Articles

Cyanobacteria, sometimes known as blue-green algae, are single-celled organisms that use photosynthesis to produce food just like plants do.

New Research

Need to Fix a Heart Attack? Try Photosynthesis

Injecting plant-like creatures into a rat's heart can jumpstart the recovery process, study finds

Cats rule the world. But how did they get here?

New Research

How Cats Conquered the World

Scientists use 9,000 years of feline genetics to chart their global rise to power

“The Southern BBQ Trail” episode.

Come for the Bug Eating and Get a Lesson in Humanity from Andrew Zimmern

A Q&A with the Travel Channel’s 'Bizarre Foods' Chef

Why Pocahontas May Not Have Rescued John Smith After All

According to legend, Pocahontas threw herself between the leader of the Jamestown colony, John Smith, and a warrior's club to save him

“I felt that I was always connected to the world and the people of the world, and that activism was in me from a very young age,” Ono says.

The Long and Winding Road of Yoko Ono’s Art

A Hirshhorn exhibition of four works opens the same week Ono is credited, 46 years later, as a co-writer of the chart-topping ballad “Imagine.”

Mateo-Vega (derecha) muestra a los compañeros Emberá y Kuna cómo tomar medidas forestales. De izquierda a derecha, los técnicos indígenas Edgar Gariboldo, Chich Chamarro, Baurdino López, Evelio Jiménez, Alexis Solís. (Sean Mattson / Smithsonian)

Future of Conservation

Cómo Los Científicos y Grupos Indígenas Pueden Aliarse Para Proteger Los Bosques y el Clima

Demetrius Shipp Jr. as Tupac Shakur in All Eyez On Me.

The Musical Legacy Behind the Tupac Biopic 'All Eyez on Me'

Curator Dwandalyn Reece from the Smithsonian’s African American Museum investigates

Each time you use your phone's weather app, you're indebted to a self-taught computer scientist named Klara von Neumann.

The Unheralded Contributions of Klara Dan von Neumann

Despite having no formal mathematical training, she was a key figure in creating the computer that would later launch modern weather prediction

Today the humble shipping container is everywhere: 10 million of them arrived at U.S. ports in 2016 alone.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

The Now-Ubiquitous Shipping Container Was an Idea Before Its Time

North Carolina trucker Malcom McLean needed to invent not just the container, but the cranes and ships needed to move them

Why These Vegetarian Monkeys Have Sharp Predator Teeth

In the Ethiopian highlands, native Geladas have impressive canines despite being grass eaters. The reason is simple: The males need to defend themselves

"Steve" the aurora was discovered by amateur skywatchers, who are helping scientists learn more about this atmospheric phenomenon.

Will the Next Great Scientific Discovery Be Made by Amateurs?

There are more options than ever to get involved, and your input can help solve big problems in science

Interior and sand floor of the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad, Curacao

Why Sand Covers the Floor of One of the Western Hemisphere's Oldest Synagogues

Fleeing anti-Semitism in Europe, Jews found unexpected shelter on the island of Curaçao

In this March 13, 1959 file photo, A group of supporters of statehood drive through the street in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Political Dealmaking That Finally Brought Hawaii Statehood

And what Puerto Rico can learn from the prolonged process

Rachel and Andrew Jackson's marriage was a source of controversy throughout his political career.

Rachel Jackson, the Scandalous Divorcee Who Almost Became First Lady

Rachel Jackson ran away from her husband and got divorced to marry Andrew, an incident that haunted her for life

In the past half-century, this tiny object has gone from feminist icon to dangerous villain to, incredibly, feminist icon once again. And no, we're not sure why the background is pink.

From Medical Pariah to Feminist Icon: The Story of the IUD

After decades of being shunned by women and doctors alike, this T-shaped device is enjoying a new surge of popularity

Why Spider Monkeys Only Have Four Fingers

Unlike virtually every other primate, spider monkeys have no thumbs, which could snag on the branches

When Fresh Air Went Out of Fashion at Hospitals

How the hospital went from luxury resort to windowless box

The orientation of the layers in this protective composite material were inspired by the queen conch shell

This Conch-Shell Inspired Material Could Make Helmets and Body Armor Safer

Scientists from MIT are using structures that evolved over millions of years to strengthen protective gear

Remember the first time Dad took you sledding? Now it's time to take him somewhere special.

For Father's Day, Take Dad on a Tour of the Smithsonian Museums

Our featured tour: With Dad

iForest is an immersive sound experience located at The Wild Center in the Adirondacks.

This Forest Will Sing to You

iForest at The Wild Center combines an immersive sound experience with the lush beauty of the Adirondacks

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