Ask Smithsonian

The mailbox for letters to Santa Claus at the home of the Parsons family in Pennsylvania, on December 10, 2020

Kids Send Thousands of Letters to Santa Each Year. Here's What Really Happens to Them

The United States Postal Service and volunteers have responded to North Pole holiday correspondence over the past century

How do scientists know which insects can see color?

Can Insects See Color? And More Questions From Our Readers

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Could a private citizen get hold of a genome and use it to bring an extinct animal back to life? 

Could Anyone Bring an Extinct Animal Back to Life? And More Questions From Our Readers

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Did Hawaiian dancers traditionally wear grass skirts? 

What's the History of Hawaiian Grass Skirts? And More Questions From Our Readers

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Could different backyard birds, such as a robin and a bluebird, produce viable offspring? 

Could a Robin and a Bluebird Have Babies? And More Questions From Our Readers

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I thought I saw more red foliage this fall. Is that related to climate change?

Does Climate Change Affect Leaves' Fall Colors? And More Questions From Our Readers

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Why can't machines process CO2 the way trees do?

Why Can't Machines Process CO2 Like Trees? And More Questions From Our Readers

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One reader wonders how birds stay balanced on tree branches while they’re asleep.   

How Do Birds Stay Upright When They Are Sleeping?

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One reader wonders if European modernists thought of the American painter Georgia O’Keeffe as a remarkable artist.  

Was Georgia O'Keeffe's Genius Appreciated Outside of America? And More Questions From Our Readers

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One reader wonders what graffiti was like before spray paint.

What Did Graffiti Look Like Before Spray Paint and More Questions From Our Readers

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One reader wonders why more flowers and fruits aren't blue-hued.

Why Are So Few Flowers and Fruits Blue? And More Questions From Our Readers

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All mollusks build their own shells.

How Do Snails Get Their Shells? And More Questions From Our Readers

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Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for captive apes.

How Do Gorillas Get Heart Disease? And More Questions From Our Readers

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Both beer and wine are thought to predate distilled spirits.

'Which Came First: Beer or Wine?' and More Questions From Our Readers

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James Smithson was the Smithsonian’s founding donor, bequeathing approximately one ton of gold British sovereigns.

Why Did James Smithson Leave His Fortune to the U.S. and More Questions From Our Readers

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NASA's Ingenuity helicopter arrived on Mars on February 18, 2021.

Why Did NASA Test a Helicopter on Mars?

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Some designers promote fashion lines based on kente cloth from Ghana.

When Is Kente Cloth Worn and More Questions From Our Readers

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When suburbanites want to limit the number of deer in their area, it can be easier said than done.

How Can Suburbs Control Deer Populations? And More Questions From Our Readers

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Could humans be visiting Venus in the future?

Will We Ever Send Humans to Venus?

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North American species like the Colorado potato beetle and the fall armyworm have become invasive elsewhere.

Have Any North American Species Become Invasive Elsewhere in the World?

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