Smart News | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/smart-news/RSS feed for Smart NewsenFri, 25 Jul 2025 15:48:37 +0000Venice Breaks Ground on Controversial Banksy Mural Restorationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/venice-breaks-ground-on-controversial-banksy-mural-restoration-180987049/<em>Migrant Child</em> is being removed for restoration after years of water and salt damage, despite concerns from artists and community membersFri, 25 Jul 2025 15:48:37 +0000Google Just Released an A.I. Tool That Helps Historians Fill in Missing Words in Ancient Roman Inscriptionshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/google-just-released-an-ai-tool-that-helps-historians-fill-in-missing-words-in-ancient-roman-inscriptions-180987046/Known as Aeneas, the tool was trained on an extensive dataset of Latin epigraphy. Experts hope it will help decipher segments of text that have been lost to historyFri, 25 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000Scientists Feared the World's Smallest Snake Had Gone Extinct. They Just Found It Againhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-feared-the-worlds-smallest-snake-had-gone-extinct-they-just-found-it-again-180987044/When fully grown, the Barbados threadsnake is only three to four inches long—shorter than many earthwormsThu, 24 Jul 2025 19:44:24 +0000Archaeologists Discover Mysterious Medieval Knight Buried Beneath an Ice Cream Parlor in Polandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-mysterious-medieval-knight-buried-beneath-an-ice-cream-parlor-in-poland-180987021/The well-preserved skeleton was buried under a rare limestone tombstone, which suggests the individual may have been an important member of Gdańsk society during the Middle AgesThu, 24 Jul 2025 19:34:49 +0000Cancer DNA Can Be Detected in the Bloodstream Up to Three Years Before Diagnosis, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cancer-dna-can-be-detected-in-the-bloodstream-up-to-three-years-before-diagnosis-study-suggests-180986862/For a few individuals, scientists found genetic material from cancerous tumors in blood samples taken years before they were diagnosed through traditional methodsThu, 24 Jul 2025 18:38:08 +0000Optimists Really Are on the 'Same Wavelength' When They Think About the Future, New Study of Brain Activity Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/optimists-really-are-on-the-same-wavelength-when-they-think-about-the-future-new-study-of-brain-activity-suggests-180987033/As the research participants thought about future scenarios, optimists displayed similar neural patterns, but pessimists showed more individualized brain activityThu, 24 Jul 2025 15:59:52 +0000The U.S. Is Withdrawing From UNESCO for the Third Time in the Agency's 80-Year Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-us-is-withdrawing-from-unesco-for-the-third-time-in-the-agencys-80-year-history-180987038/The country previously left the agency for two brief stints—once from 1984 to 2003 and again from 2017 to 2023. The newly announced decision will take effect by the end of 2026Thu, 24 Jul 2025 13:48:56 +0000This Woman Didn't Want to Return a Stolen 16th-Century Painting. Then She Changed Her Mindhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-woman-didnt-want-to-return-a-stolen-16th-century-painting-then-she-changed-her-mind-180987039/Despite her legal claim to ownership, Barbara de Dozsa has decided to return an artwork by Italian artist Antonio Solario that vanished more than 50 years agoThu, 24 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000CCTV Footage Captures the First-Ever Video of an Earthquake Fault in Motion, Shining a Rare Light on Seismic Dynamicshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cctv-footage-captures-the-first-ever-video-of-an-earthquake-fault-in-motion-shining-a-rare-light-on-seismic-dynamics-180987034/A clip recorded in Myanmar in March reveals a curved path of the fault slip, which can help scientists better understand the physics of such eventsThu, 24 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000With Ancient DNA, Scientists Have Mapped 37,000 Years of Disease Across Europe and Asiahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/with-ancient-dna-scientists-have-mapped-37000-years-of-disease-across-europe-and-asia-180986964/Zoonoses—diseases that spread from animals to humans—began to gain prevalence some 6,500 years ago with the rise of animal husbandry, a new study suggestsWed, 23 Jul 2025 20:25:52 +0000A Vibrant Mural Celebrating Josephine Baker's 'Two Loves'—‘My Country and Paris'—Has Been Unveiled in Francehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-vibrant-mural-celebrating-josephine-bakers-two-loves-my-country-and-paris-has-been-unveiled-in-france-180987029/The colorful street art, which features a quote from one of her songs, honors the iconic singer, dancer and civil rights activist's enduring legacyWed, 23 Jul 2025 20:05:24 +0000An Archer Shot This Bronze Age Human in the Back. 4,000 Years Later, the Arrow Is Still Embedded in the Victim's Rib Bonehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-archer-shot-this-bronze-age-human-in-the-back-4000-years-later-the-arrow-is-still-embedded-in-the-victims-rib-bone-180987036/The attack took place during a period of conflict between groups living in the Pyrenees mountains in modern-day SpainWed, 23 Jul 2025 19:10:35 +0000Octopuses Fall for the Rubber Hand Illusion, Just Like Humans, Pointing to a Sense of Body Ownershiphttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/octopuses-fall-for-the-rubber-hand-illusion-just-like-humans-pointing-to-a-sense-of-body-ownership-180987024/The trick that plays with awareness of one’s own limb appeared to fool all six of the cephalopods tested in a series of experimentsWed, 23 Jul 2025 15:35:35 +0000Underwater Archaeologists Capture Photos of Japanese Warship That Hasn't Been Seen Since It Sank During World War IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/underwater-archaeologists-capture-photos-of-japanese-warship-that-hasnt-been-seen-since-it-sank-during-world-war-ii-180987026/The “Teruzuki” was a Japanese Navy destroyer that sank near the Solomon Islands on December 12, 1942. Eight decades later, researchers have identified the wreckage in the PacificWed, 23 Jul 2025 14:57:10 +0000Scientists Will Melt the World's 'Oldest Ice' to Reveal Its Secrets and Uncover a Climate Record of 1.5 Million Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-will-melt-worlds-oldest-ice-to-reveal-its-secrets-and-uncover-a-climate-record-of-1-5-million-years-180987020/The ice cores could offer clues about a period known as the Mid-Pleistocene Transition that has long puzzled scientistsWed, 23 Jul 2025 13:16:31 +0000Astronomers Say They've Finally Spotted Betelgeuse's Companion Star, Long Predicted to Exist but Never Seenhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-say-theyve-finally-spotted-betelgeuses-companion-star-long-predicted-to-exist-but-never-seen-180987025/The discovery, if confirmed, could explain Betelgeuse’s mysterious six-year oscillations in brightnessTue, 22 Jul 2025 20:52:17 +0000Athens Is Reviving a 2,000-Year-Old Roman Aqueduct to Deliver Water to the City Amid Prolonged Droughtshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/athens-is-reviving-a-2000-year-old-roman-empire-era-aqueduct-to-deliver-water-amid-prolonged-droughts-180987013/With the capital's reservoirs approaching historic lows, officials are turning to ancient engineering to conserve potable waterTue, 22 Jul 2025 20:40:25 +0000These Odd Bony Structures Were Hiding Beneath the Skin of Far More Lizards Than Thought, Researchers Findhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-odd-bony-structures-were-hiding-beneath-the-skin-of-far-more-lizards-than-thought-researchers-find-180987023/Called osteoderms, the chain mail-like plates may have helped some species adapt to Australia’s harsh environmentTue, 22 Jul 2025 19:22:38 +0000See Three Breathtaking Vermeer Paintings That Capture the Lost Art of Letter Writinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-three-breathtaking-vermeer-paintings-that-capture-the-lost-art-of-letter-writing-180987027/A trio of the 17th-century Dutch painter’s works featuring women writing and receiving letters is on display at the recently reopened Frick CollectionTue, 22 Jul 2025 19:15:59 +0000Astronomers Discover 'Ammonite,' a Mysterious Distant Object That Could Shed Light on Our Solar System's Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discover-ammonite-a-mysterious-distant-object-that-could-shed-light-on-our-solar-systems-history-180987019/The celestial body's unusual orbit “implies that something extraordinary occurred" in the early days of the solar system—and throws a wrench in the Planet Nine ideaTue, 22 Jul 2025 17:25:27 +0000These Bananas Duct-Taped to the Wall Are Worth Millions. Hungry Museumgoers Keep Eating Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-bananas-duct-taped-to-the-wall-are-worth-millions-hungry-museumgoers-keep-eating-them-180987017/A visitor recently ate the banana from Maurizio Cattelan's "Comedian," which was on view at the Center Pompidou-Metz. The artwork, which sold for $6.2 million last year, has met this fate beforeTue, 22 Jul 2025 16:04:28 +0000Today Will Likely Be Shorter Than Usual, and It Will Happen Again in August. Here's Whyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/today-will-likely-be-shorter-than-usual-and-it-will-happen-again-in-august-heres-why-180986989/Because of the moon’s position, Earth is rotating just over a millisecond faster than usual on a few days this summerTue, 22 Jul 2025 11:59:33 +0000A Child's Skull That Has Long Confounded Archaeologists Might Be a Human-Neanderthal Hybrid, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-childs-skull-that-has-long-confounded-archaeologists-might-be-a-human-neanderthal-hybrid-study-suggests-180986981/According to new CT scans and models, parts of the 140,000-year-old skull resemble those of modern humans, while the jaw appears to be more similar to those of our extinct relativesMon, 21 Jul 2025 21:12:20 +0000'Robo-Bunnies' Are the Newest Weapon in the Fight Against Invasive Burmese Pythons in Floridahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/robo-bunnies-are-the-newest-weapon-in-the-fight-against-invasive-burmese-pythons-in-florida-180987018/Scientists are experimenting with robotic rabbits in hopes of luring the destructive snakes out of hiding so they can be euthanizedMon, 21 Jul 2025 18:55:14 +0000Darth Vader's Lightsaber From the 'Star Wars' Original Trilogy Is Heading to Auction