https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/smart-news/RSS feed for Smart NewsenWed, 10 Apr 2024 20:54:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-restored-2000-year-old-roman-helmet-and-its-shiny-new-twin-180984121/The 2,000-year-old Hallaton Helmet is now on permanent display at the Harborough Museum in EnglandWed, 10 Apr 2024 20:54:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-are-the-next-solar-eclipses-2026-promises-totality-in-europe-while-much-of-america-has-a-decades-long-wait-180984129/The next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. won’t take place until August 23, 2044—but eclipse chasers will have other opportunities to experience totality before thatWed, 10 Apr 2024 19:58:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/little-rock-nine-and-paul-mccartney-react-to-beyonces-blackbird-cover-180984105/McCartney was inspired to write the song after hearing about the battle to integrate Little Rock Central High School in 1957Wed, 10 Apr 2024 19:32:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/original-superman-is-now-the-most-valuable-comic-book-in-the-world-180984125/An original copy of 1938's "Action Comics No. 1" sold for a record-breaking $6 million at auctionWed, 10 Apr 2024 18:17:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-secretive-experiment-released-salt-crystals-over-san-francisco-bay-could-it-help-curb-warming-180984099/The technology could make clouds reflect more sunlight, cooling the Earth below. But even the scientists leading the study say letting go of fossil fuels is a much-preferred response to climate changeWed, 10 Apr 2024 18:05:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ellis-island-national-museum-of-immigration-is-getting-a-100m-makeover-180984113/A $100 million renovation will help preserve the history of the millions of immigrants who passed through the island in the late 19th and early 20th centuriesTue, 09 Apr 2024 20:55:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-artist-used-ai-to-recreate-a-velazquez-painting-lost-in-a-fire-300-years-ago-180984106/Fernando Sánchez Castillo employed historical resources and image-generation technologies to reimagine "Expulsion of the Moriscos"Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:55:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/since-2016-80-percent-of-global-co2-emissions-come-from-just-57-companies-report-shows-180984118/Many of these companies increased their fossil fuel production after the Paris Agreement was signed in 2016Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:48:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-michigan-hunter-thought-he-killed-a-large-coyote-it-turned-out-to-be-an-endangered-gray-wolf-180984122/Wildlife officials believe the animal was likely the first gray wolf spotted in the southern Lower Peninsula in 100 yearsTue, 09 Apr 2024 18:05:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-story-behind-the-chesapeake-1000-one-of-the-cranes-helping-with-baltimores-key-bridge-clean-up-180984085/The Chesapeake 1000 was used to construct a ship for a top-secret CIA mission in the 1970sTue, 09 Apr 2024 17:42:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mount-etna-puffs-smoke-rings-into-the-sky-180984120/The circular wisps are mostly condensed water vaporTue, 09 Apr 2024 17:19:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/arthur-conan-doyles-handwritten-sherlock-holmes-manuscript-is-for-sale-180984101/The handwritten manuscript he produced is going to auction, where it could become the most expensive item associated with the mystery writer ever soldTue, 09 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-were-the-most-challenged-books-in-america-last-year-180984116/Titles with LGBTQ themes dominated the American Library Association's newly released listMon, 08 Apr 2024 20:57:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-15-photos-show-how-the-2024-total-solar-eclipse-captivated-nation-180984115/From Texas to Maine, millions of Americans looked up and were spellbound by the spectacular phenomenonMon, 08 Apr 2024 20:31:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-viking-trade-guilds-standard-uniform-carved-up-teeth-180984080/A recent study analyzes Scandinavian examples of filed teeth and elongated skulls dating to the Viking AgeMon, 08 Apr 2024 18:54:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-broods-of-cicadas-will-emerge-in-the-us-later-this-spring-180984110/Two specific broods will appear together for the first time since 1803Mon, 08 Apr 2024 18:51:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-endangered-pygmy-slow-lorises-born-at-smithsonians-national-zoo-and-conservation-biology-institute-180984112/The two babies are part of an endangered species whose unbearable cuteness has made them a target for wildlife traffickersMon, 08 Apr 2024 18:40:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-nasas-initial-moon-buggy-concepts-expected-on-the-moon-by-2030-180984108/Three companies are competing to design NASA's lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) for the agency’s Artemis campaignMon, 08 Apr 2024 17:33:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-tiny-italian-island-is-giving-away-goats-to-anyone-who-can-catch-them-180984104/An estimated 600 of the hoofed intruders are wreaking havoc on the two-square-mile island of AlicudiMon, 08 Apr 2024 16:06:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dark-energy-could-be-evolving-over-time-raising-questions-about-the-nature-of-the-cosmos-180984102/The largest 3D map of the universe ever made hints that dark energy might not be a constant, though the findings must be backed up with more dataMon, 08 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oppenheimer-premieres-in-japan-eight-months-after-worldwide-release-180984094/The acclaimed biopic of the Manhattan Project's leader has been met with mixed reviews by Japanese audiencesFri, 05 Apr 2024 20:43:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bad-sleep-can-make-you-feel-years-older-than-you-really-are-study-suggests-180984044/After just two nights of short sleep, a person’s “subjective age,” or how old they feel, can spike by more than four yearsFri, 05 Apr 2024 20:39:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stingray-shaped-rock-may-be-oldest-example-of-animal-art-180984092/While they urge caution, researchers think an artist may have traced a stingray in the sand some 130,000 years agoFri, 05 Apr 2024 18:40:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/77000-young-salmon-were-dumped-into-the-wrong-creek-after-truck-crashed-in-oregon-180984103/The spring Chinook salmon smolts should still be able to find their way to the Pacific Ocean and help boost the threatened population of the fish, officials say, though another 25,000 salmon died in the accidentFri, 05 Apr 2024 18:11:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/3d-sonar-images-of-baltimores-key-bridge-reveal-the-underwater-wreckage-in-detail-180984090/Divers clearing the Patapsco River are grappling with poor visibility and dangerous conditions, so they rely heavily on real-time sonar observationsFri, 05 Apr 2024 17:15:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-the-total-solar-eclipse-from-your-home-with-these-live-streams-online-180984095/Not in the path of totality? See the moon blot out the sun, revealing its magnificent corona, from your computer or phoneFri, 05 Apr 2024 15:50:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-were-so-many-renaissance-portraits-multisided-180984096/A new exhibition at the Met is the first to examine the tradition of covered 15th- and 16th-century portraits, which were designed to be interactive and often portableFri, 05 Apr 2024 13:34:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/six-new-york-inmates-successfully-sue-to-watch-the-total-solar-eclipse-180984081/The state's prison agency settled a lawsuit with the incarcerated men, allowing them to watch the eclipse on religious grounds. But for now, the rest of New York's correctional facilities will remain locked down on April 8Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:42:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-snakes-recognize-themselves-one-species-has-passed-a-modified-mirror-test-based-on-smell-180984088/Eastern garter snakes might recognize their own scents, suggesting the reptiles are more cognitively complex than thought, according to a new studyThu, 04 Apr 2024 20:49:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/george-carlin-ai-imitation-case-reaches-settlement-180984087/The late comedian's estate brought a lawsuit against two podcast hosts who used an A.I. voice generator to deliver a fake stand-up routineThu, 04 Apr 2024 20:35:50 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-trove-of-viking-combs-unearthed-in-england-illustrates-the-raiders-penchant-for-hair-care-180984089/The