Articles

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

Switzerland

The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Bollywood

Learn the history of Mumbai's iconic "cut-to" Switzerland shot

Charlie Morrow and dozens of others will stream video and audio of science, art and shamanism connected to their cultures as the sun passes at 5 p.m. in each of the Earth's 24 time zones.

It's a Global Solstice Party and You're Invited

Sound artist Charlie Morrow organized artists and scientists from around the Earth to celebrate the solstice

The Svalbard seed bank is one of many seed libraries in the world, and one of the best funded.

Age of Humans

From Lack Of Diversity To Lack Of Funding, Seed Banks Face a World Of Challenges

Gene banks are meant to protect biodiversity, yet they themselves are in need of protection

The Civil War Prisoner Camp That Became a Place of Horror

The Confederate Civil War prisoner camp in Andersonville, Georgia, was an utter nightmare for the many soldiers held within

The Rolling Stones performing live at Summerfest, Milwaukee, on 23 June 2015

For Rolling Stones Fans, This Book Is a Dream Come True

Journalist and author Rich Cohen first covered the Stones on tour in the 90s. Now he revisits that trip and the band’s epic history

A sidewalk vendor, known as a "betel nut beauty," sells snacks on a curb in New Taipei.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

These Eclectic Images Reveal Taiwan's Many Moods

A highlight from our photo contest: Local photographer Yingting Shih captures surprising and unique moments in his travels

Pie chart showing the number of times ankylosaur fought a particular foe.

Sadly, “Ankylosaur Fight Club” Is Probably Wishful Thinking

Ornate armor may have had more to do with communication than combat

Imagine a meta-memorial of the National Parks that projects high-definition video and recordings in metro stations, examining the role of wilderness in times of social inequality and ecological change.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

What Will Future Monuments in the Nation's Capital Look Like?

Changing times and tastes leave little room for monolithic marble on the Mall

The World's First Camels Roamed...South Dakota?

The Badlands of South Dakota are filled with the fossils of fascinating and surprising prehistoric animals

An exterior rendering of the museum, set to open in April 2017.

A New Museum Is Bringing Relics of the Revolutionary War Into Public View for the First Time in Decades

Scheduled to open next year in Philadelphia, the museum will immerse visitors into the time when the American colonies became the United States

Prospecting for fossils in the Morrison Formation near Shell, Wyoming

Family Travel

Hunting Lost Worlds in Wyoming's Bighorn Basin

A geology tour with Kirk Johnson, Director of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, and Will Clyde, a geology professor at University of New Hampshire

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon and the son of a Cuban refugee, was awarded the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal at a U.S. Naturalization Ceremony at the Smithsonian.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos Honored at Citizenship Ceremony

The Smithsonian awarded the internet mogul during a ceremony welcoming newly naturalized citizens

Learning Lab allows visitors to experiment, to manipulate, to play with the collections, to use them as the building blocks to create new things.

Commentary

Something Super Cool Just Turned Up in Your Digital Toolbox

The Smithsonian unveils a game-changing online tool designed to empower anyone to discover and use digital museum resources

African dogs, it turns out, make some of the best dads in the mammal world.

Rare 'Family Guy' Mammal Dads Give Us All Something to Strive For

Let’s give a Father’s Day shout-out to mammal dads who put family first—and benefit themselves as well

This pesky pest has a tendency to alter world history.

How the Lowly Mosquito Helped America Win Independence

The blood-sucking insect has played a leading role in the rise and fall of empires throughout history

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