for the First Time Everhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/darth-vaders-lightsaber-from-the-star-wars-original-trilogy-is-heading-to-auction-for-the-first-time-ever-180987000/The iconic prop, which is expected to fetch up to $3 million, will be sold in September alongside other pieces of movie memorabiliaMon, 21 Jul 2025 18:43:25 +0000How Do Dogs Watch TV? That Might Depend on Their Personalities, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-dogs-watch-tv-that-might-depend-on-their-personalities-new-research-suggests-180987014/A survey-based study reveals how different dogs react to elements on TV, suggesting that personalized television enrichment could support animal welfare in shelters or at homeMon, 21 Jul 2025 17:23:40 +0000Fossil Flipper Reveals Ichthyosaurs Hunted in Lethal Silence With Unique Adaptations for Stealthhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fossil-flipper-reveals-ichthyosaurs-hunted-in-lethal-silence-with-unique-adaptations-for-stealth-180987015/An analysis of a roughly 180-million-year-old fossil fin reveals serrations and flexibility that might have served to dampen sound as the predator swamMon, 21 Jul 2025 14:52:30 +0000Germany's Stunning Fairytale Castles Added to UNESCO's World Heritage Listhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/germanys-stunning-fairytale-castles-added-to-unescos-world-heritage-list-180987007/Built under the rule of Ludwig II, the grand palace complexes in Bavaria were among 26 new sites granted world heritage statusMon, 21 Jul 2025 14:40:04 +0000One of the Rosebud Sleds From 'Citizen Kane' Just Became the Second Most Expensive Piece of Movie Memorabilia Ever Soldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-the-rosebud-sleds-from-citizen-kane-just-became-the-second-most-expensive-piece-of-movie-memorabilia-ever-sold-180987012/The iconic prop, which went for $14.75 million at auction, is one of several sleds used in the production of Orson Welles' 1941 classicFri, 18 Jul 2025 21:21:29 +0000Researchers Discover the Trick That Allows Burmese Pythons to Digest the Bones of Their Preyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-discover-the-trick-that-allows-burmese-pythons-to-digest-the-bones-of-their-prey-180987006/Special intestinal cells collect excess minerals into particles the snakes can poop out, according to a new studyFri, 18 Jul 2025 18:34:47 +0000For the First Time, Astronomers Capture 'Smoking Gun' of Early Solar System Formationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-astronomers-capture-smoking-gun-of-early-solar-system-formation-180987016/Telescopes detected the first stages of hot minerals condensing from gas around a young star called HOPS-315Fri, 18 Jul 2025 17:49:12 +0000Invasive Golden Oyster Mushrooms Are Crowding Out Native Fungi and Could Slash Biodiversity in Forests, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/invasive-golden-oyster-mushrooms-are-crowding-out-native-fungi-and-could-slash-biodiversity-in-forests-study-suggests-180987003/Researchers found that trees in Wisconsin that had become hosts to the eye-catching species hosted only half the fungal biodiversity of trees that had not been invadedFri, 18 Jul 2025 16:37:38 +0000Edvard Munch Was Haunted by Physical and Mental Illnesses—but He Was Also Fascinated by Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/edvard-munch-was-haunted-by-physical-and-mental-illnesses-but-he-was-also-fascinated-by-them-180987001/Known as the painter of "The Scream," the Norwegian artist and his loved ones spent many years suffering from health conditions. A new exhibition explores how the world of medicine influenced his artFri, 18 Jul 2025 14:22:41 +0000Archaeologists Discover Site Where George Washington Stopped a Friendly Fire Incident by Blocking Muskets With His Swordhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-site-where-george-washington-stopped-a-friendly-fire-incident-by-blocking-muskets-with-his-sword-180987008/In 1758, during the French and Indian War, the future president saved lives by stepping into the middle of a deadly skirmish in PennsylvaniaFri, 18 Jul 2025 10:30:00 +0000Cut Marks on Animal Bones Suggest Neanderthal Groups Had Their Own Unique Culinary Traditionshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cut-marks-on-animal-bones-suggest-neanderthal-groups-had-their-own-unique-culinary-traditions-180987002/Neanderthals in two nearby caves used different techniques when butchering animal carcasses in what is now Israel, according to a new paperThu, 17 Jul 2025 20:06:47 +0000Man Arrested for Trying to Break the Glass Protecting the Stone of Destiny in Scotlandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/man-arrested-for-trying-to-break-the-glass-protecting-the-scone-of-destiny-in-scotland-180986997/The symbolic artifact, which has been used for centuries during the coronations of Scottish and English monarchs, is on display at the Perth MuseumThu, 17 Jul 2025 19:33:49 +0000Scientists Have Never Confirmed a Meteorite From Mercury. Could These Space Rocks From the Desert Be the First?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-never-confirmed-a-meteorite-from-mercury-could-these-space-rocks-from-the-desert-be-the-first-180987004/Two meteorites found in the Sahara show tantalizing similarities to the innermost planet, and while researchers say they are likely not direct samples, “one cannot rule out” the ideaThu, 17 Jul 2025 18:45:49 +0000Archaeologists Find 300-Year-Old Shipwreck in What Used to Be 'One of the Baddest Pirate Lairs on Earth'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-find-300-year-old-shipwreck-in-what-used-to-be-one-of-the-baddest-pirate-lairs-on-earth-180986983/Pirates attacked the Portuguese warship, named the "Nossa Senhora do Cabo," and made off with many of the treasures the ship was transporting from India to PortugalThu, 17 Jul 2025 17:41:12 +0000Dinosaurs Gathered to Perform Mating Dances With Kicks and Spins at This Site in Colorado—and You Can Go See It for Yourselfhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dinosaurs-gathered-to-perform-mating-dances-with-kicks-and-spins-at-this-site-in-colorado-and-you-can-go-see-it-for-yourself-180986995/Paleontologists have discovered what appears to be one of the largest dinosaur courtship arenas in the world, just 15 miles west of DenverThu, 17 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +0000Some Researchers Are Hiding Secret Messages in Their Papers, but They're Not Meant for Humanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-researchers-are-hiding-secret-messages-in-their-papers-but-theyre-not-meant-for-humans-180986996/Journalists have uncovered a handful of preprint academic studies with hidden prompts instructing A.I. reviewers to give positive responsesThu, 17 Jul 2025 14:23:30 +0000Ancient Erotic Mosaic Stolen From Pompeii During World War II Finally Returns Homehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-erotic-mosaic-stolen-from-pompeii-during-world-war-ii-finally-returns-home-180986992/A Nazi captain gave artwork, which depicts an intimate Roman romance, to a civilian. When he died, his heirs decided to return the piece to ItalyThu, 17 Jul 2025 14:07:11 +0000Underwater Archaeologists Were Looking for a Lost Shipwreck in Wisconsin. They Stumbled Upon a Different Vessel Insteadhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/underwater-archaeologists-were-looking-for-a-lost-shipwreck-in-wisconsin-they-stumbled-upon-a-different-vessel-instead-180986990/Researchers think they have located the final resting place of the "L.W. Crane," a wooden side-wheel steam ship that caught fire and sank in the Fox River in 1880Wed, 16 Jul 2025 20:55:43 +0000Video Reveals an Unlikely Bond Between Ocelots and Opossums in the Amazon, Walking Together Like 'Old Friends'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/video-reveals-an-unlikely-bond-between-ocelots-and-opossums-in-the-amazon-walking-together-like-old-friends-180986994/Researchers captured the footage by surprise, with cameras initially set up to record bird behaviorWed, 16 Jul 2025 19:50:17 +0000A Tiny Typo May Explain a Centuries-Old Mystery About Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' and 'Troilus and Criseyde'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-tiny-typo-may-explain-a-centuries-old-mystery-about-chaucers-canterbury-tales-and-troilus-and-criseyde-180986991/The medieval writer made puzzling references to a story called "The Song of Wade," which has been lost to history. Only a few lines quoted—or perhaps misquoted—in a 12th-century sermon surviveWed, 16 Jul 2025 19:50:07 +0000Physicists Detect the Most Massive Black Hole Merger Ever Observed by Studying Gravitational Waveshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/physicists-detect-the-most-massive-black-hole-merger-ever-observed-by-studying-gravitational-waves-180986988/A short-lived ripple in space-time revealed that two black holes merged into a giant black hole with the mass of 225 sunsWed, 16 Jul 2025 18:30:48 +0000Scientists Recover Ancient Proteins From Animal Teeth Up to 24 Million Years Old, Opening Doors to Learning About the Pasthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-recover-ancient-proteins-from-animal-teeth-up-to-24-million-years-old-opening-doors-to-learning-about-the-past-180986966/Two new papers analyze fossils found in Canada and Kenya, respectively—vastly different environments for the preservation of genetic materialWed, 16 Jul 2025 15:59:00 +0000New York City Loft Filled With 280,000 Pounds of Dirt Lives on After Death of Beloved Caretakerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-york-city-loft-filled-with-280000-pounds-of-dirt-lives-on-after-death-of-beloved-caretaker-180986985/Bill Dilworth, who died at age 70, had carefully maintained the curious art installation—known as "The New York City Earth Room"—and charmed visitors since 1989Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:03:19 +0000The U.S. Army Is Getting Rid of Most of Its Ceremonial Horse Unitshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-us-army-is-getting-rid-of-most-of-its-ceremonial-horse-units-180986976/Senior military leaders at five forts will have one year to transfer, adopt out or donate the horses under their commandTue, 15 Jul 2025 20:43:09 +0000Meet the First Barbie With Type 1 Diabetes. Her Colorful Accessories Showcase the Tools People Use to Treat the Chronic Diseasehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-first-barbie-with-type-1-diabetes-her-colorful-accessories-showcase-the-tools-people-use-to-treat-the-chronic-disease-180986986/The new doll boasts a pink continuous glucose monitor to track blood sugar levels and a pink insulin pumpTue, 15 Jul 2025 18:58:40 +0000Preserved Blood Vessels Discovered in a Rib Bone From the World's Largest T. Rex Could Shed Light on How Dinosaurs Healedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/preserved-blood-vessels-discovered-in-a-rib-bone-from-the-worlds-largest-t-rex-could-shed-light-on-how-dinosaurs-healed-180986987/Scotty, a specimen unearthed in Canada, was probably injured in a fight, then died several months laterTue, 15 Jul 2025 18:38:56 +0000Does This Ancient Rock Carving Depict One of Egypt's Earliest Rulers?