hair care items are part of a sprawling collection of artifacts found in Ipswich between 1974 and 1994, which are now the subject of a new bookThu, 04 Apr 2024 19:30:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-moon-will-get-its-own-time-zone-called-coordinated-lunar-time-under-nasas-lead-180984076/With dozens of lunar missions on the horizon, a standard time-keeping system for the moon will assist with precise navigation, docking and landingThu, 04 Apr 2024 18:13:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-museum-lets-visitors-talk-to-ai-copies-of-world-war-ii-veterans-180984055/Eighteen Americans who participated in the war effort each answered up to 1,000 questions on camera to create their interactive video likenessesThu, 04 Apr 2024 17:24:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/claude-monets-moulin-de-limetz-painting-is-heading-to-auction-180984074/The 1888 work depicts a grain mill on the River Epte near the artist's home in Giverny, FranceThu, 04 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/falling-object-that-crashed-into-florida-home-may-be-debris-from-the-international-space-station-180984079/Nobody was hurt by the mysterious, two-pound object, but experts speculate it may be a piece of batteries ejected from the station in 2021Wed, 03 Apr 2024 20:58:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-beautiful-bust-of-apollo-exhibits-the-layered-history-of-an-ancient-greek-city-180984070/The marble bust sheds new light on the layered history of a 2,000-year-old Greek cityWed, 03 Apr 2024 20:13:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/listen-live-to-the-total-solar-eclipse-transformed-into-a-real-time-musical-composition-180984083/A composer based at San Francisco’s Exploratorium museum will use data coming from the eclipsed sun to create an out-of-this-world “sonification” on April 8Wed, 03 Apr 2024 19:38:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-than-half-of-us-landfills-may-be-methane-super-emitters-study-finds-180984071/Aerial observations of hundreds of large landfills across 18 states found they are leaking 40 percent more methane than is reported to the EPAWed, 03 Apr 2024 17:13:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-andy-warhol-print-of-mao-zedong-is-missing-from-a-california-college-180984069/The 1972 artwork, which the school had never publicly displayed, is worth an estimated $50,000Wed, 03 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-human-case-of-bird-flu-in-texas-confirmed-following-infections-in-cattle-heres-what-to-know-180984068/This marks only the second time in U.S. history that a human has contracted the H5N1 strain of avian influenzaTue, 02 Apr 2024 21:27:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-unique-basquiat-and-warhol-collaboration-could-sell-for-18-million-180984065/"Untitled," a highlight of the duo's collaboration in the 1980s, could fetch $18 million at auctionTue, 02 Apr 2024 20:40:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/song-lyrics-have-become-angrier-simpler-and-more-repetitive-scientists-find-180984061/An analysis of more than 12,000 rap, pop, country, rock and R&B songs from the past 50 years shows more emotional and straightforward lyricsTue, 02 Apr 2024 20:08:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sailors-remains-identified-more-than-80-years-after-the-attack-on-pearl-harbor-180984066/David Walker was a 19-year-old mess attendant aboard the USS "California" when Japan launched its surprise attackTue, 02 Apr 2024 19:12:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/florida-fish-are-mysteriously-dying-after-spinning-and-whirling-and-scientists-cant-explain-it-180984073/The abnormal behavior has raised special concerns about the endangered smalltooth sawfish, an odd-looking ray with chainsaw-like teeth, as 28 of them have diedTue, 02 Apr 2024 18:23:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/137-year-old-shipwreck-found-in-lake-michigan-180984058/The steamship "Milwaukee" sank in a heavy fog off the coast of Holland, Michigan, after colliding with another vesselTue, 02 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-handheld-device-allows-blind-people-to-experience-the-solar-eclipse-with-their-ears-180984062/The technology, which translates the intensity of sunlight into a range of sounds, was designed to make eclipses more accessible to visually impaired peopleMon, 01 Apr 2024 20:11:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-remarkable-roman-villa-in-britain-boasts-magnitude-decor-and-mysterious-miniature-objects-180984063/Discovered at a housing development in England, the complex's buildings may be nearly 2,000 years oldMon, 01 Apr 2024 19:54:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-unearth-an-ancient-roman-construction-site-at-pompeii-180984045/The discovery is cluing researchers into the techniques used to build Rome’s most remarkable structuresMon, 01 Apr 2024 19:16:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/black-capped-chickadees-are-masters-of-memory-and-scientists-are-finding-out-why-180984064/The small birds use brain “barcodes” to remember where they stash food, according to new researchMon, 01 Apr 2024 18:14:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-castle-was-hidden-beneath-a-french-hotel-180984054/Excavations revealed a moat, pipes, jewelry, coins and other artifacts amidst the structure's ruinsMon, 01 Apr 2024 15:48:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/controversial-titanic-door-sells-at-auction-180984050/The infamous prop has long been the source of heated debate: Did Jack really have to die?Fri, 29 Mar 2024 20:28:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/microplastics-are-contaminating-ancient-archaeological-sites-180984049/New research suggests plastic particles may pose a threat to the preservation of historic remainsFri, 29 Mar 2024 19:47:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-eyewitness-sketch-of-american-revolutionaries-was-hidden-in-a-private-collection-180984047/The drawing, which the owner recently donated to a museum, depicts the North Carolina Brigade passing through Philadelphia in 1777Fri, 29 Mar 2024 19:01:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-should-be-two-new-species-of-killer-whale-new-study-says-180984056/A couple of eastern North Pacific populations of orcas have qualities that set them apart, according to researchersFri, 29 Mar 2024 18:38:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-face-of-emperor-wu-a-sixth-century-chinese-ruler-brought-to-life-with-dna-analysis-180984053/Genetic analysis of DNA from his skeleton offers not only a first glimpse at his face, but also insight into his mysterious deathFri, 29 Mar 2024 16:38:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-pet-parrots-learn-to-play-tablet-games-with-their-tongues-180984048/Scientists are studying how the intelligent, social birds interact with touchscreens to help design mobile apps that serve as enrichment for the birdsFri, 29 Mar 2024 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/melting-polar-ice-sheets-are-slowing-earths-rotation-that-could-change-how-we-keep-time-180984046/As ice melts into water and flows toward the equator, it redistributes mass around the Earth, affecting the planet's spin, a new study findsFri, 29 Mar 2024 12:49:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-ancient-ice-skate-made-of-animal-bone-has-been-found-in-the-czech-republic-180984037/The artifact dates to a time when skates were used primarily for practical purposesThu, 28 Mar 2024 20:36:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cargo-ships-keep-getting-bigger-and-infrastructure-is-racing-to-keep-up-180984043/A massive container ship hit Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge this week, calling attention to the demands that ever-growing shipping vessels are placing on ports, canals and bridgesThu, 28 Mar 2024 20:30:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/amateur-treasure-hunter-unearths-englands-largest-gold-nugget-with-broken-metal-detector-180984041/Richard Brock stumbled upon the treasure, valued at more than $38,000, about 20 minutes after starting his searchThu, 28 Mar 2024 18:14:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/banksys-new-tree-mural-in-london-has-been-covered-in-plastic-and-wooden-boards-180984038/The coverings were added to protect the art, but critics worry they detract from the artist's intentionsThu, 28 Mar 2024 15:06:50 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/intermittent-fasting-linked-to-higher-risk-of-death-from-heart-disease-preliminary-study-finds-180983993/New research challenges the idea that restricting eating to a limited time frame is beneficial—though the work has some notable limitations, such as a reliance on self-reported