Articles

Abraham Lincoln photographed shortly after the presidential election in November 1860, by Alex Hesler of Chicago, at Lincoln's home in Springfield, Illinois.

When Lincoln Was More a Politician Than an "Honest Abe"

He resorted to a dirty trick to embarrass a rival

British statesman and author Winston Churchill reads correspondence at his desk in 1933.

Think Big

“Are We Alone in the Universe?” Winston Churchill's Lost Extraterrestrial Essay Says No

The famed British statesman approached the question of alien life with a scientist's mind

The Great Wall of China is a remarkable work of architecture—but there are plenty of myths surrounding it.

Sticky Rice Mortar, the View From Space, and More Fun Facts About China’s Great Wall

The not-so-effective wall was a lengthy, pricey project that stretched across thousands of years

The company fills pills with 15 different supplements, each in amounts from 0 to 100 percent recommended daily allowance.

Smart Startup

What If You Could Take a Vitamin 3D Printed to Meet Your Personal Nutrition Needs?

Fred Parietti, CEO and cofounder of Multiply Labs, wants personalized nutritional supplements to start a whole new movement

Pandamonium

How to FedEx a Giant Panda

On February 21, the United States says #ByeByeBaoBao

Why the Assassin Bug More Than Lives Up to Its Name

The assassin bug's deadly proboscis is both sword and siphon. It uses its sharp nose to pierce and inject toxins into its victims

Interior of Historic RCA Studio B today.

Play Paul Simon's Piano or Croon Into Elvis' Mic at These Seven Historic Recording Studios

Take a tour through Americana music history

The woolly arctic moth caterpillar produces alcohols that allow it to avoid freezing at temperatures reaching -70 degrees F.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What Do Insects Do in Winter?

When winter comes, most bugs either migrate or time travel. But some get far more creative

At the National Women's Conference in Houston, Texas, 20,000 women convened to debate the issues that affected them. Here, Congresswoman Bella Abzug (D-N.Y.), wearing her trademark hat, and Betty Friedan (left, in red coat).

The 1977 Conference on Women's Rights That Split America in Two

Feminism and the conservative movement clashed over issues such as abortion and LGBTQ rights

A Great White Can Go Through 20,000 Teeth in Its Lifetime

While a great white shark's 300 serrated teeth are an amazing hunting adaptation, what's even more amazing is their replaceability

Eight Secrets of the Taj Mahal

One of the world's greatest memorials to love remains a place of mystery

A segregated bus stop in North Carolina.

The Complicated Racial Politics of Going “Undercover” to Report on the Jim Crow South

How one journalist became black to investigate segregation and what that means today

Smart Startup

Will This App Turn More Readers On to Serialized Fiction?

Releasing a chapter at a time, Radish could have us binge reading romance and mystery novels

Asli Saghatelyan stands next to her father-in-law’s 240-gallon karas, a clay vessel traditionally used in Armenia, until recently, for storing and fermenting homemade wine.

Armenia: Smithsonian Guide

Unearthing Armenia’s Giant, Ancient Earthenware

These 240-gallon clay karases, crucial to the early development of winemaking, once held enormous value

Think human dating is hard? Try being a panda.

Pandamonium

Why Panda Sex Isn't Black and White

Reproductive experts weigh in on panda porn, panda Viagra and other biological myths

Could This Tiny Drone Covered in Sticky Goop Do the Work of Bees?

Well, it may not replace bees. But it's a fun project nonetheless

In nature and in human history, cannibalism is actually quite mainstream. No humans were harmed in the making of this image, which is of Ribeye steak.

Fall in Love With Cannibalism This Valentine's Day

Pair your red wine and chocolate hearts with another delicious accompaniment: cannibalism, in the form of a new book

Here's How the Strongest Insect on the Planet Fights

Hercules beetles, as their name suggests, are immensely strong for their size

Still Life with Fruit, Oysters, and Wine by Everhart Kuhn, ca. 1865

Ask Smithsonian

Are Oysters an Aphrodisiac?

Sure, if you think so

Smart Startup

These Flowers Come Straight From the Farm to Your Door

By cutting out the middleman, this startup is aiming for better bouquets and a greener flower industry

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