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/does-this-ancient-rock-carving-depict-one-of-egypts-earliest-rulers-180986980/New research suggests the engraving, which shows an elite individual sitting in a boat, may be up to 5,100 years oldTue, 15 Jul 2025 18:26:05 +0000A Rare Renaissance Fresco That Could Be One of Fra Angelico's Earliest Works Has Been Restored to Its Former Gloryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-renaissance-fresco-that-could-be-one-of-fra-angelicos-earliest-works-has-been-restored-to-its-former-glory-180986977/Located in a secluded convent outside of Florence, the 600-year-old artwork was concealed behind layers of paint for most of its historyTue, 15 Jul 2025 15:54:53 +0000Enemy Ant Colonies Are Peaceful Roommates in Apartment-Like Plants on Fiji. Scientists Discovered How This Delicate Coexistence Workshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/enemy-ant-colonies-are-peaceful-roommates-in-apartment-like-plants-on-fiji-scientists-discovered-how-this-delicate-coexistence-works-180986971/New research explores the surprising symbiotic relationship between tubers and different ant species at rainforest heightsTue, 15 Jul 2025 12:28:05 +0000Have Eagle-Eyed Experts Found This 316-Year-Old Stradivarius Violin That Was Looted During World War II?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/have-eagle-eyed-experts-found-this-316-year-old-stradivarius-violin-that-was-looted-during-world-war-ii-180986962/Eight decades after the 1709 violin known as the "Small Mendelssohn" disappeared, experts think they've located it in JapanMon, 14 Jul 2025 20:14:12 +0000An Arizona Resident Died From the Plague. Here's What to Know About the Rare Diseasehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-arizona-resident-died-from-the-plague-heres-what-to-know-about-the-rare-disease-180986982/The patient had the pneumonic plague, the rarest and deadliest form of the disease. Human cases remain very uncommon in the United States, though plague is endemic to the western part of the countryMon, 14 Jul 2025 20:03:27 +0000Historic Grand Canyon Lodge Destroyed by Wildfire as Blaze Continues Across National Park's North Rimhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-grand-canyon-lodge-destroyed-by-wildfire-as-blaze-continues-across-national-parks-north-rim-180986978/Constructed in 1937, the lodge was one of dozens of buildings consumed by the fast-moving Dragon Bravo wildfire, which has raged across thousands of acresMon, 14 Jul 2025 19:18:37 +0000A California Gull Hitched a Ride on a Garbage Truck and Took an 80-Mile Journey to a Compost Facility. Then It Happened Againhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-california-gull-hitched-a-ride-on-a-garbage-truck-and-took-an-80-mile-journey-to-a-compost-facility-then-it-happened-again-180986979/GPS tracking data showed the bird zooming across bridges and interstates at 60 miles per hour on two occasions in 2018Mon, 14 Jul 2025 18:31:00 +0000Check Out Ten Spectacular Space Images From the Astronomy Photographer of the Year Contesthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/check-out-ten-spectacular-space-images-from-the-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-contest-180986960/The annual competition for professional and amateur astrophotographers released its shortlisted images, which capture the beauty of the cosmos seen from EarthMon, 14 Jul 2025 18:14:39 +0000The Largest Section of the Beloved Sycamore Gap Tree Is Going on Display in Englandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-largest-section-of-the-beloved-sycamore-gap-tree-is-going-on-display-in-england-180986969/The iconic tree was illegally chopped down in September 2023, but its memory will live on in the form of a new art installation that invites visitors to touch—and even embrace—a piece of its trunkMon, 14 Jul 2025 17:25:12 +0000Greenland Sled Dog DNA Reveals a Story of Human Migration and Ancestry of the Unique Breedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/greenland-sled-dog-dna-reveals-a-story-of-human-migration-and-ancestry-of-the-unique-breed-180986975/Researchers analyzed ancient and modern genetic samples of the Greenlandic Qimmit breed to shed light on the long relationship between the Inuit and their dogs in the ArcticMon, 14 Jul 2025 17:06:56 +0000A Paleontologist Matched Two Halves of the Same Fossil Stored at Different Museums—and Discovered a New Specieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-paleontologist-matched-two-halves-of-the-same-fossil-stored-at-different-museums-and-discovered-a-new-species-180986974/Meet Sphenodraco scandentis, a tree-dwelling, lizard-like reptile that roamed around with the dinosaurs during the Late Jurassic period roughly 145 million years agoFri, 11 Jul 2025 21:13:38 +0000Archaeologists Unearth Treasure-Filled Tomb Belonging to the First Known Ruler of a Maya City in Belizehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-treasure-filled-tomb-belonging-to-the-first-known-ruler-of-a-maya-city-in-belize-180986972/Te K'ab Chaak was a wealthy warrior king who rose to power in 331 C.E. His burial is the first royal tomb found in the ancient city of CaracolFri, 11 Jul 2025 20:16:31 +0000Neanderthals May Have Been Running a Sophisticated 'Fat Factory' in Germany 125,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neanderthals-may-have-been-running-a-sophisticated-fat-factory-in-germany-125000-years-ago-180986951/New research suggests that they smashed animal bones into tiny pieces before boiling them to extract the high-calorie grease insideFri, 11 Jul 2025 18:01:03 +0000These 'Weird' Sea Spiders Don't Have Abdomens—and Instead Store Organs in Their Legs. With DNA, Scientists Are Learning Whyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-weird-sea-spiders-dont-have-abdomens-and-instead-store-organs-in-their-legs-with-dna-scientists-are-learning-why-180986934/Researchers sequenced the knotty sea spider’s genome for the first time, revealing a missing gene that many other animals haveFri, 11 Jul 2025 17:53:00 +0000Stolen Historic Documents Surface in Attic—Ten Years After an Employee Used Them as Collateral to Borrow Moneyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stolen-historic-documents-surface-in-attic-ten-years-after-an-employee-used-them-as-collateral-to-borrow-money-180986965/The thief likely took the trove when he worked for the Dutch National Archives in 2015. Recently, someone found them in storage and contacted art detective Arthur BrandFri, 11 Jul 2025 14:06:28 +0000The Louvre Is Asking Architects to Submit Their Design Ideas for an Ambitious $316 Million Expansionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-louvre-is-asking-architects-to-submit-their-design-ideas-for-an-ambitious-316-million-expansion-180986955/The Paris museum has launched a competition to design a new entrance and underground exhibition spaces, including one dedicated to the "Mona Lisa"Thu, 10 Jul 2025 21:22:41 +0000'Nothing Short of Magical': Scientists Discover a Dinosaur Bone Nearly 800 Feet Beneath a Parking Lot at a Denver Museumhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nothing-short-of-magical-scientists-discover-a-dinosaur-bone-nearly-800-feet-beneath-a-parking-lot-at-a-denver-museum-180986967/The partial vertebra appeared inside a 2.5-inch-diameter column of rock that researchers drilled, earning the title of the oldest and deepest dinosaur fossil found in DenverThu, 10 Jul 2025 19:44:42 +0000Mysterious 'Red Sprite' Appears in NASA Astronaut Photo From the Space Station. What Is This Strange Electrical Flare?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-red-sprite-appears-in-nasa-astronaut-photo-from-the-space-station-what-is-this-strange-electrical-flare-180986946/Red sprites are among a class of enigmatic weather phenomena that appear over thunderstorms, known as Transient Luminous EventsThu, 10 Jul 2025 17:36:54 +0000Lost Bow of American Warship Found Eight Decades After It Was Blown Off by a Japanese Torpedo in World War IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lost-bow-of-american-warship-found-eight-decades-after-it-was-blown-off-by-a-japanese-torpedo-in-world-war-ii-180986959/After the attack, crews sailed the USS "New Orleans" backwards for more than 1,000 miles across the Pacific. Since then, the location of the vessel's bow has been a mysteryThu, 10 Jul 2025 16:39:21 +0000See Ten Stunning Images From the International Aerial Photographer of the Year Awardshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-15-stunning-images-from-the-international-aerial-photographer-of-the-year-awards-180986952/Breathtaking views of glaciers, volcanoes and animals were celebrated in the competition’s inaugural yearThu, 10 Jul 2025 15:28:30 +0000Archaeologists Unveil a 3,500-Year-Old City in Peru That Sheds Light on the Caral Culturehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unveil-a-3500-year-old-city-in-peru-that-sheds-light-on-the-caral-culture-180986944/Known as Peñico, the city is now open to tourists. It was once a vibrant urban center that connected coastal, mountain and jungle communitiesThu, 10 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000Something Strange Is Happening to Tomatoes Growing on the Galápagos Islandshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/something-strange-is-happening-to-tomatoes-growing-on-the-galapagos-islands-180986956/Scientists say wild tomato plants on the archipelago's western islands are experiencing "reverse evolution" and reverting back to ancestral traitsWed, 09 Jul 2025 20:29:28 +0000The 230-Foot-Long Bayeux Tapestry Is Returning Home to England for the First Time in Nearly 1,000 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-230-foot-long-bayeux-tapestry-is-returning-home-to-england-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-1000-years-180986961/The tapestry, which depicts the Norman conquest of England, will be on display at the British Museum in 2026. Officials