eating habitsThu, 28 Mar 2024 14:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-ai-make-beer-taste-better-scientists-test-a-model-that-recommends-new-flavors-180984040/Researchers spent three years developing a machine learning model that can predict how good beer will taste based on its chemical composition—and make suggestions for how to improve itThu, 28 Mar 2024 12:17:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-museum-needs-your-help-identifying-the-subject-of-a-19th-century-painting-180984031/Nobody knows the name of the child in "The Black Boy," but a museum in Liverpool is hoping someone will recognize himWed, 27 Mar 2024 20:35:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-capture-dazzling-new-image-of-the-black-hole-at-the-milky-ways-center-180984039/The first image of the black hole taken in polarized light, the new view shows the supermassive structure's magnetic fields and hints that it could be hiding an enormous jetWed, 27 Mar 2024 20:14:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bird-flu-confirmed-in-us-dairy-cows-for-the-first-time-but-milk-supply-is-unaffected-officials-say-180984034/Tests detected the virus at two farms in Texas and two farms in Kansas, but officials and scientists stress commercial dairy products remain safe to consumeWed, 27 Mar 2024 18:30:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-familys-centuries-old-aztec-manuscripts-are-shared-publicly-for-the-first-time-180984029/The 16th- and 17th-century artifacts provide historical accounts of events such as the founding of TenochtitlánWed, 27 Mar 2024 17:32:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-scientists-are-calling-for-the-moon-to-be-better-protected-from-development-180984026/Only a few lunar sites are ideal for certain cutting-edge research—and they’re under threat from mining, satellites and bases, scientists argueWed, 27 Mar 2024 15:55:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-the-marooned-crew-of-this-sunken-warship-escaped-the-florida-keys-in-improvised-boats-180984028/Found off the coast of Florida, the HMS "Tyger" left some 300 crew members stranded on Garden Key in 1742Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-small-birds-flutter-their-wings-to-say-after-you-to-their-partner-180984027/A new study of Japanese tits provides the first evidence of non-primate animals using gestures to convey messagesTue, 26 Mar 2024 20:35:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/planning-a-road-trip-for-the-total-solar-eclipse-heres-why-you-should-drive-extra-carefully-180984030/Scientists found a 31 percent increase in fatal car crashes around the 2017 total solar eclipse, akin to spikes in traffic risk on busy holiday weekendsTue, 26 Mar 2024 19:43:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/waiters-and-waitresses-raced-through-the-streets-of-paris-180984025/About 200 servers competed in the 1.2-mile race—a tradition that goes back to 1914Tue, 26 Mar 2024 19:26:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-broken-seal-of-a-popes-14th-century-proclamation-has-been-found-in-poland-180984022/The metal fragment was once part of a papal bull, an official communication distributed by the Catholic ChurchTue, 26 Mar 2024 17:04:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bomb-threat-targets-the-mona-lisa-and-other-masterpieces-at-the-louvre-180984021/The message came in through the museum's online contact form on March 17Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-museums-unveil-audio-guides-celebrating-lesser-known-women-artists-180984017/The project—titled Museums Without Men—debuted in the U.S. and the U.K. during Women's History MonthMon, 25 Mar 2024 21:03:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stone-age-people-survived-a-supervolcano-eruption-by-adapting-to-dry-periods-archaeologists-suggest-180984024/Humans living in northwest Ethiopia around 74,000 years ago switched to eating more fish following the eruption, a behavior that might have enabled migration out of AfricaMon, 25 Mar 2024 20:40:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-buried-propeller-blade-broke-off-a-wwii-plane-that-crashed-on-a-scottish-isle-180984018/The object likely broke off a doomed plane during a crash on the isle of ArranMon, 25 Mar 2024 19:23:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dogs-can-understand-the-words-for-several-objects-such-as-toys-and-leashes-study-finds-180984023/Your dog may know the word "ball" is associated with their favorite round squishy toy, according to new research that measured brain wavesMon, 25 Mar 2024 19:16:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mathematician-who-made-sense-of-the-universes-randomness-wins-maths-top-prize-180984020/Michel Talagrand took home the 2024 Abel Prize for his work on stochastic systems, randomness and a proof of a physics reaction that many experts thought was unsolvableMon, 25 Mar 2024 18:07:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-faces-of-four-scots-across-thousands-of-years-of-history-brought-to-life-using-ai-180984019/The Perth Museum in Scotland is unveiling digital reconstructions of men and women who lived in the region from the Bronze Age through the 16th centuryMon, 25 Mar 2024 17:16:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/titans-massive-dunes-may-be-a-comet-and-moon-graveyard-from-the-early-solar-system-180983973/A new modeling study suggests the dark dunes on Saturn's largest moon are made of tiny particles created by crashing comets and moonlets billions of years agoMon, 25 Mar 2024 16:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-human-receives-pig-kidney-transplant-180984016/The experimental procedure was done on a man experiencing end-stage kidney failure last week who had been on the transplant waiting list for two yearsMon, 25 Mar 2024 11:03:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/metal-detectorist-discovers-a-post-medieval-silver-thimble-engraved-with-a-love-poem-180984005/The artifact, which features the words "like enduringly, love forever," had been declared a treasure by officials in WalesFri, 22 Mar 2024 20:29:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-are-the-most-polluted-national-parks-180984009/Five California sites made the top ten list for unhealthiest air, according to a new reportFri, 22 Mar 2024 19:04:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/20-years-after-they-were-stolen-dorothys-slippers-have-returned-to-the-scene-of-the-crime-will-they-stay-there-180984004/Federal investigators have handed over the shoes to their rightful owner, who plans to sell them at auction later this yearFri, 22 Mar 2024 17:50:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-extremely-rare-neurological-condition-makes-faces-appear-distorted-or-like-a-demon-180984015/For the first time, scientists have recreated what one patient suffering from prosopometamorphopsia, or PMO, sees when he looks at facesFri, 22 Mar 2024 17:27:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-canoes-discovered-northwest-of-rome-are-oldest-boats-ever-found-in-the-mediterranean-180984014/The 7,000-year-old vessels offer evidence of advanced seafaring technology and an extensive regional trade network, a new study suggestsFri, 22 Mar 2024 17:03:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/158-cherry-blossom-trees-will-be-cut-down-in-dc-in-effort-to-withstand-sea-level-rise-180983999/The National Park Service's restoration project will reconstruct a protective seawall and plant 274 new cherry blossoms when work is completeFri, 22 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-medieval-pilgrim-may-have-carried-this-basilisk-pendant-for-protection-180983994/Found in Poland, the "pilgrim's badge" was likely worn by a Christian traveler hundreds of years agoThu, 21 Mar 2024 20:43:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-shocking-animal-hybrids-that-truly-exist-in-nature-from-narlugas-to-grolar-bears-to-coywolves-180983996/The now-famous “virgin” stingray Charlotte is not having hybrid babies, scientists say. But in nature, distinct species sometimes interbreed to produce surprising offspringThu, 21 Mar 2024 20:33:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/incredibly-well-preserved-bronze-age-village-reveals-a-snapshot-of-early-british-life-before-a-fire-180984006/Residents fled when flames burned through the Must Farm settlement, and now, archaeologists have unearthed its buildings and objects that were preserved in a riverbedThu, 21 Mar 2024 20:02:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oregon-is-now-home-to-the-worlds-largest-dark-sky-sanctuary-180983997/The Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary covers 2.5 million acres in the southeastern part of the stateThu, 21 Mar 2024 18:15:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-extinct-species-of-giant-dolphin-discovered-in-peru-from-a-16-million-year-old-skull-180984007/Pebanista