i Mathematicians Discover a New Class of Shape: the 'Soft Cell' By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Sep 2024 18:57:00 +0000 If the structures look familiar, it's probably because nature has been using them for a long time in places like nautilus shells, zebra stripes and onions Full Article
i See Newly Discovered Nazca Drawings That Depict Llamas, Human Sacrifices and More By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Sep 2024 19:09:05 +0000 An A.I.-assisted study identified 303 previously unknown geoglyphs in the Peruvian desert. The art features surprising figures, like orcas holding knives Full Article
i Rare Jaw Fossils Discovered in Texas Shed Light on a 20-Foot-Long Mosasaur By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Sep 2024 20:09:39 +0000 Unearthed last year, the remains could reveal new information on the extinct sea reptile, which crushed mollusks and shelled creatures with its large, round teeth Full Article
i Why the Debut Issue of America's First Newspaper Was Also the Publication's Last By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 09:00:00 +0000 On this day in 1690, "Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick" attracted colonial officials' ire by repeating a scandalous rumor and condemning a British alliance with the Mohawk Full Article
i Watch Octopuses Team Up With Fish to Hunt—and Punch Those That Don't Contribute By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 12:16:15 +0000 The collaboration across species reveals a surprising social behavior of octopuses, researchers say Full Article
i America's Oldest Surviving Tombstone Probably Came From Belgium By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 16:50:10 +0000 Researchers analyzed tiny fossils embedded in the limestone to determine the age and origins of the grave maker, which marked the final resting place of a prominent Jamestown colonist Full Article
i Mysterious 'Mechanical-Sounding' Noise Near the Mariana Trench May Now Have an Explanation By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 17:09:50 +0000 An acoustic survey in 2018 and new analysis with A.I. suggest the sounds are vocalizations from the elusive Bryde’s whale Full Article
i The Highest Peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Will Now Be Called by Its Cherokee Name By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 17:19:56 +0000 In 1858, the mountain was named for a Confederate general. Now, it will once again be known as "Kuwohi" Full Article
i Scientists Discover a New Species of Elusive Ghost Shark By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 18:48:03 +0000 Called the Australasian narrow-nosed spookfish, the cryptic species lives deep in the ocean off the coasts of New Zealand and Australia Full Article
i Students Stumble Upon a Message in a Bottle Written by a French Archaeologist 200 Years Ago By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Sep 2024 19:52:11 +0000 The mysterious missive was written by P.J. Féret, who conducted an archaeological dig at the same site in northern France in 1825 Full Article
i Rare and Elusive Australian Bird, Once Thought Extinct for 100 Years, Discovered by Indigenous Rangers and Scientists By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Sep 2024 16:30:09 +0000 Using sound recordings, the team identified the largest known population of the night parrot, a secretive species known as the "Holy Grail of birdwatching" Full Article
i These 3,000-Year-Old Arrowheads Are Pivotal Clues in the Mystery of 'Europe's Oldest Known Battlefield' By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Sep 2024 17:58:45 +0000 While no written records exist, new research has illuminated key details of the battle fought in northern Germany during the 13th century B.C.E. Full Article
i Earth Is on the Brink of Breaching a Seventh of Nine 'Planetary Boundaries' That Support Life By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Sep 2024 18:46:50 +0000 A new “health check” for our planet sounds an alarm bell on rising ocean acidification, which is driven by carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere Full Article
i Meet Pesto, the Biggest Baby Penguin This Australian Aquarium Has Ever Seen By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:39:04 +0000 Most adult king penguins weigh between 31 and 37 pounds. At nine months old, a 51.8-pound Pesto is already looming over his parents Full Article
i DNA Reveals Identity of Officer on the Lost Franklin Expedition—and His Remains Show Signs of Cannibalism By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Sep 2024 20:08:48 +0000 Researchers recently identified James Fitzjames, a captain on the ill-fated HMS Erebus that went looking for the Northwest Passage in 1845 Full Article
i Heart Tissue Shows Signs of Aging After Just One Month in Space, Study Finds By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Sep 2024 21:35:17 +0000 Scientists sent bioengineered heart tissue samples to the ISS to study how to keep astronauts safe during future long-term space travel Full Article