have been trying to arrange the loan for decadesWed, 09 Jul 2025 20:24:43 +0000A Massive Underwater Fossil Find Includes Remains From Ancient Human Ancestorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-massive-underwater-fossil-find-includes-remains-from-ancient-human-ancestors-180986957/More than 6,000 animal fossils were found in Indonesia, and two of them belong to Homo erectusWed, 09 Jul 2025 18:14:26 +0000Melting Glaciers Will Lead to More Volcanic Eruptions, Study Suggests. Now, All Eyes Are On Antarcticahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/melting-glaciers-will-likely-lead-to-more-volcanic-eruptions-study-suggests-now-all-eyes-are-on-antarctica-180986945/New research from the Chilean Patagonia has identified a link between glacial retreat and underground volcanic activityWed, 09 Jul 2025 17:47:56 +0000The Architect Who Designed the Iconic Entrances to the Paris Métro Is Finally Getting the Attention He Deserveshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-architect-who-designed-the-iconic-entrances-to-the-paris-metro-is-finally-getting-the-attention-he-deserves-180986948/When Hector Guimard's subway designs were unveiled in the early 1900s, the public rejected his Art Nouveau style. Soon, a new museum devoted to his work will open in the cityWed, 09 Jul 2025 17:46:30 +0000Archaeologists Unearth Traces of an Iron Age Settlement and Roman Villa in Englandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-traces-of-an-iron-age-settlement-and-roman-villa-in-england-180986943/The excavation, which followed the discovery of two Roman swords in 2023, is providing historians with fresh insights into Britain’s ancient historyWed, 09 Jul 2025 14:56:44 +0000The Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After the Devastating Palisades Firehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-getty-villa-reopens-six-months-after-the-devastating-palisades-fire-180986905/The iconic Los Angeles venue is welcoming visitors back with a new exhibition featuring artworks and artifacts from ancient GreeceTue, 08 Jul 2025 20:49:34 +0000A Rare, Pregnant Ichthyosaur Fossil Discovered in Chile Is Revealing More Secrets About the Early Cretaceous Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-pregnant-ichthyosaur-fossil-discovered-in-chile-is-reavealing-more-secrets-about-the-early-cretaceous-world-180986936/The fossil helps scientists better understand not just the animal, but our planet's geologyTue, 08 Jul 2025 19:51:14 +0000This Museum Is Asking Visitors Whether It Should Continue to Display Mummified Human Remainshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-museum-is-asking-visitors-whether-it-should-continue-to-display-mummified-human-remains-180986942/The Manchester Museum in England is inviting guests to share feedback on Asru, an ancient Egyptian woman whose body was unwrapped 200 years agoTue, 08 Jul 2025 18:57:28 +0000The Largest Martian Meteorite in the World Is Heading to Auction and Could Sell for $4 Millionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-largest-martian-meteorite-in-the-world-is-heading-to-auction-and-could-sell-for-4-million-180986947/Discovered in Niger in 2023, the rare chunk weighs 54 pounds and represents more than 6 percent of all Mars material on EarthTue, 08 Jul 2025 17:39:02 +0000U.S. Measles Cases Reach a Record High Since the Disease Was Declared Eliminated 25 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/us-measles-cases-reach-a-record-high-since-the-disease-was-declared-eliminated-25-years-ago-180986938/With nearly six months left in the year, the total number of cases so far in 2025 has surpassed every year since 1992Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:21:03 +0000Jane Austen Never Loved Bath—but Bath Loves Jane Austen. Now, the City Is Exploring Why the Novelist Was So Unhappy Therehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jane-austen-never-loved-bath-but-bath-loves-jane-austen-now-the-city-is-exploring-why-the-novelist-was-so-unhappy-there-180986929/To celebrate the author's 250th birthday, a new exhibition spotlights her complicated relationship with the English city where she set parts of "Persuasion" and "Northanger Abbey"Tue, 08 Jul 2025 14:36:07 +0000The Vatican's Newly Restored Raphael Rooms Spotlight the Great Artist Who Died Before Finishing His Final Projecthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-vaticans-newly-restored-raphael-rooms-spotlight-the-great-artist-who-died-before-finishing-his-final-project-180986925/As specialists cleaned and studied the rooms in the Apostolic Palace, they learned new information about the Renaissance painter's experimental techniquesMon, 07 Jul 2025 21:20:08 +0000Bear-Sized Giant Beavers Once Roamed North America, and They're Now the Official State Fossil of Minnesotahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bear-sized-giant-beaver-once-roamed-north-america-and-theyre-now-the-official-state-fossil-of-minnesota-180986937/The large, extinct creatures roamed the Twin Cities area more than 10,000 years ago and could grow to more than 200 poundsMon, 07 Jul 2025 19:51:00 +0000Scientists Have Sequenced an Ancient Egyptian Skeleton's Entire Genome for the Very First Time. Here's What They Foundhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-sequenced-an-ancient-egyptian-skeletons-entire-genome-for-the-very-first-time-heres-what-they-found-180986935/Dating back more than 4,500 years, the skeleton belonged to a middle-aged man who may have worked as a potter and likely descended from ancestors in North Africa and MesopotamiaMon, 07 Jul 2025 19:26:52 +0000A Rare Interstellar Object Is Blazing Through Our Solar System, Marking Only the Third Cosmic Visitor on Recordhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-interstellar-object-is-blazing-through-our-solar-system-marking-only-the-third-cosmic-visitor-on-record-180986931/The comet follows just two other deep space objects documented by astronomers in 2017 and 2019Mon, 07 Jul 2025 18:06:08 +0000Archaeologists Discover Roman Army Camp in the Netherlands—15 Miles Beyond the Empire's Northern Borderhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-roman-army-camp-in-the-netherlands-15-miles-beyond-the-empires-northern-border-180986910/Researchers think the camp was built during the second century C.E. Stretching across 22 acres, it was identified using a computer model developed by an archaeology studentMon, 07 Jul 2025 15:49:04 +0000Rare Appearance of Two Novas at Once Illuminates the Southern Sky. Here's How to Get a Chance to See Ithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-appearance-of-two-novas-at-once-illuminates-the-southern-sky-heres-how-to-get-a-chance-to-see-it-180986928/The "new stars" are best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, but people have spotted them from the United States by looking near the southern horizonThu, 03 Jul 2025 21:57:07 +0000These Cod Have Been Shrinking Dramatically for Decades. Now, Scientists Say They've Solved the Mysteryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-cod-have-been-shrinking-dramatically-for-decades-now-scientists-say-theyve-solved-the-mystery-180986920/Eastern Baltic cod grow to much smaller sizes than they did just 30 years ago, because overfishing altered their genes, according to new researchThu, 03 Jul 2025 20:29:45 +0000Four Bewildering Bronze Lions' Heads With Slightly Different Facial Expressions Found in Ancient Roman Grave in Israelhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/four-bewildering-bronze-lions-heads-with-slightly-different-facial-expressions-found-in-ancient-roman-grave-in-israel-180986922/Similar examples of ancient lion artifacts appear to have been used as door knockers. But the newly discovered discs may have served a different purposeThu, 03 Jul 2025 17:47:45 +0000Scientists Shed Light on the Mysterious 'Cold Blob' in the North Atlantic Amid a Search for Its Causehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-shed-light-on-the-mysterious-cold-blob-in-the-north-atlantic-amid-a-search-for-its-cause-180986923/In two recent studies, researchers suggest a weakening ocean current system is to blame for a persistent cold spot in the Atlantic Ocean, though other factors may also be at playThu, 03 Jul 2025 16:58:16 +0000Fishermen in the Brazilian Amazon Discover Enormous Funerary Urns Beneath a Toppled Treehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fishermen-in-the-brazilian-amazon-discover-enormous-funerary-urns-beneath-a-toppled-tree-180986926/The ceramic vessels contained the bones of pre-Columbian Indigenous people, as well as fish, frog and turtle remainsThu, 03 Jul 2025 16:53:06 +0000A Rare Copy of the 13th Amendment Signed by Abraham Lincoln Sells for a Record $13.7 Millionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-copy-of-the-13th-amendment-signed-by-abraham-lincoln-sells-for-a-record-13-7-million-180986917/Kenneth Griffin, the billionaire art collector and hedge fund founder, purchased the document that abolished slavery, as well as a copy of the Emancipation ProclamationThu, 03 Jul 2025 14:47:29 +0000Rare Blanket of Snow Falls in Chile's Atacama, the World's Driest Deserthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-blanket-of-snow-falls-in-chiles-atacama-the-worlds-driest-desert-180986921/The extraordinary event temporarily shut down equipment at the ALMA Observatory, and the snow reached the telescope's main operations facility for the first time in 12 yearsWed, 02 Jul 2025 19:40:37 +0000Gas Workers Digging Beneath the Streets of Lima Stumble Upon 1,000-Year-Old Mummy With Dark Brown Hairhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/gas-workers-digging-beneath-the-streets-of-lima-stumble-upon-1000-year-old-mummy-with-dark-brown-hair-180986924/The burial belonged to a child who may have lived among fishermen from the Chancay culture, which thrived in Peru before the rise of the Inca EmpireWed, 02 Jul 2025 19:29:18 +0000This Dugout Canoe Made From a 12-Foot-Long Log Was Found Bobbing in a North Carolina Riverhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-dugout-canoe-made-from-a-12-foot-long-log-was-found-bobbing-in-a-north-carolina-river-180986898/The newly discovered vessel is one of 79 known dugout canoes that have been unearthed throughout the stateWed, 02 Jul 2025 18:32:30 +0000Southern Hemisphere Gull Seen in Wisconsin for the First Time, Drawing Tourists for a Rare Glimpse of the Out-of-Place Birdhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/southern-hemisphere-gull-seen-in-wisconsin-for-the-first-time-drawing-tourists-for-a-rare-glimpse-of-the-out-of-place-bird-180986918/The vagrant kelp gull mated with a local herring gull, though the chick did not survive. Experts say it's a "complete mystery" how the bird came to nest so far north in the first placeWed, 02 Jul 2025 15:40:32 +0000Ancient DNA Reveals That Men Moved in With Their Brides' Families in This Neolithic Settlementhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-dna-reveals-that-men-moved-in-with-their-brides-families-in-this-neolithic-settlement-180986915/A new study suggests that a 9,000-year-old society in Catalhoyuk, a proto-city in southern Anatolia, may have established a "female-centered" social structureWed, 02 Jul 2025 11:15:00 +0000A New Memorial Will Honor Elizabeth II With a Bridge Inspired by Her Diamond-Studded Wedding Tiarahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-memorial-will-honor-elizabeth-ii-with-a-bridge-inspired-by-her-diamond-studded-wedding-tiara-180986906/A British architecture firm has been selected to design the queen's memorial in London, which will include a translucent bridge that evokes her wedding tiara's delicate silhouetteTue, 01 Jul 2025 20:32:51 +0000Orcas Appear to Be Sharing Their Prey With Humans—but What Does It Mean?