yacuruna is the largest freshwater dolphin ever found, but it is more closely related to today's river dolphins of South Asia than those in the AmazonThu, 21 Mar 2024 18:04:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/looted-artifacts-return-to-japan-almost-80-years-after-being-stolen-in-world-war-ii-180983991/The FBI has returned the rare objects to Okinawa, where they were looted during World War IIWed, 20 Mar 2024 20:45:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alaskas-frigid-north-slope-was-once-a-lush-wet-dinosaur-hotspot-fossils-reveal-180983990/Conditions north of the Arctic Circle, where dinosaurs roamed in abundance during the mid-Cretaceous, were warmer than today, with rainfall comparable to “modern-day Miami”Wed, 20 Mar 2024 20:42:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/manhattan-project-report-signed-by-j-robert-oppenheimer-sells-at-auction-180983971/The document was "likely the very first publicly available report on the creation of the bomb," according to RR AuctionWed, 20 Mar 2024 19:38:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-keep-finding-preserved-human-brains-but-how-do-the-organs-remain-intact-180983995/Scientists have unearthed more than 4,400 human brains—some more than 12,000 years old—making them less rare than thought, a new study findsWed, 20 Mar 2024 18:51:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-2000-year-old-rock-art-in-brazil-180983968/Recurring symbols across 16 sites suggest that many of the artworks were created by the same cultural groupWed, 20 Mar 2024 18:22:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/plastics-contain-thousands-more-chemicals-than-thought-and-most-are-unregulated-report-finds-180983967/A new database catalogs 16,000 chemicals found in plastics and identifies more than 4,200 that are potentially hazardous to human health and the environmentTue, 19 Mar 2024 20:58:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ten-shipwrecks-found-off-coast-greek-island-180983988/The sunken vessels range in age from 3,000 B.C.E to the 1940sTue, 19 Mar 2024 19:34:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-1200-year-old-tomb-in-panama-contains-a-treasure-trove-of-artifacts-and-up-to-32-bodies-180983977/Researchers found flutes, bells, gold jewelry and the body of an important religious leader inside the elaborate shared graveTue, 19 Mar 2024 18:52:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/daddy-longlegs-have-four-extra-hidden-eyes-researchers-say-180983978/The new discovery could help scientists unravel the mystery of how the arachnids evolved across some 537 million yearsTue, 19 Mar 2024 18:49:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-portrait-that-made-henry-viii-fall-in-love-with-anne-of-cleves-newly-restored-to-its-former-glory-180983987/The Louvre cleaned and conserved Hans Holbein's 1539 likeness of the Tudor queen, revealing its vibrant colors and previously hidden detailsTue, 19 Mar 2024 18:25:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/most-astronauts-experience-space-headaches-while-on-the-iss-study-finds-180983976/Surveys of 24 astronauts who traveled to the International Space Station found that nearly all of them reported headaches, and many of these occurred past the first week in spaceTue, 19 Mar 2024 17:16:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-banksy-mural-appears-on-building-in-london-180983969/Located on a wall behind a bare tree, the work features towering streaks of green meant to look like foliageTue, 19 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/iceland-volcano-spews-lava-in-fourth-and-most-powerful-eruption-in-three-months-180983966/Officials detected signs of an eruption only 40 minutes before fountains of lava burst from the groundMon, 18 Mar 2024 20:15:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vincent-van-gogh-self-portrait-at-center-of-new-exhibition-on-the-art-of-the-selfie-180983962/The National Museum Cardiff is encouraging visitors to snap photos with the 1887 artwork, which is on view in Wales for the first timeMon, 18 Mar 2024 19:34:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/python-meat-could-be-a-sustainable-nutritious-food-source-scientists-say-180983970/The snakes may be some of the most resource-efficient animals to farm on the planet, a new study suggestsMon, 18 Mar 2024 18:16:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/english-thieves-may-have-made-off-with-this-roman-statueif-it-wasnt-so-heavy-180983961/Found near a lavish historic estate, the nearly 2,000-year-old artifact has baffled researchersMon, 18 Mar 2024 16:57:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-fascinating-science-projects-using-the-total-solar-eclipse-to-illuminate-new-discoveries-180983925/The NASA-supported experiments are mobilizing legions of researchers and volunteers to capture wide-ranging observations during totality, from amateur radio operations to elusive solar plumes to unusual animal behaviorMon, 18 Mar 2024 14:40:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/book-banning-attempts-are-at-record-highs-180983964/A new report from the American Library Association found that the number of challenged titles increased by 65 percent in 2023Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-now-extinct-sea-specimens-from-an-18th-century-collectors-lost-trove-have-been-rediscovered-180983947/Long presumed lost, the collection of rare shells is now on display in EnglandFri, 15 Mar 2024 19:22:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/starship-reaches-orbit-in-third-test-flight-a-success-for-spacex-and-the-future-of-lunar-travel-180983959/As it returned to Earth, the spacecraft likely broke apart or burned up, and the booster was lost in the Gulf of MexicoFri, 15 Mar 2024 18:24:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/decades-after-picasso-campaigned-to-destroy-his-exs-career-his-museum-in-paris-will-showcase-her-art-180983945/At the Picasso Museum, the talented painter's artistic legacy is finally getting the recognition it deservesFri, 15 Mar 2024 17:37:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-has-an-unexpected-influence-on-earths-oceans-and-climate-repeating-every-24-million-years-study-finds-180983952/The gravitational interactions between Mars and Earth as they orbit the sun may have periodically promoted a warmer climate and changes in ocean circulation on our home planetFri, 15 Mar 2024 16:43:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whales-that-go-through-menopause-live-longer-and-may-help-care-for-grandchildren-180983954/Alongside humans, five species of toothed whales are known to experience menopause. A new study suggests they evolved the trait to increase their lifespanThu, 14 Mar 2024 20:42:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-tapestry-commissioned-celebrate-paris-summer-olympics-180983957/Designed by artist Marjane Satrapi, the enormous triptych depicts athletes competing around the Eiffel TowerThu, 14 Mar 2024 19:20:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-most-mammal-species-males-actually-arent-larger-than-females-study-finds-180983946/New research upends a long-held theory that male mammals tend to be bigger than their female counterpartsThu, 14 Mar 2024 19:05:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-overlooked-this-11th-century-astronomical-device-documents-scientific-exchange-among-muslims-jews-christians-180983955/The astrolabe features Hebrew and Latin inscriptions added by different owners over timeThu, 14 Mar 2024 18:23:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-see-a-rare-bright-comet-this-month-will-it-be-visible-during-the-solar-eclipse-180983951/Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is a frigid, volcanic ice ball that won’t pass near Earth again until 2095Thu, 14 Mar 2024 17:55:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/who-will-design-londons-first-permanent-hivaids-memorial-180983950/Five artists have been shortlisted for the project, which will be located near the site of the U.K.'s first dedicated AIDS wardThu, 14 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-messages-nasa-will-send-to-space-on-its-upcoming-mission-to-europa-180983949/A metal plate affixed to the Europa Clipper is engraved with a poem, tributes to scientists and waveforms representing the word "water" in 103 languages, among other drawingsThu, 14 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spanish-police-take-down-an-alleged-crime-ring-selling-fake-banksys-180983930/The suspects allegedly recreated the famous street artist's work using spray paint and cardboard to rake in over $10,000Wed, 13 Mar 2024 20:46:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/gabriel-garcia-marquezs-sons-betray-the-author-by-publishing-a-draft-of-his-last-novel-180983927/The