Articles

A display of whole wheat bread at the Washington State University-Mount Vernon Bread Lab, in Blue Hill, New York

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What Makes Whole-Grain Bread So Hard to Bake?

We asked bakers for their tips on how to get consistently excellent whole wheat loaves

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The Smell of Newborn Babies Triggers the Same Reward Centers as Drugs

When women catch the scent of a newborn baby, their dopamine pathways in a region of the brain associated with reward learning light up

A map showing the sea floor off the coast of Pakistan*

A Massive Earthquake in Pakistan Just Forced an Island to Climb Out of the Sea

In the wake of a massive earthquake in Pakistan this morning, a new island has emerged from the Arabian Sea

Risk analysis groups have detected an increased frequency of Atlantic hurricanes due to climate change, forcing insurance companies to rethink their models.

How the Insurance Industry Is Dealing With Climate Change

The rising chance of extreme weather is forcing insurance companies to adjust their models as they take on more risk

Eagle versus deer

A Wild Golden Eagle Can Take Down a Deer Just As Well As a Trained One

Besides being cool images, the behavior captured on the camera trap is extremely rare for Golden Eagles in nature

Soldiers at the Korean War Veterans Memorial

Be Careful When Taking Pictures of Other People’s Art

The U.S. Postal Service owes the man who sculpted the Korean War memorial nearly $685,000

This New Grocery Store Only Sells Expired Food

Out-of-date food is often still good to eat, and this man wants to sell it to you

China Claims to Have Bought a Huge Chunk of Ukraine

China says it's purchased 3 million hectares of Ukrainian farming land, but Ukraine says it has no intention of selling land to China

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Interactive: Seeking Abraham Lincoln at the Gettysburg Address

A series of photographs captured in November 1863 give us a sense of what happened when Lincoln delivered his famous speech

Spot the impostor: A cuckoo finch chick (left) and a tawny-flanked prinia chick (right) open their beaks for a meal.

Parasitic Cuckoo Finches Use an Egg Overload to Evade Host Defenses

The more eggs a parasitic cuckoo finch lays in its host's nest, the more likely a discerning foster parent will accept the finch's young as its own

Dance to Your Body’s Own Music

If you've ever been told to "march to the beat of your own drum" here's your chance to do that as literally as possible

Britain’s Building a Transportation Network Just for Bees (And Other Pollinators)

The idea is to provide passage for insects that play a role in maintaining an estimated 90 percent of Britain's greenery and crops through pollination

Do We Give Beautiful People a Break Or Judge Them More Harshly?

Beautiful people. We love them. We hate them. But do we treat them better or worse than non-beautiful people?

A new Dave Van Ronk compilation presents old favorites and never-before-heard tracks from 1959 to 2002.

Before You Go See Llewyn Davis, Go Inside Dave Van Ronk

The new Coen brothers film is based in part on the life and times of real-life folk musician Dave Van Ronk, the Mayor of MacDougal Street

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3,000 Years of Human History, Described in One Set of Mathematical Equations

A surprisingly accurate model shows that warfare and military technology determined where empires arose

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Fears Can Be Erased While We Sleep

Researchers think that this method could find some application in alleviating conditions such as PTSD, but those potential uses are speculative

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The U.S. Nearly Nuked North Carolina

North Carolina was saved from nuclear devastation by one little switch

“Terrorist attacks at shopping centers, 1998 – 2005”

Kenya in Context: Malls Around the World That Terrorists Have Attacked

Lots of people, lots of exits, lots of packages--a few of the reasons why shopping malls are targeted

The iPhone 5s’ home button also serves as a fingerprint scanner.

These Hackers Say They’ve Already Cracked the New iPhone’s Fancy Fingerprint Lock

Hackers say they've found a way around the new iPhone's fingerprint scanner, and it doesn't sound all that hard

Bagels And Lox Are a Uniquely American Creation

Lox didn't originate in New York City. Nor did bagels. But putting them together, that is a distinctly New York Creation

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