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/orcas-appear-to-be-sharing-their-prey-with-humans-but-what-does-it-mean-180986913/Researchers documented 34 instances of purported prey-sharing behavior, which suggests orcas may be altruistic and capable of recognizing sentience in another speciesTue, 01 Jul 2025 20:21:19 +0000These Medieval Monks Scribbled Notes in the Margins of Their Books More Than 1,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-medieval-monks-scribbled-notes-in-the-margins-of-their-books-more-than-1000-years-ago-180986877/A new exhibition in Dublin showcases historic manuscripts written in Irish monasteries. The show also features medieval artifacts, such as a rare book shrine found in a river in the 1980sTue, 01 Jul 2025 18:51:48 +0000Scientists Built a Canoe Using Only Prehistoric Tools. Then They Sailed the Dangerous 140-Mile Route Early Humans Traveled 30,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-built-a-canoe-using-only-prehistoric-tools-then-they-sailed-the-dangerous-140-mile-route-early-humans-traveled-30000-years-ago-180986900/Five paddlers journeyed from Taiwan to Japan’s southern Yonaguni Island in 45 hours. Their efforts provide new insights into prehistoric mariners' tools and techniquesTue, 01 Jul 2025 16:57:20 +0000Ultra-Bright Meteor Seen in Broad Daylight, Stunning Residents Across the Southeasthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ultra-bright-meteor-seen-in-broad-daylight-stunning-residents-across-the-southeast-180986904/More than 200 sightings were sent to the American Meteor Society, and a Georgia resident reported a rock falling through a roof around the same timeTue, 01 Jul 2025 15:20:36 +0000More Than One-Third of Tuvalu's Population Has Applied for a 'Climate Visa' to Relocate to Australiahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-than-one-third-of-tuvalus-population-has-applied-for-a-climate-visa-to-relocate-to-australia-180986902/The world-first climate visa agreement will grant permanent residency status to 280 Tuvaluans per year as the island nation grapples with sea-level riseMon, 30 Jun 2025 20:50:51 +0000This Young Woman With a Cone-Shaped Skull Died After Suffering a Severe Head Wound 6,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-young-woman-with-a-cone-shaped-skull-died-after-suffering-a-severe-head-wound-6000-years-ago-180986894/Found in the Chega Sofla cemetery in Iran, the skull appears to have been struck by a blunt object. Archaeologists don't know whether the incident was intentional or accidentalMon, 30 Jun 2025 20:49:59 +0000Need to Solve a Problem? Try Taking a Deep Power Nap for an 'Aha' Moment, Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/need-to-solve-a-problem-try-taking-a-deep-power-nap-for-an-aha-moment-research-suggests-180986901/A new study finds that entering N2 sleep—a deep phase of non-rapid eye movement sleep—may help lead to more “eureka” breakthroughsMon, 30 Jun 2025 19:27:23 +0000Divorce Papers and Sauce-Stained Sleeves Reveal the Personal Side of Napoleon's Rise and Fallhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/divorce-papers-and-sauce-stained-sleeves-reveal-the-personal-side-of-napoleons-rise-and-fall-180986896/More than 100 objects connected to the French emperor just sold at auction. The collection sheds light on the man and the myth in stunningly intimate detailMon, 30 Jun 2025 18:44:49 +0000These Killer Whales Make Tools From Kelp to Massage Each Other in a Newly Discovered Grooming Behaviorhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-killer-whales-make-tools-from-kelp-to-massage-each-other-in-a-newly-discovered-grooming-behavior-180986873/Dubbed "allokelping," it might be a unique cultural phenomenon that's as endangered as the orca population itselfMon, 30 Jun 2025 18:14:34 +0000Rare Amber Fossils Capture 'Zombie' Fungus Infecting Insects During a Time When Dinosaurs Still Walked the Earthhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-amber-fossils-capture-zombie-fungus-infecting-insects-during-a-time-when-dinosaurs-still-walked-the-earth-180986880/An ant and fly from the Cretaceous period offer insights into the history of Ophiocordyceps, the fungal parasite made popular by HBO's "The Last of Us"Mon, 30 Jun 2025 15:59:03 +0000Long-Lost Treasures Emerge From Lake During Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts in North Carolinahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-lost-treasures-emerge-from-lake-during-hurricane-helene-recovery-efforts-in-north-carolina-180986870/Officials are draining the water from Lake Lure to remove sediment and debris, revealing historic objects embedded in the dry lakebedMon, 30 Jun 2025 15:55:38 +0000The Louvre Invited 100 Contemporary Artists to Copy—and Reinterpret—Its Masterpieces. Here's What They Madehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-louvre-invited-100-contemporary-artists-to-copy-and-reinterpret-its-masterpieces-heres-what-they-made-180986881/The results range from faithful reproductions to complete reinventions of renowned works by artists such as Delacroix, Goya and VermeerFri, 27 Jun 2025 20:43:38 +0000'Enigmatic' Dog-Sized Dinosaur Reveals a New Species That Scampered Around Jurassic North Americahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/enigmatic-dog-sized-dinosaur-reveals-a-new-species-that-scampered-around-jurassic-north-america-180986895/The speedy, plant-eating creature lived in what is now Colorado roughly 150 million years ago, and its skeleton went on display in London this weekFri, 27 Jun 2025 20:01:06 +0000Astronomers Detected a Mysterious Radio Burst. It Turned Out to Be From a Dead NASA Satellitehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-detected-a-mysterious-radio-burst-it-turned-out-to-be-from-a-dead-nasa-satellite-180986884/The signal detected last year came from Relay 2, a communications satellite that has been defunct since 1967Fri, 27 Jun 2025 18:07:28 +0000Bricks From a Historic Atlantic City Church Are Getting a Second Life at the Smithsonian Castlehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bricks-from-a-historic-new-jersey-church-are-getting-a-second-life-at-the-smithsonian-castle-180986882/The First Presbyterian Church’s rare sandstone bricks will be transported to Washington, D.C., where they'll be used to restore a 170-year-old Smithsonian building on the National MallFri, 27 Jun 2025 17:45:21 +0000The James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Its First Direct Image Discovery of an Exoplanethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/james-webb-space-telescope-reveals-its-first-direct-image-discovery-of-an-exoplanet-180986886/Researchers identified the likely planetary candidate’s infrared light after blocking out its host star’s overwhelming glareFri, 27 Jun 2025 16:15:28 +0000A Sinkhole Opened Up on a Busy Street in England, Revealing the Remains of a Massive Medieval Hospitalhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-sinkhole-opened-up-on-a-street-in-england-revealing-the-remains-of-a-massive-medieval-hospital-180986890/Centuries ago, the site was home to St. Leonard's Hospital, a sprawling monastic facility that provided care to sick individuals and supplied meals for prisoners at nearby York CastleFri, 27 Jun 2025 15:47:43 +0000Museumgoer Posing for Photo Stumbles Into Portrait of Medici Prince, Damaging the Historic Paintinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/museumgoer-posing-for-photo-stumbles-into-portrait-of-medici-prince-damaging-historic-painting-180986891/The incident at the Uffizi Galleries is the latest in a series of tourist-related accidents at museums around the world. Now, the Florentine cultural institution plans to start limiting selfiesFri, 27 Jun 2025 15:31:43 +0000See How Marcel Duchamp Broke the Rules and Shocked the Art World Again and Againhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-how-marcel-duchamp-broke-the-rules-and-shocked-the-art-world-again-and-again-180986868/The subversive French artist is receiving his first retrospective in the United States in more than 50 years. Decades after his death, his work is still influencing contemporary artFri, 27 Jun 2025 14:57:22 +0000The World's Oldest Boomerang Is Even Older Than Scientists Thought, a New Analysis Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-oldest-boomerang-is-even-older-than-scientists-thought-a-new-analysis-suggests-180986885/Researchers revisited a crescent-shaped, mammoth tusk artifact discovered in Poland and estimated it’s around 40,000 years oldThu, 26 Jun 2025 20:50:00 +0000Why Were Ancient Statues of This Egyptian Female Pharaoh Destroyed?