famed novelist had instructed his family never to publish drafts of "Until August," written as he struggled with dementia during his final yearsWed, 13 Mar 2024 18:45:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/modern-indian-people-have-a-wide-range-of-neanderthal-dna-study-finds-180983928/Genomes of Indian people today reveal links to a prehistoric migration and a group of Iranian farmers, as well as several new sequences from the Neanderthal genomeWed, 13 Mar 2024 18:44:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/us-has-no-evidence-of-alien-technology-new-pentagon-report-finds-180983938/A review of government investigations into unidentified anomalous phenomena since 1945 found that "most sightings were ordinary objects and phenomena and the result of misidentification"Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:14:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-long-lost-top-half-enormous-ramses-II-statue-180983937/A German researcher found the lower section of the Egyptian pharaoh's likeness nearly 100 years agoWed, 13 Mar 2024 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1000-year-old-viking-sword-emerges-from-english-river-180983936/Discovered by a magnet fisher, the weapon dates to between 850 and 975, during the Vikings' violent conquest of BritainWed, 13 Mar 2024 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dont-look-up-cicadas-produce-high-speed-jets-of-urine-180983935/The noisy, winged insects produce pee the same way that much larger animals do, according to a new studyTue, 12 Mar 2024 20:29:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/strange-new-prehistoric-bird-discovered-in-china-and-named-for-david-attenborough-180983934/The proto-bird lived some 120 million years ago and did not have teeth—a trait more similar to birds of today than to birds of its time—sharpening scientists' understanding of avian evolutionTue, 12 Mar 2024 19:20:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-a-1-cent-postage-stamp-could-sell-for-5-million-180983940/If predictions are accurate, the sale would be the highest ever for an American postage markTue, 12 Mar 2024 19:20:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-could-run-penguin-post-office-antarctica-180983939/Three new hires will spend five months living among gentoo penguins and sorting postcards at the world's southernmost post officeTue, 12 Mar 2024 18:49:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pro-palestinian-activists-damage-arthur-james-balfour-portrait-180983932/The 1917 Balfour Declaration was a pivotal declaration of British support for a "national home for the Jewish people"Tue, 12 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/asian-elephants-bury-their-dead-new-research-suggests-180983929/In India, five dead calves were found buried on their backs in irrigation ditches, with evidence that multiple herd members had participated in the burialsMon, 11 Mar 2024 20:40:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/gershwins-first-ever-musical-is-rediscovered-after-almost-100-years-180983920/A researcher found a box containing 800 pages from the composer's first musical, "La, La, Lucille"Mon, 11 Mar 2024 20:23:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1000-year-old-residues-suggest-ancient-mayans-consumed-liquid-nicotine-180983921/New research reveals evidence of nicotine residue on vases unearthed in GuatemalaMon, 11 Mar 2024 18:55:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-history-of-total-solar-eclipses-seen-by-astronauts-from-outer-space-180983909/Since the Gemini 12 mission in 1966, a handful of people have seen these stunning celestial events from orbit—or watched the moon’s shadow pass over EarthMon, 11 Mar 2024 18:40:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/with-new-holocaust-museum-the-netherlands-reckons-with-its-past-180983924/The venue, which opens this week, memorializes the Dutch Jews who suffered at the hands of the NazisMon, 11 Mar 2024 16:57:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-grow-elephant-stem-cells-in-key-step-toward-woolly-mammoth-de-extinction-180983922/The team's lofty goal of "resurrection" is still far from reality, but scientists say the advancement in understanding cells could help with elephant conservationFri, 08 Mar 2024 22:00:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dug-up-in-a-polish-forest-this-4000-year-old-dagger-belonged-to-an-elite-warrior-180983912/A metal detectorist came across the copper artifact while searching for objects from World War I and World War IIFri, 08 Mar 2024 21:57:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fossil-hunter-discovers-gigantic-crab-in-new-zealand-a-new-extinct-species-180983923/The massive creature is 8.8 million years old, and its modern descendants in Australia can grow to be the weight of a human toddlerFri, 08 Mar 2024 20:53:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-spend-the-night-inside-st-pauls-cathedral-in-london-180983916/Airbnb is offering two guests the chance to sleep amongst 22,000 books in an area normally off-limits to visitorsFri, 08 Mar 2024 19:16:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hundreds-of-thousands-of-salmon-die-after-release-in-northern-californias-klamath-river-180983914/The juvenile Chinook salmon likely died from pressure changes as they swam through an old tunnel in the Iron Gate Dam, slated to be removed this year as part of a massive demolition projectFri, 08 Mar 2024 17:26:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-gold-lego-piece-found-at-goodwill-sells-for-18101-180983913/Lego created just 30 of the 14-karat gold Kanohi Hau masks for a giveaway in 2001Fri, 08 Mar 2024 15:39:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/colin-firths-iconic-wet-mr-darcy-shirt-sells-for-25000-at-auction-180983902/Actor Colin Firth’s costume from the BBC's “Pride in Prejudice” doubled auction house estimatesThu, 07 Mar 2024 22:25:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stone-tools-found-in-ukraine-may-be-the-oldest-evidence-of-early-humans-in-europe-180983915/The 1.4-million-year-old rocks may have belonged to Homo erectus, and they shed light on migrations of human ancestors, a new study suggestsThu, 07 Mar 2024 21:30:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-gray-whale-believed-extinct-in-the-atlantic-for-200-years-has-been-spotted-off-new-england-180983911/Scientists say a lack of Arctic sea ice due to climate change could have created a passageway for the mammal to travel from the Pacific OceanThu, 07 Mar 2024 19:25:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-some-french-cheeses-are-at-risk-of-disappearing-180983907/A lack of microbial diversity could eventually spell the end of cheeses like CamembertThu, 07 Mar 2024 19:01:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/paris-prepares-for-2024s-summer-games-with-olympics-exhibition-at-the-louvre-180983906/"Olympism" explores the history of the ancient Olympics and France’s influence on the modern gamesThu, 07 Mar 2024 15:16:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-reject-proposal-to-define-anthropocene-180983905/Experts had suggested a new epoch started in the mid-20th century, but the recent vote demonstrates how tough it is to pinpoint when humans' impact on the planet beganWed, 06 Mar 2024 21:40:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/very-rare-yellow-billed-loon-visits-the-las-vegas-strip-hangs-out-in-the-bellagio-fountains-180983904/The out-of-place bird prompted the hotel to put its famed fountain show on hold before biologists captured and moved the bird—one of the country's ten rarest—to better habitatWed, 06 Mar 2024 20:22:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/banksy-mural-salvaged-from-london-office-building-heads-to-auction-180983900/Conservators have been working for a year to restore "Happy Choppers," which is going to auction on March 20Wed, 06 Mar 2024 20:07:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/climate-change-may-unearth-cold-war-era-nuclear-waste-stored-by-the-us-in-other-countries-180983901/A new report finds that melting ice and rising sea levels could disturb radioactive contamination left over from American nuclear tests after World War IIWed, 06 Mar 2024 19:30:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/auctioneer-withdraws-looted-maqdala-shield-after-ethiopian-government-calls-for-restitution-180983895/Heritage officials have called for the return of the artifact, which British forces seized in 1868Wed, 06 Mar 2024 17:47:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/original-watercolor-from-the-jungle-book-to-be-showcased-at-authors-home-in-england-180983896/"The Return of the Buffalo Herd" is one of only four surviving illustrations from the bookTue, 05 Mar 2024 