Articles

“I saw these beautiful shapes and forms,” says Soluri, creator of the series “Evidence of Human Spaceflight.”

New Photos Reveal What's Left Behind When a Rocket Travels to Space

Michael Soluri captures these strangely evocative traces of America’s heroic extraterrestrial journeys

With the idle set at 54 percent of full throttle, drivers could unleash the car by merely stepping off the brake.

When a Jet-Powered Car Raced in the Indianapolis 500

The racecar tore up the track and dazzled fans at the legendary competition—and then vanished

One autonomous car in this group was able to reduce stop-and-go traffic flow.

Just a Few Self-Driving Cars Could Fix Phantom Traffic Jams

A new study suggests they can help get rid of stop-and-go traffic on highways.

Stephen Talty's Guide to Culture

The detective novelist offers his picks for movies, tv shows and Twitter accounts to follow

Future of Conservation

The Hidden Dangers of Road Salt

It clears our roads, but also spells danger for fish, moose—and sometimes humans

The Real Culprit of an Ancient Egyptian Plague Was... Bread?

According to the Bible, the 10th plague to befall Ancient Egypt killed the first born child of every family

Researchers found that tadpole embryos were better able to fight off infection when their cells' natural electrical charge was manipulated.

Tweaking the Tiny Electrical Charges Inside Cells Can Fight Infection

It works in tadpoles. Could it work in humans?

Where to Go if You Want to See Manhattanhenge in 2017

It's the most anticipated sunset of the year

Ask Smithsonian 2017

How Does Earth's Geomagnetic Field Work?

You asked, we answered

A mid-air tourist flight. The author is second from the left.

The Future of Zero-Gravity Living Is Here

Entrepreneurs predict there will be thousands of us living and working in space. Our correspondent takes off to see what that feels like

Children of the ‘80s Never Fear: Video Games Did Not Ruin Your Life

Inside the ridiculous media panic that scared parents silly

"We saw kids who created hands that had solid, non-moving opposable joints," says Tim Pula (left) from the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation .

The Innovative Spirit fy17

The Next Generation of Military Prosthetics Is Breaking New Ground

At the Smithsonian’s Military Invention Day, visitors experienced how military innovation is helping society

John F. Kennedy meeting with Soviet politician Nikita Khrushchev.

Top Hats, James Bond and a Shipwreck: Seven Fun Facts About John F. Kennedy

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of JFK’s birth, a look at his extraordinary life

In 1971, Folkways Recordings released the album Raimon: Catalonian Protest Songs, and in the liner notes, Pete Seeger wrote: “Censors, in every corner of this world, tend to be shallow, literal-minded people. Raimon is a poet. There is no need to say more.”

This Catalan Folk Singer Refused to Bow to Oppression

The director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage recognizes the lifetime work of the singer activist Raimon

DNA barcoding, as the name suggests, was designed to make identifying a species as simple as scanning a supermarket barcode.

Future of Conservation

The Key to Protecting Life on Earth May Be Barcoding It

An easier way to read DNA is helping scientists tease apart species and ecosystems in nuanced ways

This Flying Gas Station Can Carry 200,000 Lbs. of Fuel

The KC-135 Stratotanker plays a crucial role in keeping U.S. fighter jets up in the air. That's because this 136-foot long aircraft is a flying gas tank

Hay Festival 2016

More Than 250,000 Bibliophiles Are About to Descend on "The Town of Books"

The Hay Festival of Literature kicks of its 30th anniversary festival in Wales

Mr. Darcy, the socially awkward love interest in Pride and Prejudice, has been retroactively diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, but a new wave of fiction casts people with autism in a new light.

Why Your Next Favorite Fictional Protagonist Might Be on the Autism Spectrum

Fiction can reframe misunderstood mental conditions like autism

Aubrey de Grey says, “There’s no such thing as aging gracefully.”

Can Human Mortality Really Be Hacked?

Backed by the digital fortunes of Silicon Valley, biotech companies are brazenly setting out to “cure” aging

Bjarke Ingels

Bjarke Ingels Makes the Impossible Concrete

The star architect is mapping out a new daring plan for the Smithsonian

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