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-were-the-ancient-statues-of-this-egyptian-female-pharaoh-destroyed-180986883/Shattered depictions of Hatshepsut have long thought to be products of her successor’s violent hatred towards her, but a new study presents a different narrativeThu, 26 Jun 2025 19:30:43 +0000These Colorful Satellite Views Reveal Our Forests in Unprecedented Detail and Showcase the Potential of the New Biomass Missionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-colorful-satellite-views-reveal-our-forests-in-unprecedented-detail-and-showcase-the-potential-of-the-new-biomass-mission-180986878/The European Space Agency’s satellite will measure trunks, branches and stems in forests to shed light on how much carbon is stored in trees across various continentsThu, 26 Jun 2025 18:55:45 +0000See a Vibrant, Colorful Mosaic Discovered at an Ancient Roman Settlement in Francehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-vibrant-colorful-mosaic-discovered-at-ancient-roman-settlement-in-france-180986887/Perched on a hill overlooking the town of Alès, the site, which was salvaged before construction on modern houses began, also boasts advanced architectureThu, 26 Jun 2025 18:28:40 +0000Mysterious Radio Pulses Found in Antarctica Seem to Defy Physics, and Researchers Are Trying to Trace Their Originshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-may-be-closer-to-discovering-the-origins-of-physics-defying-radio-pulses-180986860/Strange signals detected by a NASA instrument more than a decade ago have continued to confound scientists, but a new paper rules out cosmic neutrinos as a sourceThu, 26 Jun 2025 16:42:38 +0000Diane Arbus' Largest-Ever Retrospective Features Photographs of Society's Celebrated and Marginalized Figureshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/diane-arbus-largest-ever-retrospective-features-photographs-of-societys-celebrated-and-marginalized-figures-180986833/With 454 images arranged with as little order as possible, viewers are encouraged to wander and make their own observations—much like Arbus did on the streets of New YorkWed, 25 Jun 2025 20:54:01 +0000These Lizards Mysteriously Survived the Asteroid Strike That Killed the Dinosaurs—and Their Descendants Are Still Alive Todayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-lizards-mysteriously-survived-the-asteroid-strike-that-killed-the-dinosaursand-their-descendants-are-still-alive-today-180986879/Small and elusive night lizards probably persisted because they have slow metabolisms and like to hide out in rock crevices, a new study suggestsWed, 25 Jun 2025 20:21:11 +0000See the Face of a 10,500-Year-Old Woman, Reconstructed by Archaeologists and Artistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-face-of-a-10500-year-old-woman-reconstructed-by-archaeologists-and-artists-180986852/Using well-preserved ancient DNA, researchers have created a life-like facial reconstruction of a woman who lived in Belgium's Meuse Valley during the Mesolithic periodWed, 25 Jun 2025 18:53:36 +0000See the Artworks That Explore the Forgotten History of Harriet Tubman's Civil War Triumphshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-artworks-that-explore-the-forgotten-history-of-harriet-tubmans-civil-war-triumphs-180986853/Tubman's 1863 raid, which destroyed seven plantations along the Combahee River in South Carolina and freed 756 enslaved laborers, is now the subject of an exhibition in CharlestonWed, 25 Jun 2025 18:00:09 +0000Ancient DNA Reveals Mysterious New Group of Humans in Colombia With No Genetic Ties to People Todayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-dna-reveals-mysterious-new-group-of-humans-in-colombia-with-no-genetic-ties-to-people-today-180986819/The previously undocumented lineage of hunter-gatherers seems to have disappeared around 2,000 years agoWed, 25 Jun 2025 16:44:09 +0000Archaeologists Say They've Pieced Together the Ancient Fragments of the 'World's Most Difficult Jigsaw Puzzle'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-say-theyve-pieced-together-the-ancient-fragments-of-theworlds-most-difficult-jigsaw-puzzle-180986855/More than 1,800 years ago, the thousands of pieces formed colorful frescoes that covered the walls of a luxurious villa in Londinium, the precursor to modern-day LondonWed, 25 Jun 2025 13:58:48 +0000Climate Activist Throws Bright Pink Paint on Glass Covering Picasso Painting in Montrealhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/climate-activist-throws-bright-pink-paint-on-glass-covering-picasso-painting-in-montreal-180986865/The stunt is part of an environmental organization's efforts to draw attention to the dangerous wildfires spreading through CanadaTue, 24 Jun 2025 21:28:18 +0000Doctors Detected a Mysterious Antibody in a French Woman's Body. It Turned Out to Be a Brand New Blood Typehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/doctors-detected-a-mysterious-antibody-in-a-french-womans-body-it-turned-out-to-be-a-brand-new-blood-type-180986866/Called "Gwada negative," it marks the discovery of the 48th known blood group system in humansTue, 24 Jun 2025 21:00:03 +0000This London Museum Lets You 'Order' Objects From Its Vast Collections—and Maybe Even Touch Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-london-museum-lets-you-order-items-from-its-vast-collections-and-maybe-even-touch-them-180986848/At the new V&A East Storehouse, visitors can get up close and personal with 250,000 historic and culturally significant items spanning 5,000 years of human creativityTue, 24 Jun 2025 19:13:22 +0000See the First Breathtaking Images Captured by the Powerful New Telescope at the Rubin Observatoryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-first-breathtaking-images-captured-by-the-powerful-new-telescope-at-the-rubin-observatory-180986867/Featuring never-before-seen views of galaxies and more than 2,100 newly discovered asteroids, the observations are only a taste of what to expect from the telescope's upcoming decade-long surveyTue, 24 Jun 2025 18:13:53 +0000Iconic 'Dragon Man' Skull Offers First Glimpse of What a Denisovan's Face Looked Like, New Genetic Studies Suggesthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/iconic-dragon-man-skull-offers-first-glimpse-of-what-a-denisovans-face-looked-like-new-genetic-studies-suggest-180986861/The mysterious ancient humans were only known from fossil fragments. Now, two papers argue a skull uncovered in China belongs to this group, after examining preserved DNA and proteinsTue, 24 Jun 2025 16:03:06 +0000The 2,000-Year-Old 'Perfume Garden' in the Ancient City of Pompeii Has Been Restored to Its Former Gloryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-2000-year-old-perfume-garden-in-the-ancient-city-of-pompeii-has-been-restored-to-its-former-glory-180986830/The small garden now features thousands of roses, violets, cherry trees and vines. Experts think a perfumer may have once used the plants to experiment with new scentsTue, 24 Jun 2025 15:37:22 +0000Archaeologists Unearth Artifacts From One of the Nation's Oldest Schools for Black Childrenhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-unearth-artifacts-from-one-of-the-nations-oldest-schools-for-black-children-180986863/News of the discoveries comes amid the opening of the Williamsburg Bray School building, which educated hundreds of free and enslaved Black children between 1760 and 1774Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:53:39 +0000Stunning New Image of the Sculptor Galaxy Captures the Cosmic Landscape in Thousands of Colorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stunning-new-image-of-the-sculptor-galaxy-captures-the-cosmic-landscape-in-thousands-of-colors-180986850/The galaxy sits in a sweet spot that allows astronomers to study it in ways that can't be applied to even our own Milky WayMon, 23 Jun 2025 20:03:21 +0000Australian Moths Are the First Known Insects to Navigate by the Stars, Revealing a Migratory Superpowerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australian-moths-are-the-first-known-insects-to-navigate-by-the-stars-revealing-a-migratory-superpower-180986857/Bogong moths use both Earth's magnetic field and the starry night sky to make twice-yearly migrations spanning hundreds of miles, according to new researchMon, 23 Jun 2025 19:05:30 +0000This Medieval Sword Pulled From a Dutch Riverbed Is Marked With Intricate Copper Symbolshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-sword-pulled-from-a-dutch-riverbed-is-marked-with-intricate-copper-symbols-180986858/The artifact was remarkably preserved for a millennium in anaerobic clay on a private estate near the city of MontfoortMon, 23 Jun 2025 18:51:01 +0000This Rare, 6,000-Year-Old Limestone Fertility Figurine Could Be Poland's Archaeological 'Find of the Century'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rare-6000-year-old-limestone-fertility-figurine-could-be-polands-archaeological-find-of-the-century-180986859/Dating back to the Neolithic era, the so-called Venus of Kolobrzeg is the first artifact of its kind unearthed in the European countryMon, 23 Jun 2025 18:13:57 +0000These Gold Coins May Solve the Mystery of the 'World's Richest Shipwreck,' Confirming Its Identity as a Legendary 18th-Century Galleonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-gold-coins-may-solve-the-mystery-of-the-worlds-richest-shipwreck-confirming-its-identity-as-a-legendary-18th-century-galleon-180986856/Minted in Peru in 1707, the money bolsters the evidence that the wreck is the Spanish ship "San José," which sank off the Colombian coast in 1708 with treasure worth billions on boardMon, 23 Jun 2025 11:15:00 +0000The World's Largest Camera Is About to Unveil Its First Photos of Space. Here's How to Follow Along With a Live Streamhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-largest-camera-is-about-to-unveil-its-first-photos-of-space-heres-how-to-follow-along-with-a-live-stream-180986851/The revolutionary Vera C. Rubin Observatory will unveil new insights about our universe—and you can catch a first look at a local event or online on MondayFri, 20 Jun 2025 20:58:03 +0000Explore the History of the Planet With David Attenborough at This New Immersive Experience in Londonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/explore-the-history-of-the-planet-with-david-attenborough-at-this-new-immersive-experience-in-london-180986836/"Our Story With David Attenborough" at the Natural History Museum is a 50-minute program that explores humankind's role in the planet's ongoing storyFri, 20 Jun 2025 20:52:36 +0000Paul Cézanne's Hometown of Aix-en-Provence Is Finally Celebrating Its Most Famous Native Sonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/paul-cezannes-hometown-of-aix-en-provence-is-finally-celebrating-its-most-famous-native-son-180986820/This summer, the artist's historic home and studio are opening to the public alongside a massive retrospective exhibition at the museum that once refused his worksFri, 20 Jun 2025 18:35:38 +0000Scientists Discover First Known Sea Spider Species That 'Eat' Methane With the Help of Bacteriahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-first-known-sea-spider-species-that-eat-methane-with-the-help-of-bacteria-180986846/The research offers new insights on interactions between creatures on the mysterious seafloor and sheds light on the methane cycleFri, 20 Jun 2025 18:28:01 +0000A Jar of Fossil Bones Long Stored