21:57:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-unravel-the-mysteries-of-earths-towering-star-dunes-massive-moving-mountains-of-sand-180983898/Using new technologies, researchers revealed an enormous star dune in Morocco formed more quickly than thought, and it's on the moveTue, 05 Mar 2024 21:22:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-a-colorful-fresco-depicting-mythical-greek-siblings-in-pompeii-180983888/The vibrant painting portrays siblings Phrixus and Helle as they flee from their stepmotherTue, 05 Mar 2024 21:01:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jupiters-moon-europa-may-have-less-oxygen-than-previously-thought-180983897/The new findings could have implications for whether Europa's vast ocean contains the conditions necessary to support lifeTue, 05 Mar 2024 19:08:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-when-washington-dcs-cherry-trees-are-predicted-to-bloom-this-year-180983892/"Peak bloom," which typically falls in late March or early April, refers to the day when at least 70 percent of the trees have blossomedTue, 05 Mar 2024 18:42:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-found-traces-viking-marketplace-norway-180983886/Ground-penetrating radar found evidence of a trading hub buried near the island of Klosterøy's historic monasteryMon, 04 Mar 2024 22:10:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-do-poison-dart-frogs-tap-dance-with-their-toes-research-sheds-light-on-feeding-time-footwork-180983822/Scientists observed frogs tapping their toes up to 500 times per minute when prey was present, suggesting the behavior is related to predationMon, 04 Mar 2024 21:52:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-is-what-ancient-roman-wine-tasted-like-180983869/New research shows that clay vessels known as dolia were essential to the drink's distinctive taste, flavor and textureMon, 04 Mar 2024 20:41:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-photos-are-the-first-to-show-humpback-whales-mating-and-both-are-males-180983890/Photographers spotted the interaction in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Maui in 2022Mon, 04 Mar 2024 20:30:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-wasabi-is-helping-preserve-ancient-egyptian-papyrus-180983881/Researchers say the green horseradish-like paste can fight fungal infections without damaging fragile pigmentsMon, 04 Mar 2024 19:26:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/single-orca-spotted-killing-a-great-white-shark-for-the-first-time-ever-180983887/In less than two minutes, the marine mammal attacked a juvenile white shark and ripped out its liver in an encounter off the coast of South Africa last yearMon, 04 Mar 2024 18:59:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/algeria-officially-inaugurates-the-largest-mosque-in-africa-180983880/Spanning nearly 70 acres, the $898 million project faced years of delays amid political controversyFri, 01 Mar 2024 22:10:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deadly-snake-venom-is-no-match-for-this-new-synthetic-antibody-180983873/Scientists have created a treatment that targets a toxin produced by cobras, mambas and kraits, laying the foundation for a future universal antivenom against snake bites, according to new researchFri, 01 Mar 2024 21:55:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-largest-wildfire-in-texas-history-is-raging-heres-what-you-need-to-know-180983879/More than one million acres of land have been engulfed in the Smokehouse Creek Fire, placing it among the largest blazes to ever strike the U.S.Fri, 01 Mar 2024 20:41:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-towering-statue-of-atlas-emerges-from-the-ruins-of-sicily-ancient-temple-of-zeus-180983876/In the fifth century B.C.E., 38 looming sculptures of the Titan stood guard at the structureFri, 01 Mar 2024 19:04:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-leak-on-the-international-space-station-is-growing-but-it-poses-no-threat-to-crews-nasa-says-180983882/The leak, which is at the end of a Russian service module, will not affect the upcoming launch of Crew-8 to the stationFri, 01 Mar 2024 18:53:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-colonists-trash-this-piece-of-armor-after-settling-in-maryland-300-years-ago-180983878/The metal plate was unearthed in the cellar of a storehouse dating to the mid-1600sFri, 01 Mar 2024 18:14:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/boiling-tap-water-could-help-remove-80-percent-of-its-microplastics-study-suggests-180983874/Minerals in some tap water can capture tiny plastic particles when the water is boiled, making them easier to filter away, according to a new studyFri, 01 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/10000-people-were-evacuated-because-of-an-unexploded-wwii-bomb-180983871/Residents found the German explosive in a backyard garden in Plymouth, EnglandThu, 29 Feb 2024 21:32:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/odysseus-moon-lander-is-powering-down-after-very-successful-mission-180983877/The history-making spacecraft landed on its side, but it spent nearly a week sending data and images back from the moon—and engineers may try to make contact again after the lunar night is overThu, 29 Feb 2024 20:07:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/decimal-point-may-be-150-years-older-than-we-thought-180983863/A Venetian merchant used the mathematical symbol while calculating the positions of planets between 1441 and 1450Thu, 29 Feb 2024 19:17:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/eagles-don-henley-testifies-that-very-personal-hotel-california-lyric-pages-were-stolen-180983866/The musician learned about the alleged theft when the drafts started appearing at auctions in 2012Thu, 29 Feb 2024 18:12:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-serpentine-explosion-125-million-years-ago-primed-snakes-for-rapid-diverse-evolution-180983857/Researchers say an evolutionary "singularity" led to several small, quick changes in snake species, from legless bodies and flexible skulls to chemical-sensing abilitiesThu, 29 Feb 2024 16:20:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/7000-humpback-whales-may-have-starved-to-death-during-the-blob-heatwave-180983870/The unprecedented marine heat between 2013 and 2016 in the North Pacific likely drove the whales' 20 percent decline, a trend revealed by citizen science observationsThu, 29 Feb 2024 13:10:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/star-wars-fans-can-bid-on-an-c-3pos-head-180983860/Actor Anthony Daniels wore the golden helmet while playing the iconic droid in 'Return of the Jedi'Wed, 28 Feb 2024 21:48:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-smallest-vertebrate-is-a-tiny-brazilian-frog-study-finds-180983867/Adult male Brazilian flea toads are just over 7 millimeters long on average, and females measure about 8.15 millimetersWed, 28 Feb 2024 20:54:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-pot-found-in-germany-has-5000-year-old-leftovers-inside-180983840/The leftovers shed new light on the dietary habits of residents of a village in GermanyWed, 28 Feb 2024 18:46:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-this-years-dance-your-phd-contest-winner-a-musical-celebration-of-kangaroo-behavior-180983865/“Kangaroo Time” took home the competition’s overall prize, while interpretive dances on early life adversity, circadian rhythms and streambank erosion were also honoredWed, 28 Feb 2024 18:26:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/36-famous-authors-pandemic-novel-margaret-atwood-douglas-preston-180983858/Margaret Atwood, R.L. Stine and John Grisham are among the writers who collaborated on "Fourteen Days," which follows a group of New Yorkers who gather on a Manhattan rooftop to swap stories beginning in March 2020Wed, 28 Feb 2024 15:52:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/asteroid-hit-by-nasa-spacecraft-was-reshaped-by-the-collision-study-finds-180983861/Instead of forming a crater, the agency's intentional DART crash redistributed massive amounts of the asteroid and shot large quantities of rock into spaceWed, 28 Feb 2024 13:18:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-uncover-an-incredibly-rare-roman-era-clay-head-of-the-god-mercury-180983849/The excavations led to the discovery of a previously unknown ancient Roman settlement in EnglandTue, 27 Feb 2024 21:32:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-tiny-fish-can-make-sounds-that-rival-an-airplane-or-an-elephant-now-scientists-know-how-180983859/Transparent and just half an inch long, male Danionella cerebrum can make noises of more than 140 decibelsTue, 27 Feb 2024 21:07:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dna-reveals-presence-of-down-syndrome-in-ancient-society-180983835/The burials of infants with Down syndrome in Europe provide insight into how babies with genetic conditions