Brazil

The Smithsonian 2020 Folklife Festival is online (above: Reconstructing Hope: Black Religions in the Age of Black Lives Matter, June 29).

Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival Moves into Your Living Room

This year, experience the familiar smells, sights and sounds, while streaming the events online

Bioluminescent "sea fireflies," a species of ostracod crustacean, covering the rocks on the coast of Okayama, Japan.

How Studying Bioluminescent Creatures Is Transforming Medical Science

The natural light of insects and sea creatures can help doctors illuminate H.I.V. and even kill cancer cells

Electrophorus voltai, a newly discovered species of electric eel, pictured swimming in the Xingu River, a southern tributary of the Amazon.

Smithsonian Researchers Triple the Number of Electric Eel Species, Including One With Record-Setting Shock Ability

It’s literally shocking news

João Gilberto circa 1960.

Bossa Nova Became a Turning Point in Brazilian Culture. João Gilberto Helped Launch It

The musician, who died at 88, developed the understated style in his sister's bathroom, launching the cool, sophisticated sound to international acclaim

Amazon Deforestation Has Increased Dramatically This Year

In May, an area the size of a soccer field was cleared every minute

Entrance to the RioZoo

Trove of 30,000 Artifacts Found at RioZoo to Be Given to Fire-Ravaged National Museum

The artifacts date back to Brazil’s imperial period

A trio of air conditioners failed to meet manufacturer recommendations regarding the use of separate circuit breakers and grounding devices

A Faulty Air Conditioning Unit Sparked the Brazil National Museum Fire

The September 2018 blaze destroyed the 200-year-old building and reduced the majority of its 20-million artifact collection to ash

It’s likely the beached calf was separated from its mother during the humpback whales’ mass migration south

As Humpback Whales Migrate to Antarctica, One Straggler Washes Ashore in the Amazon

Scientists found the one-year-old calf’s carcass around 50 feet inland on a remote Brazilian island

The September 2018 blaze destroyed the majority of the Brazilian museum's more than 20 million artifacts

Around 2,000 Artifacts Have Been Saved From the Ruins of Brazil’s National Museum Fire

Meanwhile, search attempts, which are expected to last through the end of 2019, continue

A collapsed dam left 200 people missing and at least 58 dead, officials say. Rescuers search using helicopters.

Brazilian Mine Disaster Leaves 58 Dead, 200 Missing

Mine waste and sludge have contaminated a huge stretch of the Paraopeba River

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil Dissolves Its Ministry of Culture

The change is part of a rash of reforms by new Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro

Google Virtual Tour Preserves Collections Destroyed in Brazil Museum Fire

Back in 2016, the tech giant had begun working to digitize the museum’s collections

Federal police forensic specialists investigate the cause of the fire that tore through Brazil's National Museum in Rio de Janeiro.

Five Things We've Learned Since Brazil’s Devastating National Museum Fire

Luzia, the oldest human fossil in the Americas, was recovered from the rubble

The institution begins the long road to restoration

Brazil’s National Museum Launches Rebuilding Efforts with Temporary Exhibition of Surviving Collection

Stabilization work must be completed before experts can assess extent of damage to museum’s collection of more than 20 million artifacts

What makes the Whitney Flame topaz such an astonishing acquisition is its homogeneous fiery-red. “We recognized right away that this is something different than we’d ever seen,” says Smithsonian gems curator Jeff Post.

The Whitney Flame Topaz Smolders in Vibrant Red

A new gemstone at the Natural History Museum is already igniting wonder in viewers

Washington’s National Mall, home to 11 Smithsonian museums, flooded in 2006, causing millions of dollars in damage.

How the Smithsonian Prepares for Hurricanes and Flooding

An emergency command center is ready for activation and the National Zoo could move animals into bunkers

The National Museum, seen from above, after the overnight fire in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Why Brazil's National Museum Fire Was a Devastating Blow to South America's Cultural Heritage

The collection of more than 20 million artifacts included the oldest fossil found in the Americas and a trove of indigenous literature

A thatched hut in the Javari Valley

Drone Captures First Images of an Uncontacted Amazon Tribe

Officials say images like these can help them learn how to better protect Brazil’s indigenous people

Shuttered Amid Protests Last Year, Queer Art Exhibition Reopens in Rio

A successful crowdfunding campaign helped bring “Queermuseu” back to life

The unnamed man, believed to be the last of his tribe, is shown here in a video taken in 2011 but only released recently.

Rare Footage Shows the Last Surviving Member of an Uncontacted Amazon Tribe

The man appears healthy, but like other indigenous people of Brazil, his way of life is in danger

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