https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/science-nature/RSS feed for ScienceenWed, 10 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-do-so-many-beetle-species-exist-180984100/Diet played a key role in the evolution of the vast beetle family treeWed, 10 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/sea-otters-have-helped-bolster-californias-kelp-forest-180984042/A study that looks back more than 100 years shows that where the animals have thrived, underwater forests have, tooMon, 08 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-do-animals-react-to-a-total-solar-eclipse-180984093/Nature enthusiasts work with researchers to figure out how creatures respond to the celestial phenomenonFri, 05 Apr 2024 14:40:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-david-attenborough-went-from-delighting-at-the-natural-world-to-pleading-for-its-future-180984075/The environmental icon’s latest series, “Mammals,” showcases the threats humanity has created for our relativesThu, 04 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/endangered-woodpeckers-find-new-home-military-training-ground-180983986/The red-cockaded woodpecker has lost nearly all of its habitat in the southeastern United States, but an Air Force range in Florida is part of an emerging initiative to relocate besieged species on protected landWed, 03 Apr 2024 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-we-love-eclipses-180984067/Two perspectives on the astronomical phenomenon that has fascinated humans for as long as we’ve been watching the skiesTue, 02 Apr 2024 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dive-exotic-world-nudibranchs-spectacular-slugs-sea-180984013/Psychedelic hedgehogs, purple pineapples, living strawberries—these tiny creatures show off their big personalities off the Australian coastTue, 02 Apr 2024 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-singapore-became-an-unexpected-stronghold-for-a-critically-endangered-bird-180983942/Despite being the smallest country in Southeast Asia, the city-state is now home to the largest population of the straw-headed bulbulMon, 01 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-isnt-dental-health-isnt-considered-primary-medical-care-180984033/Ailments of the mouth can put the body at risk for a slew of other ills, yet dentistry is often siloedFri, 29 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/to-save-sun-bears-scientists-first-have-find-them-180984002/The world's smallest bear plays a crucial role in repairing its tropical habitat in Southeast AsiaThu, 28 Mar 2024 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-rapa-nui-lost-a-tree-only-to-have-it-sprout-up-elsewhere-180983963/Before the toromiro disappeared from the island, at least two men grabbed seeds from the last remaining plant and brought them homeTue, 26 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-greeces-biggest-port-is-older-than-we-thought-180983958/Archaeological discoveries add 500 years to the history of Corinth's main harborThu, 21 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-did-seals-and-sea-lions-never-commit-to-a-life-fully-at-sea-180983926/While whales moved from living on land to an existence immersed in water, pinnipeds embraced an amphibious lifestyleWed, 20 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-researchers-are-digging-into-the-understudied-science-of-roots-180983884/After centuries of neglect, botanists are using new techniques to understand rootsTue, 19 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/in-minnesota-researchers-are-moving-trees-farther-north-to-save-forests-180983944/As the world warms, trees in such forests will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That's where assisted migration comes inFri, 15 Mar 2024 19:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-ancient-civilizations-reacted-to-eclipses-180983894/Communities may have thought the celestial events were messages from the gods, a reason to abandon a settlement or a cue to end a warWed, 13 Mar 2024 13:39:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-dirty-secrets-about-our-hands-role-in-disease-transmission-180983919/The human hand is an incredible tool—and a deadly threatTue, 12 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/see-incredible-insects-up-close-with-these-creepy-crawly-photos-180983917/Bug out with 15 shots of insects and arachnids of all shapes and sizes from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo ContestFri, 08 Mar 2024 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-the-atomic-bomb-set-brothers-robert-and-frank-oppenheimer-on-diverging-paths-180983899/For one of them, the story ended with a mission to bring science to the publicFri, 08 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-it-takes-to-complete-the-ultimate-skywatching-endurance-challenge-180983908/The "Messier marathon" prompts space hobbyists to spot 110 celestial objects in one night, and the best time to try it is in MarchThu, 07 Mar 2024 15:21:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-iberians-ingested-red-dust-loaded-with-mind-altering-mercury-180983889/Bones in Spain suggest a mercury-rich mineral used for art and hallucinogenic trips poisoned a community 5,000 years agoTue, 05 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/inside-the-quest-to-find-evidence-of-auroras-in-ancient-texts-180983844/Documenting episodes of the phenomenon thousands of years ago may help us predict damaging solar storms in the futureFri, 01 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-centuries-old-shark-teeth-reveal-about-brazils-ocean-180983856/Researchers examined the remnants of a 13th-century fishing site to get a picture of how the marine ecosystem has changedThu, 29 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-did-humans-evolve-to-use-everyday-tools-180983709/An anthropologist explains why we experience many objects, from tennis rackets to cars, as extensions of our bodiesMon, 26 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-app-lets-the-inuit-combine-traditional-knowledge-with-scientific-data-180983811/Indigenous communities from Alaska to Greenland are harnessing information to make their own decisionsThu, 22 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/scientists-are-beginning-to-unravel-the-secrets-of-icelands-recent-eruptions-180983818/Each dramatic episode over the past few years has led to fresh geologic revelations, and researchers think another bout is on the wayWed, 21 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-ancient-celts-were-buried-with-their-animals-180983796/Some remains found in the 2,000-year-old graves were likely food offerings, but others may have been much-loved companionsWed, 14 Feb 2024 19:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-six-most-amazing-discoveries-weve-made-by-exploring-venus-180983787/Our sister planet’s cloudy exterior gave it an aura of mystery—until humanity developed the technology to probe past the veilWed, 14 Feb 2024 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/where-did-butterflies-come-from-scientist-on-case-180983698/Akito Kawahara has spent his life devoted to lepidoptera. Now he’s correcting the record on where they first evolvedWed, 14 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-weve-learned-through-sports-psychology-research-180983755/Scientists are probing the head games that influence athletic performance, from coaching to coping with pressureTue, 13 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/case-destroying-old-forest-roads-180983693/Can demolishing abandoned dirt paths point the way to a more sustainable future?Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/earths-migratory-animals-are-in-peril-according-to-a-new-report-180983779/The Convention on Migratory Species warns that many birds, mammals and fish face numerous threats, but they can be savedMon, 12 Feb 2024 21:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dugong-huggable-seagress-loving-sea-cow-new-best-friend-drones-180983695/Keeping tabs on the species' populations is surprisingly hard. A new aerial effort tracks the marks they leave behindMon, 12 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000