were cared for in premodern times, according to a new studyTue, 27 Feb 2024 20:22:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/most-and-least-popular-national-parks-2023-180983850/The National Park Service recorded 325,498,646 recreation visits across 400 sites, which is close to pre-pandemic levelsTue, 27 Feb 2024 20:02:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-cezanne-mural-was-hidden-in-the-walls-of-the-artists-southern-france-home-180983831/Workers found fragments of a naval scene while renovating the mansion in the south of FranceTue, 27 Feb 2024 16:17:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/gene-edited-pork-could-be-coming-soon-to-your-dinner-plate-180983846/Scientists are using CRISPR technology to make pigs immune to a deadly virus—and they're hoping for FDA approval by early next yearTue, 27 Feb 2024 15:31:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-how-some-whales-can-sing-while-holding-their-breath-underwater-180983836/Baleen whales have evolved unique voice boxes essential for song, a new study finds—but these low-frequency vocalizations must compete with the noise of humans' shipsTue, 27 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/metal-detectorist-discovers-a-rare-1500-year-old-gold-ring-in-denmark-180983830/The distinctly decorated artifact may be linked to a powerful family in the area with ties to the MerovingiansMon, 26 Feb 2024 21:11:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/joro-spiders-spreading-in-the-southeast-can-survive-surprisingly-well-in-cities-180983845/Unlike most spiders, the hustle and bustle of urban areas doesn’t seem to disturb the non-native Joros, a new study findsMon, 26 Feb 2024 20:30:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-london-art-gallery-is-showing-never-before-seen-photos-of-the-rolling-stones-180983825/The previously unseen images of the band are going on display in a new exhibition, "Elegantly Wasted"Mon, 26 Feb 2024 20:07:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/flaco-the-famous-owl-that-escaped-the-central-park-zoo-dies-after-hitting-a-building-180983847/The Eurasian eagle-owl had been living free in New York City after someone cut the wires on his zoo cage last yearMon, 26 Feb 2024 18:27:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/japanese-american-incarceration-camp-in-colorado-is-americas-newest-national-park-180983843/More than 10,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned at the Granada Relocation Center, also known as Amache, during World War IIMon, 26 Feb 2024 16:42:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neanderthals-made-a-special-glue-to-engineer-grips-for-stone-tools-study-suggests-180983838/An analysis of forgotten museum artifacts reveals the oldest evidence of a complex adhesive in EuropeMon, 26 Feb 2024 15:55:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fire-destroys-museum-honoring-legendary-blues-musician-mississippi-john-hurt-180983839/The three-room shack in the town of Avalon, Mississippi, was once the singer and guitarist's homeFri, 23 Feb 2024 21:45:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-american-spacecraft-successfully-lands-on-the-moon-for-the-first-time-since-1972-180983841/After a tense touchdown process with last-minute changes, U.S.-based company Intuitive Machines received a signal from its uncrewed Odysseus lunar lander on Thursday eveningFri, 23 Feb 2024 20:32:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/abraham-lincoln-pardoned-joe-bidens-great-great-grandfather-documents-reveal-180983837/Historian David J. Gerleman discovered the link between the two presidents while reviewing historic documents at the National ArchivesFri, 23 Feb 2024 19:44:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-giant-pandas-are-coming-to-the-us-in-a-new-loan-from-china-180983842/China plans to send a male and a female panda to the San Diego Zoo as early as this summer, and negotiations are underway for pandas' possible return to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.Fri, 23 Feb 2024 19:13:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-15-otherworldly-images-from-the-underwater-photographer-of-the-year-awards-180983832/A hunting monkey, 'kissing' scorpionfish and playful dolphins feature in just a few of the 130 striking photographs distinguished with honors in the competitionFri, 23 Feb 2024 17:25:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/divers-recover-bell-from-underwater-wreck-of-wwi-american-destroyer-180983827/Sixty-four American sailors died when a German torpedo hit the USS "Jacob Jones" on December 6, 1917Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/graves-of-this-roman-family-held-a-valuable-medallion-and-vials-for-collecting-mourners-tears-180983826/Archaeologists in Bulgaria unearthed the remains of three individuals interred with rare treasures dating to the third centuryThu, 22 Feb 2024 21:09:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smithsonian-human-remains-task-force-calls-for-new-repatriation-policies-180983829/The report provides recommendations regarding the return of human remains in the Institution’s collectionsThu, 22 Feb 2024 19:50:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/38000-sandhill-cranes-flock-to-nebraska-in-a-record-breaking-start-to-spring-migration-180983833/Wildlife biologists counted the birds—likely lured by the region’s mild winter temperatures—during their first aerial survey of the seasonThu, 22 Feb 2024 19:30:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-digital-archive-is-documenting-important-works-of-street-art-in-the-uk-180983816/Art U.K. is aiming to digitize and compile images of an ephemeral form of artThu, 22 Feb 2024 17:46:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/adhd-traits-might-have-helped-hunter-gatherers-collect-more-food-while-foraging-study-suggests-180983824/Participants who self-reported ADHD behaviors were better at an online berry-picking game than those who did not report such traitsThu, 22 Feb 2024 17:00:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/harrison-ford-forgot-this-star-wars-script-in-an-apartment-he-rented-during-filming-180983819/A fourth draft of "Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope" sold at auction for over $13,000Wed, 21 Feb 2024 21:28:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-watch-the-solar-eclipse-from-these-flights-through-the-path-of-totality-180983817/Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines are operating flights on April 8 that could give passengers unobstructed views of the rare celestial spectacleWed, 21 Feb 2024 21:11:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/magritte-masterpiece-featuring-floating-baguette-auction-180983808/"L'ami intime" could fetch $63 million at an upcoming sale celebrating 100 years of SurrealismWed, 21 Feb 2024 19:54:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/paul-mccartney-is-reunited-with-his-lost-bass-50-years-after-it-disappearedwith-a-little-help-from-his-fans-180983813/The iconic instrument heard in many of the Beatles' hits was stolen from the back of a van in 1972Wed, 21 Feb 2024 16:43:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discover-the-brightest-known-object-in-the-universe-shining-500-trillion-times-as-bright-as-the-sun-180983815/The quasar—a glowing, active core of a galaxy—has a black hole at its center that consumes more than a sun’s-worth of mass each dayWed, 21 Feb 2024 15:45:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giant-locust-swarms-could-expand-to-new-areas-with-climate-change-study-suggests-180983800/In the coming decades, erratic periods of rain and drought could create new hot spots for the ravenous grasshoppers in west India and west central Asia, threatening crops and food securityWed, 21 Feb 2024 14:10:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/international-outcry-succeeds-in-halting-egypts-renovation-of-a-great-pyramid-180983814/A committee of experts concluded that altering the Pyramid of Menkaure would compromise its historical valueTue, 20 Feb 2024 22:17:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-have-discovered-a-lauded-1800s-chocolate-factory-in-barcelona-180983807/Housed in a medieval mansion, the workshop once produced sweets for Clemente Guardia, a thriving Catalonian chocolatierTue, 20 Feb 2024 21:16:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-5000-pound-satellite-is-falling-back-to-earth-this-week-and-will-likely-land-in-the-ocean-180983812/The reentry of the satellite, called ERS-2, is part of an intentional effort by the European Space Agency to reduce orbital debrisTue, 20 Feb 2024 21:13:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-satellite-will-track-methane-emissions-from-space-and-pinpoint-their-sources-with-ai-180983806/The mission, set to launch next month, comes as countries