at a Museum Led Scientists to Discover a Goblin-Like Lizard From 76 Million Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-jar-of-fossil-bones-long-stored-at-a-museum-led-scientists-to-discover-a-goblin-like-lizard-from-76-million-years-ago-180986843/Fossils described in a new study speak to a previously unknown large-bodied lizard diversity that existed alongside dinosaursFri, 20 Jun 2025 14:45:51 +0000Museumgoers Accidentally Break Fragile Crystal-Covered Chair Inspired by Vincent van Gogh Paintinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/museumgoers-accidentally-break-fragile-crystal-covered-chair-inspired-by-vincent-van-gogh-painting-180986842/Security footage shows the two museumgoers pretending to sit on the artwork as they pose for photos at the Palazzo Maffei in Italy. After the piece's front legs bucked, the pair left the museumFri, 20 Jun 2025 14:06:39 +0000These Never-Before-Seen Ceramics Show How Picasso Mastered New Art Formshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-never-before-seen-ceramics-show-how-picasso-mastered-new-art-forms-180986844/The artist's ceramic pieces combined practicality with aesthetics. Now, seven of his hand-painted dishes are heading to the auction blockWed, 18 Jun 2025 21:44:51 +0000Rare 16th-Century Shipwreck Discovered at Record Depth in French Watershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-16th-century-shipwreck-discovered-at-record-depth-in-french-waters-180986826/The 98-foot-long vessel was transporting ceramic jugs, ceramic plates and metal bars when it sank off southeastern France nearly 500 years agoWed, 18 Jun 2025 20:56:35 +0000Scavenger Animals Are in Trouble, and That Could Spell Bad News for Human Healthhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scavenger-animals-are-in-trouble-and-that-could-spell-bad-news-for-human-health-180986845/More than one-third of species that eat some amount of carrion are threatened or declining, a new analysis finds, and that could lead to a rise in zoonotic diseasesWed, 18 Jun 2025 19:57:40 +0000Texas Will Invest $50 Million in Ibogaine Research, Testing the Psychedelic Drug's Medical Potentialhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/texas-will-invest-50-million-in-ibogaine-research-testing-the-psychedelic-drugs-medical-potential-180986829/The state's new law marks one of the largest government investments into psychedelics to date, with advocates citing the drug's potential to help veterans with traumatic brain injury and PTSDWed, 18 Jun 2025 18:12:22 +0000Explore Art and Design in 1940s America Through These 250 Paintings, Photos, Posters and Artifactshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/explore-art-and-design-in-1940s-america-through-these-250-paintings-photos-posters-and-artifacts-180986816/A new exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art examines how artistic expression evolved throughout the war years and the postwar periodWed, 18 Jun 2025 17:38:04 +0000See Inside Jane Austen’s Lively Literary Mind Through Letters, Line Edits and Locks of Hairhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-inside-jane-austens-lively-literary-mind-through-letters-line-edits-and-locks-of-hair-180986791/To celebrate the author's 250th birthday, a new exhibition at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City features original manuscripts, financial records and correspondence with family and friendsTue, 17 Jun 2025 20:35:37 +0000The World’s 'Most Trafficked Mammal' Might Soon Be Protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Acthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-most-trafficked-mammal-might-soon-be-protected-on-the-us-endangered-species-act-180986832/The Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing seven species of pangolin, often poached for their scales and meat, as endangeredTue, 17 Jun 2025 20:34:39 +0000See the Beauty of an Artificial Solar Eclipse, Created With a First-of-Its-Kind, 'Perfect' Satellite Formationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-beauty-of-an-artificial-solar-eclipse-created-with-a-first-of-its-kind-perfect-satellite-formation-180986831/Two satellites’ highly precise alignment allows scientists to study the sun’s outer atmosphere like never beforeTue, 17 Jun 2025 18:44:00 +000014,000-Year-Old 'Puppies' Found in Siberia Were Wolf Littermates Who Dined on Woolly Rhinohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/14000-year-old-puppies-found-in-siberia-were-young-wolf-littermates-who-dined-on-wooly-rhino-180986834/Researchers studied chemicals found in the animals’ bones, teeth and tissues, as well as genetic material from their stomach contentsTue, 17 Jun 2025 18:31:10 +0000Could the Semicolon Die Out? Recent Analysis Finds a Decline in Its Usage in British Literature and Confusion Among U.K. Studentshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-the-semicolon-die-out-a-recent-study-finds-a-marked-decline-in-its-usage-180986689/Not only are semicolons evidently becoming more rare, but young people are less aware of how to use them, according to a surveyTue, 17 Jun 2025 16:17:09 +0000This Viking Woman Was Buried With a Small Dog at Her Feet 1,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-viking-woman-was-buried-with-a-small-dog-at-her-feet-1000-years-ago-180986792/Archaeologists unearthed the burial site during excavations in Norway. They say the discovery provides unique insights into the bonds humans form with their animalsTue, 17 Jun 2025 14:40:28 +0000The National Archives Museum Is Using A.I. to Take Visitors on an Immersive Journey Through American Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-national-archives-museum-is-using-ai-to-take-visitors-on-an-immersive-journey-through-american-history-180986784/Called "The American Story," the new permanent exhibition will guide museumgoers through two million historic documents and artifactsMon, 16 Jun 2025 20:07:11 +0000Scientists Are Using Drones to Unleash Thousands of Mosquitoes in Hawaii in a Bid to Save Native Birds. Here's How It Workshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-are-using-drones-to-unleash-thousands-of-mosquitoes-in-hawaii-in-a-bid-to-save-native-birds-heres-how-it-works-180986821/The lab-raised, non-biting male mosquitoes are meant to breed with the invasive ones on the islands and produce sterile eggs that will help suppress avian malariaMon, 16 Jun 2025 19:24:04 +0000These Powerful Paintings Show Why van Gogh Fell in Love With Japan—and Why Japan Fell in Love With van Goghhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-powerful-paintings-show-why-van-gogh-fell-in-love-with-japan-and-why-japan-fell-in-love-with-van-gogh-180986766/A new exhibition examines how the Dutch artist drew inspiration from Japanese art. It also explores how he influenced 20th- and 21st-century Japanese painters and photographersMon, 16 Jun 2025 19:01:17 +0000Nesting Birds Eavesdrop on Prairie Dog Alarm Calls to Keep Their Eggs Safe From Grassland Predatorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nesting-birds-eavesdrop-on-prairie-dog-alarm-calls-to-keep-their-eggs-safe-from-grassland-predators-180986818/New research suggests long-billed curlews keep an ear out for warnings from prairie dogs in order to hide from predators and protect their nestsMon, 16 Jun 2025 18:16:16 +0000More Countries Agree to Protect the 'High Seas' in a Step Toward Wider Ocean Conservationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-countries-agree-to-protect-the-high-seas-in-a-step-toward-wider-ocean-conservation-180986790/The High Seas Treaty, which would allow nations to create marine protected areas in international waters, is now expected to take effect in early 2026—without the United States on boardMon, 16 Jun 2025 16:39:49 +0000The Way You Breathe Is Unique to You, Like a Fingerprint, New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-way-you-breathe-is-unique-to-you-like-a-fingerprint-suggests-new-study-180986797/Researchers could identify people with almost 97 percent accuracy based on 24 hours of their recorded breathing patterns, and they also found links to a person’s mental and physical conditionMon, 16 Jun 2025 12:12:43 +0000Graduate Student Develops an A.I.-Based Approach to Restore Time-Damaged Artwork to Its Former Gloryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/graduate-student-develops-an-ai-based-approach-to-restore-time-damaged-artwork-to-its-former-glory-180986799/The method could help bring countless old paintings, currently stored in the back rooms of galleries with limited conservation budgets, to lightFri, 13 Jun 2025 20:21:02 +0000Tutankhamun's Iconic Gold Death Mask Is Getting a New Home Near the Pyramids of Gizahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tutankhamuns-iconic-gold-death-mask-is-getting-a-new-home-180986801/Soon, the elaborately decorated artifact will be transferred to the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum, joining more than 5,000 other items from the boy king's tombFri, 13 Jun 2025 20:03:40 +0000Archaeologists Stumble Onto Sprawling Ancient Roman Villa During Construction of a Road in Francehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-stumble-onto-sprawling-ancient-roman-villa-during-construction-road-in-france-180986800/Located near Auxerre, the grand estate once possessed an exorbitant level of wealth, with thermal baths and heated floorsFri, 13 Jun 2025 19:44:23 +0000Wild Pigs Are Causing Big Problems in California's Bay Area, and Their Population Seems to Be Growinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wild-pigs-are-causing-big-problems-in-californias-bay-area-and-their-population-seems-to-be-growing-180986798/Land managers and other authorities are ramping up efforts to trap and kill the destructive, non-native animalsFri, 13 Jun 2025 18:10:44 +0000This Ancient Roman Casual Dining Joint Served Fish, Chicken and—Fried Songbirdhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-roman-casual-dining-joint-served-fish-chicken-and-fried-songbird-180986796/A new analysis of the bones in the eatery’s garbage pit challenges the elite status of thrush in the Roman dietFri, 13 Jun 2025 16:58:47 +0000These 'Dragon Prince' Fossils Spent Decades in Museum Drawers. Now, They Could Rewrite the T. Rex Family Treehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-dragon-prince-fossils-spent-decades-in-museum-drawers-now-they-could-rewrite-the-t-rex-family-tree-180986787/Two partial skeletons housed in a Mongolia museum were reexamined by researchers and found to represent a previously unknown speciesFri, 13 Jun 2025 16:32:02 +0000This Stunning Sculpture