can show biological evidence of added stress.

New Research

How a Mother’s Depression Shows Up in Her Baby’s DNA

Researchers find that at just 18 months, infants can have cellular damage related to stress

Have Scientists Found a Greener Way to Make Blue Jeans?

An engineered strain of <em>E. coli</em> bacteria can produce a precursor to synthetic indigo using fewer nasty chemicals than traditional methods

Lava cascades down the slopes of the erupting Mayon volcano in January 2018. Seen from Busay Village in Albay province, 210 miles southeast of Manila, Philippines.

Geology Makes the Mayon Volcano Visually Spectacular—And Dangerously Explosive

What's going on inside one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes?

The National Aquatics Center is where Michael Phelps earned his eight gold medal during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Today it's been transformed into the Happy Magic Water Cube, one of Asia’s largest waterparks.

Winter Olympics

Four Olympic Stadiums With Unexpected Afterlives

What happens to old Olympics facilities after the medals have all been awarded?

This Priest Witnessed the 9/11 Pentagon Plane Crash

Father Stephen McGraw has just witnessed Flight 77 crash into the west wall of the Pentagon

All Smithsonian tourist sites in Washington, D.C. and New York are guaranteed to stay open through Monday, January 22, regardless of the government shutdown.

Smithsonian Museums Will Remain Open this Weekend and Monday

The days ahead may be uncertain, but for the time being, the show goes on

Highlands County, Florida

American South

Photos Document the Last Remaining Old-Growth Pine Forests of the American South

In his forthcoming book, photographer Chuck Hemard delves deep into what remains of the longleaf pine forests of his youth

The Next Pandemic

Can Social Media Help Us Spot Vaccine Scares and Predict Outbreaks?

Tracking public sentiment toward vaccines could allow public health officials to identify and target areas of heightened disease risk

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