and fossil fuel companies pledge to reduce emissions of the powerful greenhouse gasTue, 20 Feb 2024 19:11:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-vial-of-mineral-pigment-could-be-the-oldest-lipstick-ever-found-180983803/New research suggests the nearly 4,000-year-old cosmetic may be among the oldest discoveries of its kindTue, 20 Feb 2024 18:56:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-oldest-wild-platypus-shocks-scientists-at-24-years-of-age-180983805/The animal was tagged in 2000, when it was estimated to be about one year old, and re-discovered alive in the wild last yearTue, 20 Feb 2024 15:22:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-famous-spanish-treasure-actually-contains-metal-from-space-180983788/New research reveals that two Bronze Age artifacts from the Treasure of Villena contain iron from a meteor that hit a million years agoTue, 20 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-female-stingray-that-hasnt-had-a-mate-in-eight-years-is-mysteriously-pregnant-is-a-shark-the-father-180983809/Though the round stingray, named Charlotte, shares her aquarium tank with two male sharks, experts say it is impossible for a shark to impregnate a rayFri, 16 Feb 2024 21:27:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/arlington-shipwreck-lake-superior-why-captain-remain-aboard-180983810/The wreck of the S.S. Arlington has finally been found—but it provides no answers about Captain Frederick Burke's final momentsFri, 16 Feb 2024 20:54:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1700-year-old-roman-egg-found-in-the-uk-is-still-intact-180983784/Discovered in England, the egg is thought to be the only one of its kind—and analysis of its contents could shed new light on its originsFri, 16 Feb 2024 20:00:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-detect-water-on-the-surface-of-asteroids-for-the-first-time-ever-180983801/Using data from a retired NASA mission, researchers identified unique signs of water molecules on two space rocks, unlocking new insight into how water may have arrived on EarthFri, 16 Feb 2024 18:09:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-mission-to-bring-jeff-koons-art-to-the-moon-launches-successfully-180983804/The spacecraft, which finally launched on February 15, is expected to touch down on February 22Fri, 16 Feb 2024 18:05:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/musee-dorsay-breaks-attendance-records-with-immersive-ai-van-gogh-show-180983789/The show exploring the artist's final works featured an interactive recreation of the painter trained on hundreds of his lettersThu, 15 Feb 2024 21:40:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-cave-art-passed-survival-information-across-130-human-generations-in-patagonia-study-suggests-180983802/Dating to as early as 8,200 years ago, the paintings may have maintained collective memories during an extremely dry period in historyThu, 15 Feb 2024 20:32:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/who-was-georgina-hogarth-charles-dickens-best-truest-friend-180983799/Unpublished letters reveal new insights into the baffling relationship between the English novelist and his sister-in-lawThu, 15 Feb 2024 19:43:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/research-reveals-the-natives-of-easter-island-invented-a-written-language-from-scratch-180983793/Radiocarbon dating has found that a tablet inscribed with the mysterious rongorongo script predates European contactThu, 15 Feb 2024 17:58:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/great-apes-love-to-tease-poke-and-pester-suggesting-the-urge-to-annoy-is-millions-of-years-old-180983791/The desire to get a rise out of others is a 13-million-year-old trait humans and great apes share with a common ancestor, new research suggestsThu, 15 Feb 2024 16:15:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-does-solar-eclipse-mars-look-like-new-breathtaking-images-caught-nasa-perseverance-rover-idea-180983795/The robot recently observed each of the Red Planet’s moons passing across the sun in the Martian skyThu, 15 Feb 2024 13:49:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ken-burns-newest-documentary-delves-into-the-life-of-leonardo-da-vinci-180983792/An upcoming two-part documentary will be the filmmaker's first foray into a non-American subject matterWed, 14 Feb 2024 22:21:50 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cdc-considers-dropping-five-day-covid-isolation-guideline-180983794/While no official decision has been made, symptomatic patients might be able to stop isolating if they are fever-free for 24 hours and are beginning to feel better under the proposed changeWed, 14 Feb 2024 21:59:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/climate-activists-stage-protest-in-front-of-botticellis-birth-of-venus-180983797/Two men taped images of flooding in Tuscany to the Renaissance painting's protective glassWed, 14 Feb 2024 20:22:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experts-reimagine-a-massive-43-foot-statue-of-constantine-using-3d-modeling-180983777/Although only fragments of the 1,700-year-old colossus remain, experts hope to paint a fuller picture for the public with a new installation at Rome's Capitoline MuseumsWed, 14 Feb 2024 18:51:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-remotely-controlled-robot-will-conduct-a-simulated-surgery-on-the-international-space-station-180983775/Robot surgeons could treat astronauts on long space missions—but they could also be used on Earth in places where surgeons aren't present, such as rural areas or war zonesWed, 14 Feb 2024 15:22:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oregon-resident-catches-rare-case-of-plague-likely-from-their-cat-180983785/The patient was treated during the earlier stages of disease, so the community faces little risk, according to health officialsTue, 13 Feb 2024 22:14:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/metal-detectorist-finds-a-potentially-life-changing-3000-year-old-gold-accessory-180983770/The gold accessory is one of only seven artifacts of this kind discovered in England and WalesTue, 13 Feb 2024 22:01:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stone-age-wall-discovered-beneath-the-baltic-sea-helped-early-hunters-trap-reindeer-180983783/Made up of some 1,600 stones, the submerged “Blinkerwall” might be Europe's oldest known megastructureTue, 13 Feb 2024 20:56:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dutch-romans-stored-poisonous-hallucinogenic-seeds-in-this-hollowed-bone-180983776/Ancient scholars wrote about the medicinal, poisonous and psychoactive properties of black henbane seedsTue, 13 Feb 2024 19:01:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-learns-words-from-a-human-babys-perspective-using-headcam-footage-180983735/With only limited training, the model could correctly identify certain objects, suggesting some elements of learning language are not innate to humansTue, 13 Feb 2024 17:28:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/swiftposium-scholars-analyze-taylor-swift-astonishing-influence-180983780/The University of Melbourne welcomed academics from all over the world for its Taylor Swift conferenceTue, 13 Feb 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-paris-olympic-medals-include-pieces-of-the-eiffel-tower-180983767/This summer's Paris Olympic and Paralympic medals will be decorated with pieces of iron from the landmarkMon, 12 Feb 2024 21:38:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-very-rare-kind-of-space-rock-fell-in-germany-and-scientists-recovered-the-pieces-180983778/Analyses revealed the asteroid was an “aubrite,” a classification that applies to only 80 of 70,000 previously found meteorite fragmentsMon, 12 Feb 2024 21:31:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/locals-work-to-save-mysterious-canada-shipwreck-before-it-disappears-into-the-ocean-180983772/The 100-foot-long wreck, which likely dates to the 19th century, washed up off the coast of Cape Ray in JanuaryMon, 12 Feb 2024 19:37:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-what-charles-darwin-kept-in-his-insanely-eclectic-personal-library-revealed-for-first-time-180983774/On the English naturalist's 215th birthday, more than 9,000 titles from his expansive collection are now accessible onlineMon, 12 Feb 2024 18:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oscars-tk-180983773/When it debuts in 2026, the casting award will be the Academy's first new category since 2001Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:14:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/air-pollution-makes-flowers-smell-less-appealing-to-pollinators-study-suggests-180983766/Nocturnal hawk moths are less likely to visit primroses in air polluted by nitrate radicals, which break down important wild fragrances, researchers findMon, 12 Feb 2024 15:22:14 +0000