i Off-Road Drivers Are Destroying Ancient Artworks Stretching Across Chile's Deserts By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Sep 2024 21:40:04 +0000 As hundreds of motorists take to the desert, their tracks damage the massive geoglyphs made by Indigenous groups in northern Chile Full Article
i Scientists Have Found Bacteria and Fungi 10,000 Feet Up in the Air By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:21:53 +0000 The discovery has implications for human health, since the microbes included some that were still viable, some that could be infectious to humans and others that carried drug-resistant genes Full Article
i The World's Oldest Cheese Was Buried in a Chinese Tomb 3,600 Years Ago. Now, Scientists Have Sequenced Its DNA By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:23:17 +0000 New research has revealed that the mysterious white substance found alongside three ancient mummies was once a soft cheese called kefir Full Article
i Extinct Volcanoes May Be an Untapped Source of Rare Metals By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:36:54 +0000 Unexplored iron-rich magma could help power current and future technologies Full Article
i The Netherlands Has Returned 288 Stolen Artifacts to Indonesia By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 16:12:46 +0000 The Dutch seized the majority of the items in the aftermath of a brutal 1906 conflict that killed an estimated 1,000 Balinese Full Article
i Explore Abraham Lincoln's Life and Legacy Through Rare Copies of Historic Books and Documents By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:40:58 +0000 A new exhibition in New York City uses more than 200 texts and artifacts to contemplate Lincoln's rise to the nation's highest office Full Article
i These Fish Have Legs—and They Can Use Them to Taste Prey By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 18:23:36 +0000 Sea robins have "the body of a fish, the wings of a bird and multiple legs like a crab" Full Article
i This 3,775-Year-Old Log May Hold the Secret to a Low-Cost Climate Solution By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 18:31:29 +0000 Researchers say burying wood could be a viable method to prevent carbon from reaching the atmosphere Full Article
i Hours After the Protesters Who Threw Soup at a van Gogh Were Sentenced, Three More Activists Repeated the Stunt By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:35:18 +0000 Two members of Just Stop Oil staged the original demonstration in late 2022. Group members say the harsh penalties will not deter their efforts Full Article
i Workers Just Started Building the World's First 3D-Printed Hotel in the Texas Desert By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Sep 2024 17:06:40 +0000 In the dusty landscape surrounding the city of Marfa, a huge 3D printer is constructing 43 new rooms and 18 residential homes as part of an expansion of El Cosmico Full Article
i Rare Drone Footage Captures Orcas Feeding on Dusky Dolphins By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Sep 2024 18:34:33 +0000 The predatory pod hunts off the coast of Chile and is led by a matriarch called Dakota Full Article
i Amid Rising Temperatures, Sloths' Slowness May Put Their Survival at Risk By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Sep 2024 19:26:32 +0000 The world’s slowest mammal is at risk of extinction by the end of the century due to their low metabolic rate and climate change Full Article
i This Shipwreck's Location Was a Mystery for 129 Years. Then, Two Men Found It Just Minutes Into a Three-Day Search By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Sep 2024 20:26:07 +0000 The "John Evenson" tugboat was helping another ship enter the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal in Wisconsin when it sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan in 1895 Full Article
i Astronauts Stranded in Space Are Now One Step Closer to Returning Home By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000 A SpaceX mission arrived at the International Space Station with two astronauts instead of four to leave room for NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore on the return trip in early 2025 Full Article
i Nintendo Switches Things Up With a New Museum That Embraces Nostalgia and Celebrates Gaming History By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2024 14:03:18 +0000 The Kyoto museum will feature interactive exhibits, gaming artifacts, workshop spaces and oversized controllers inspired by iconic video games Full Article
i See a Newly Uncovered Throne Room in Peru That May Have Belonged to an Ancient Queen By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2024 16:58:12 +0000 Built by the Moche people in the seventh century, the stunningly painted space shows signs of heavy use, including an eroded throne and traces of human hair Full Article
i Ancient Statues Recently Returned to Yemen Are Now on Loan at the Met By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2024 18:06:41 +0000 The long-term loan is the latest agreement Yemen has made with a museum in order to protect its cultural heritage amid ongoing civil war Full Article
i This Green-Flashing Firefly Could Become the First Ever Listed as Endangered in the U.S. By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2024 18:51:35 +0000 The Fish and Wildlife Service will consider granting federal protections to the Bethany Beach firefly, which is rapidly losing its coastal habitat to development and climate change Full Article
