What is it like to be the curator of Great Cats at the National Zoo? We interviewed Craig Saffoe to hear firsthand.

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Each year, a mysterious group of night herons flock to Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Then, they vanish. In episode three of our series, we go behind […]

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When two red panda babies are born in critical condition at Smithsonian’s National Zoo, caretakers make the crucial decision to raise them by hand.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture grand opening Sept. 24, 2016.

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Happy Holidays from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum!

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Jeopardy’s Clue Crew visits the Smithsonian’s National Zoo!

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Ashkii, a North American river otter, at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park

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Yesterday may have been a holiday on paper, but if you were navigating LA's major freeways, there was no sign people had the day off.

Steve Julian: Business analyst Mark Lacter, is this more evidence that Southern California traffic getting worse?

Mark Lacter: Steve, L.A. continues to be the most clogged-up city in the U.S. - according to something called the TomTom Traffic Index - with commuters caught up in delays, on average, 35 percent of the time.  Or, to put it another way, L.A. commuters are in congestion up to 40 minutes of each hour they're driving.  The worst time of the week to commute is Thursday night; that's when there's congestion more than 80 percent of the time.  Monday morning commutes are the lightest.

Julian: After L.A., where should you not live if congestion bugs you?

Lacter: The next worst cities in the U.S. are San Francisco, Honolulu, Seattle, and San Jose.  Now, the Census Bureau comes up with its own commuting surveys, and if you compare the most recent numbers with those back in 2000, you'll see that things aren't all that different.  Matter of fact, the percentage of commuters driving alone to work actually increased a little over the last decade to 72 percent, while the percentage of those carpooling has declined.

Julian: What about public transit?

Lacter: Well, the numbers are up slightly from 2000, but only to 7.3 percent of all commuters.  So, even assuming that the number inches up in the next couple of years when the Expo Line extends into Santa Monica, it's still a smallish piece of the pie.  And, since many of the other public transit projects being planned are decades away from being completed, those numbers might not change much.  One other thing, Steve: less than 1 percent of all L.A. commuters bike to work, which would throw cold water on the idea that biking in L.A. is becoming a popular way of getting to the office.

Julian: People just prefer commuting by car…

Lacter: It remains the most convenient way of getting around - despite the congestion.  New car sales are up 14 percent through the first nine months of the year in Southern California.  Add to that are generally affordable gas prices (they've been especially low in the last few weeks).  In other parts of the world, congestion is considered a good thing because it means that the economy is doing well.  Which explains that while L.A. is the most congested city in the U.S., it doesn't rank among the 10 around the world.  On that front, Moscow is tops, followed by Istanbul, and Rio de Janeiro.

Julian: What about driverless cars?

Lacter: Well, these vehicles hold the most promise for reducing accidents, lowering travel times, and improving fuel economy - and you don't have to give up your car.  Actually, a lot of the technology is already in place - that includes stuff like radar-based cruise control, and devices that keep you at a safe distance from the car in front of you.  The trick, of course, is taking these individual capabilities and integrating them into an entirely driverless car.  Several car companies say they could be ready to start selling by 2020, with Google saying that its car could be ready even sooner.

Julian: Is that realistic?

Lacter: Who knows?  But even if the dates can be met - and that's a big if, considering how complex these systems are - legislatures will have to determine, among other things, whether vehicles can be fully autonomous (meaning that you can curl up and take a nap while the computer is driving by itself).  Or, whether they will only be semi-autonomous, which would be like an airline crew using automatic pilot, but always prepared to take over the controls.

Julian: Is that a liability issue?

Lacter: Yes - if something does go wrong, who will get the blame?  The owner of the vehicle?  The carmaker?  The suppliers of the car companies?  These questions might take years to get resolved in the courts - and even then, it could be years before the percentage of these vehicles on the road is large enough to truly have an impact.  But, considering that most commuters aren't willing to give up their cars, this would seem to be the most exciting, most desirable idea.  One day.

Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Dried specimens of nearly 800 flowering plants were acquired by the Botany Department of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History from the National Botanical Research Institute in Windhoek, Namibia, Africa. The collection includes nearly 160 specimens from the Compositae, or sunflower family.

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Visits to the Smithsonian's National Zoo just became a little bit sweeter with the arrival of a new honeybee colony. With a hive made of glass in the Zoo's Pollinarium and full access to the outdoors, these bees are showing off the wondrous ways of their world.

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How do you recreate the ocean in a box? National Zoo Keeper Mike Henley talks about how he cares for the aquatic invertebrates in the Zoo's collection and how the National Zoo is also working to preserve them in their native habitats.

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The move enhances coordination efforts for the 46-plot research network, which partners with more than 75 institutions in 21 countries.

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“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well,” Virginia Woolf once said. Woolf’s sentiment is one that the staff […]

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Outdated food safety laws and a fragmented federal structure serve as barriers to improving protection of the nations food supply from contamination or other hazards, according to Ensuring Safe Food From Production to Consumption.

As of today all PDF versions of books published by the National Academies Press will be downloadable to anyone free of charge. This includes a current catalog of more than 4,000 books plus future reports produced by the Press.

Americas progress in arresting its obesity epidemic has been too slow, and the condition continues to erode productivity and cause millions to suffer from potentially debilitating and deadly chronic illnesses.