i Geologists Reveal a Surprising Reason Why Mount Everest Grows Taller Each Year By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2024 20:18:39 +0000 Earth's highest peak has gained as much as an extra 165 feet in elevation as the planet's crust adjusts due to erosion from a river, according to a new study Full Article
i One Year After England's Famous Sycamore Gap Tree Was Illegally Felled, a New Exhibition Honors Its Legacy By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:30:59 +0000 The show coincides with an initiative that will give away 49 of the tree's saplings to individuals and communities across the country Full Article
i The Roman Republic Quashed a Rebellion So Completely That This City Became a Landfill By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 02 Oct 2024 17:45:39 +0000 Researchers studying the ancient site of Fregellae reveal the consequences of challenging the Roman army Full Article
i Two Comets Could Be Visible to the Naked Eye This Fall. Here's How to Get the Best View By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 02 Oct 2024 17:50:04 +0000 While expectations are high for some special sightings, experts warn that comets are notoriously fickle and unpredictable Full Article
i Coyotes Might Make 'Puppy Eyes,' Suggesting the Facial Expression Evolved for More Than Just Cuteness By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 02 Oct 2024 19:22:16 +0000 The wild canines have the same muscles used by domestic dogs to create the wide-eyed, pleading look that captures humans' hearts Full Article
i A Treasure Hunter Just Uncovered the $100,000 Prize Hidden in the Massachusetts Woods By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Wed, 02 Oct 2024 20:34:24 +0000 Two weeks ago, organizers of Project Skydrop stashed a golden statuette in a secret location somewhere in the northeastern United States Full Article
i Hurricane Helene Shutters 'Critical' Quartz Mines That Power the World's Electronics, Solar Panels and A.I. By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 03 Oct 2024 11:30:00 +0000 The small town of Spruce Pine, North Carolina, is one of the only sources of high-purity quartz on Earth, but it has been left battered by the storm's heavy rains Full Article
i A Junk Dealer Discovered a 'Horrible' Painting in a Cellar 60 Years Ago. It Might Be a $6.6 Million Picasso By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 03 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000 For years, the owner's son had wondered about the artwork, which features the Spanish painter's signature. Now, some experts think it's the real deal Full Article
i Astronomers Discover a Small Exoplanet That's Our Cosmic Neighbor at Just Six Light-Years Away By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 03 Oct 2024 15:33:44 +0000 Orbiting Barnard's star, the nearest solo star to Earth, the world is too hot to be habitable—a scorching 257 degrees Fahrenheit Full Article
i Breast Cancer Cases Are Rising Among Younger Women, Report Finds By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:53:27 +0000 Though breast cancer mortality is declining overall, Asian American women and women under 50 have experienced an uptick in diagnoses of the disease Full Article
i This Newly Discovered Sunken Warship Served on Both Sides of World War II By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:54:38 +0000 The USS Stewart was purposefully sunk off the coast of California after the war Full Article
i Montana Rancher Who Created Giant, Hybrid Sheep Sentenced to Six Months in Prison By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 03 Oct 2024 19:30:00 +0000 Arthur “Jack” Schubarth cloned illegally imported genetic material from the Marco Polo argali to create hybrid sheep that would draw higher prices from hunting preserves Full Article
i The Discovery of a 5,000-Year-Old Society in Morocco Reveals an Ancient Farming Culture By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Thu, 03 Oct 2024 20:07:26 +0000 At the site known as Oued Beht, archaeologists uncovered evidence of a large farming settlement where people used advanced techniques Full Article
i Scientists Unveil the First-Ever Complete Map of an Adult Fruit Fly's Brain, Captured in Stunning Detail By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 04 Oct 2024 15:40:00 +0000 The brain diagram, called a connectome, could revolutionize researchers' understanding of the human brain, which has many parallels with a fruit fly's Full Article
i ‘Pride and Prejudice’ Gets a New Adaptation: an Interactive A.I. Avatar By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 04 Oct 2024 16:14:18 +0000 Lizzy, the avatar based on the novel’s Elizabeth Bennet, will hold period-accurate conversations with visitors at Jane Austen’s cottage home Full Article
i Scientists Use Cold War-Era Spy Plane to Find Unexpected Gamma Rays in Thunderstorms By www.smithsonianmag.com Published On :: Fri, 04 Oct 2024 18:30:38 +0000 The new findings bring storm researchers one step closer to solving the mystery of how lightning forms Full Article