President Barack Obama reiterated his strong support for science and technology today in a speech to members of the National Academy of Sciences at its 150th annual meeting.

In 1916, the National Academy of Sciences established the National Research Council.

The National Academies Committee on Genetically Engineered Crops - Past Experiences and Future Prospects authored an almost 600-page landmark report, released in May 2016. It was perhaps the most comprehensive analysis of genetically engineered crops to date.

With growing risks to the nation’s electrical grid from natural disasters and as a potential target for malicious attacks, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should work closely with utility operators and other stakeholders to improve cyber and physical security and resilience, says a new congressionally mandated report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Producing more precise county-level estimates of crops and farmland cash rents will require integrating multiple data sources using model-based predictions that are more transparent and reproducible, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today announced that more than 130 organizations across the U.S. -- including associations, hospital and medical systems, universities, and professional societies -- have joined NAM in declaring their commitment to reducing burnout and promoting well-being among clinicians.

Sexual harassment in science, engineering, and medicine diminishes the integrity of the U.S. research enterprise.

Introducing drone operations into the nation’s airspace can provide substantial benefits to society, such as preventing derailments, inspecting cell phone towers, delivering medical devices to patients in cardiac distress, and assisting firefighters, says a new congressionally mandated report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today named the 2018-2019 class of RWJF Health Policy Fellows.

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced today that more than 100 organizations across the U.S. — including community organizations, hospital and medical systems, academia, nonprofits, and health professional societies — have joined NAM in declaring their commitment to reversing national trends in opioid misuse and overdose.

When John L. Anderson, president emeritus and distinguished professor of chemical engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology, was first elected to the National Academy of Engineering almost 30 years ago, he remembers being deeply honored and excited about how the recognition would help his career.

National Academy of Sciences President Emeritus Frank Press — distinguished geophysicist, science adviser to President Jimmy Carter, and National Medal of Science recipient — died on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at his home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was 95.

Symposium participants examine what climate change, obesity, and personalized medicine mean for nutrition in the future

The National Science Foundation: Creating knowledge to transform our future

Last year was the second straight year the poverty rate stayed flat after four years of going up in the United States.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Income in greater Los Angeles is rising – slightly - according to new American Community Survey numbers released Thursday from the Census Bureau, but greater L.A. still ranks as one of the poorest major metropolitan areas in the nation.

The L.A. area (defined as L.A., Long Beach and Anaheim) had a median household income of $58,869 last year, which is $804 more than the year before, but still $1540 under the 2010 level, during the first full year after the recession.

"These numbers paint a bleak picture for California,” said Marybeth Mattingly, a researcher at Stanford University’s Center on Poverty and Inequality.

Mattingly is particularly troubled by the child poverty rate, which was 25.3 percent in 2013, up from 22.6 percent in 2010.

“In the West, Hispanics have the highest poverty with nearly one in three Hispanic kids poor, and it's even a little higher for blacks” she said.

Nationally, last year was the second straight year the poverty rate stayed flat after four years of going up. Among big metro areas, the L.A. area had the highest poverty rate in the nation, tying Phoenix, Miami, and the Inland Empire. But that’s based upon a national poverty line of $23,550 for a family of four; When you take into account how much it really costs to live here, L.A. fares even worse.

“We find that Los Angeles stands out even more, unfortunately," said Sarah Bohn, a researcher at the Public Policy Institute of California. "Housing costs are really playing a big role in family budgets and being able to make ends meet.”

Bohn says these new numbers suggest we’re going in the right direction, but she wishes we’d move at a faster pace.

The National Science Foundation: Creating knowledge to transform our future

Deb Berlin is determined to soothe frayed nerves in Washington, D.C., through yoga, a practice she picked up in her teens.

We dare you to keep a dry eye as you watch these amazing and emotional performances of our national anthem.

More than half of the country’s rivers and streams are suffering from nutrient pollution and habitat degradation; mercury and bacteria a problem as well.

We chat with co-hosts David Frei and John O'Hurley to get a behind-the-scenes look at this year's event.

Video: Chuck Leavell, keyboardist for The Rolling Stones and the cofounder of MNN, explores the national wildlife refuge system.

Energy policy has become a local issue, prompting serious debates in races across the nation.

With Hawaii's endless renewable energy potential, the state plans to generate 40 percent of its power from clean sources by 2030.

Each year, as many as 20 million people get sick from drinking contaminated water in the U.S.

With the help of her grandson, Grandma Joy is camping and seeing the mountains on their quest to visit all the national parks.

If your favorite sport involves dog competitors, you are in for a treat on Thanksgiving Day when perfectly coiffed pooches representing 187 breeds and varieties

President Ronald Reagan writes a brief essay on abortion.

True Sioux Hope Foundation to Facilitate Unprecedented, Permanent, Positive Change for the Sioux Tribe in South Dakota by Providing Much-Needed Funding for Education and Infrastructure

Forbes reported "this All-American meat is gaining popularity beyond its traditional home on the range."

Astronaut, leader & role model to keynote nation's largest multicultural & multidisciplinary STEM diversity conference

Is he "mad" this March? Or is he following his heart?

NCSA's Suite of Recruiting Solutions to be Integrated into Zero Gravity Basketball Tournaments and Showcases

Glosten designs conversion of historic Gee's Bend Ferry.