Was Sitting on a Family's Piano. It Turned Out to Be an Original Rodinhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-stunning-sculpture-was-sitting-on-a-familys-piano-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-rodin-180986786/Titled "The Despair," the rare artwork just sold at auction for $1 million. For many years, its owners had assumed it was merely a copyFri, 13 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000This Long-Lost Landscape Painted by a Teenage J.M.W. Turner Was Found Hiding in Plain Sighthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-long-lost-landscape-painted-by-a-teenage-jmw-turner-was-found-hiding-in-plain-sight-180986782/Showcasing the Romantic artist's early innovations with oil paint, "The Rising Squall" could fetch up to $400,000. Before it was reattributed, it sold for just $506 at auction last yearThu, 12 Jun 2025 20:43:38 +0000See the First-Ever Direct Images of the Sun's South Pole, Captured by the Solar Orbiter Spacecrafthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-first-ever-direct-images-of-the-suns-south-pole-captured-by-the-solar-orbiter-spacecraft-180986788/The spacecraft's tilted orbit will allow scientists to investigate the mechanisms behind space weather that impact crucial human activity on EarthThu, 12 Jun 2025 20:41:27 +0000Manet Cut This Painting in Half 150 Years Ago. Now, the Two Sides Are Back Together for a Rare Reunionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/manet-cut-this-painting-in-half-150-years-ago-now-the-two-sides-back-together-for-a-rare-reunion-180986768/The two resulting artworks, "At the Café" and "Corner of a Café-Concert," both bear witness to vibrant social scenes from 19th-century ParisThu, 12 Jun 2025 20:08:20 +0000Rare Mountain Lion Kittens Spotted on Trail Cameras Suggest the Big Cats May Be Re-establishing a Population in Oklahomahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-mountain-lion-kittens-spotted-on-trail-cameras-suggest-the-big-cats-may-be-reestablishing-a-population-in-oklahoma-180986789/Two separate adult mountain lions were recorded with cubs in different parts of the state last year, offering the first evidence confirmed by state biologists that the cats could be breeding thereThu, 12 Jun 2025 18:17:03 +0000Axolotls May Hold the Key to Regrowing Limbs, and Scientists Are Unraveling Their Secrets to Help Humans Do the Samehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/axolotls-may-hold-the-key-to-regrowing-limbs-and-scientists-are-unraveling-their-secrets-to-help-humans-do-the-same-180986781/With the help of gene-edited axolotls, researchers have gotten one step closer to enabling human limb regenerationThu, 12 Jun 2025 16:55:03 +0000Ancient Sarcophagus Unearthed in Israel Portrays an Epic Drinking Contest Between the God Dionysus and the Mythical Hero Herculeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-sarcophagus-unearthed-in-israel-portrays-an-epic-drinking-contest-between-the-god-dionysus-and-the-mythical-hero-hercules-180986785/Archaeologists say the marble coffin is the first of its kind found in the region. The story it depicts is more often seen in mosaicsThu, 12 Jun 2025 16:09:40 +0000Archaeologists Are Recreating the Long-Lost Recipe for Egyptian Blue, the World's Oldest Known Synthetic Pigmenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-are-recreating-the-long-lost-recipe-for-egyptian-blue-the-worlds-oldest-known-synthetic-pigment-180986778/Created 5,000 years ago, the mysterious color has been found on artworks and artifacts throughout the ancient world. But the pigment's recipe was eventually lost to historyThu, 12 Jun 2025 15:47:25 +0000Scientists Had Never Seen This Mysterious Squid Alive in the Wild—Until Now. See the First Footage of the Elusive Creaturehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-had-never-seen-this-mysterious-squid-alive-in-the-wild-until-now-see-the-first-footage-of-the-elusive-creature-180986779/A three-foot-long Antarctic gonate squid was spotted swimming 7,000 feet below the surface of the Southern OceanWed, 11 Jun 2025 20:51:09 +0000Historians Set the Record Straight on This Misidentified 155-Year-Old Shipwreck in Lake Michiganhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historians-set-the-record-straight-on-this-misidentified-155-year-old-shipwreck-in-lake-michigan-180986752/For years, experts thought a wreck near Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, was the "Christina Nilsson." Recently, they realized it's actually the "Joseph Cochrane," which sank in 1870Wed, 11 Jun 2025 20:04:00 +0000Kentucky's Devastating Tornado in May Left a Trail of Destruction Visible From Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kentuckys-devastating-tornado-in-may-left-a-trail-of-destruction-visible-from-space-180986780/Satellite imagery released by NASA features a giant brown streak where the storm sliced through the Daniel Boone National ForestWed, 11 Jun 2025 19:23:09 +0000Lab-Grown Salmon Hits the Menu at an Oregon Restaurant as the FDA Greenlights the Cell-Cultured Producthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lab-grown-salmon-hits-the-menu-at-an-oregon-restaurant-as-the-fda-greenlights-the-cell-cultured-product-180986769/The decision clears the way for the first cultured fish to join the small but growing alternative protein marketWed, 11 Jun 2025 17:02:43 +0000Thousands of Cheering Spectators Gather to Watch This 20-Foot-Tall No. 2 Pencil Get Sharpenedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-cheering-spectators-gather-to-watch-this-20-foot-tall-no-2-pencil-get-sharpened-180986772/After a 2017 windstorm toppled the crown of their oak tree in Minneapolis, John and Amy Higgins hired artist Curtis Ingvoldstad to transform their beloved tree into a giant pencil sculptureWed, 11 Jun 2025 16:33:02 +0000The Original Birkin Bag Was Made After Actress Jane Birkin Spilled Her Belongings on the CEO of Hermès in 1983https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-original-birkin-bag-was-made-after-actress-jane-birkin-spilled-her-belongings-on-the-ceo-of-hermes-in-1983-180986756/The iconic accessory would become one of the most expensive handbags in fashion history. Now, the prototype is heading to the auction block, where it's likely to fetch an exorbitant sumWed, 11 Jun 2025 13:53:25 +0000Watch Out for These Invasive, Stinging Ants That May Cause Life-Threatening Allergic Reactionshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-out-for-these-invasive-stinging-ants-that-may-cause-life-threatening-allergic-reactions-180986770/First introduced in the 1930s, carnivorous Asian needle ants appear to be spreading across the United StatesTue, 10 Jun 2025 20:59:53 +0000This New Immersive Experience Is Built With Hundreds of Photos, Videos and Magazine Covers From the 'Rolling Stone' Archiveshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-new-immersive-experience-is-built-with-hundreds-of-photos-videos-and-magazine-covers-from-the-rolling-stone-archives-180986753/Narrated by Kevin Bacon, the 50-minute exhibition examines the history of rock music through media projected onto walls across a 4,000-square-foot galleryTue, 10 Jun 2025 20:02:46 +0000First Fossil Evidence That Sauropods Were Herbivores Supports a Widespread Assumption About the Long-Necked Dinosaurshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-fossil-evidence-that-sauropods-were-herbivores-supports-a-widespread-assumption-about-the-long-necked-dinosaurs-180986767/A recent discovery of a dinosaur’s preserved gut contents offers the first direct proof that sauropods were plant-eatersTue, 10 Jun 2025 18:52:28 +0000What's Up With These Slithering Snake Sculptures That Appeared in Switzerland?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whats-up-with-these-slithering-snake-sculptures-that-appeared-in-switzerland-180986736/Millions get bitten by snakes each year, and tens of thousands of those victims die. Now, global health experts are trying to get those numbers downTue, 10 Jun 2025 18:52:03 +0000Two Invasive Termites Are Interbreeding in Florida, Raising Concerns That the Hybrid Pests Could Spread Around the Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-invasive-termites-are-interbreeding-in-florida-raising-concerns-that-the-hybrid-pests-could-spread-around-the-world-180986739/Previous research found that Asian and Formosan termites could produce offspring together, and now, scientists have found these creatures established in the wildTue, 10 Jun 2025 16:06:31 +0000Massive Fields Where Native American Farmers Grew Corn, Beans and Squash 1,000 Years Ago Discovered in Michiganhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/massive-field-where-native-american-farmers-grew-corn-beans-and-squash-1000-years-ago-discovered-in-michigan-180986758/The ancestors of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin built earthen mounds to grow crops. The site could be the largest preserved archaeological field system in the eastern United StatesTue, 10 Jun 2025 15:42:26 +0000Stolen Paintings Linked to Retired Couple Who Supposedly Moonlighted as Art Thieves Returned to New Mexico Museum After 40 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stolen-paintings-linked-to-retired-couple-who-supposedly-moonlighted-as-art-thieves-returned-to-new-mexico-after-40-years-180986765/Victor Higgins' "Aspens" and Joseph Henry Sharp’s "Oklahoma Cheyenne" had been missing since March 1985, when they were snatched in broad daylightTue, 10 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0000A 1,000 Year-Old Gold Bracelet Fragment Found on a British Isle Dates Back to When Vikings Ruled the Landhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1000-year-old-gold-bracelet-fragment-found-british-isle-dates-when-vikings-ruled-land-180986761/Archaeologists believe the piece was made by a skilled goldsmith and was potentially used as currencyMon, 09 Jun 2025 20:17:18 +0000A Large, Invasive Lizard Was Spotted in a California Parkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-large-invasive-lizard-was-spotted-in-a-california-park-180986763/Hikers at Joseph D. Grant County Park, just outside of San Jose, saw an Argentine black and white tegu last week—and rangers are now searching for the out-of-place reptileMon, 09 Jun 2025 20:14:56 +0000Smuggled Out of France During a Bloody Revolution, Marie Antoinette’s Shimmering Pink Diamond Is Heading to Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smuggled-out-of-france-during-bloody-revolution-marie-antoinettes-shimmering-pink-diamond-is-heading-to-auction-180986764/The 10.38-carat gemstone, which carries an estimate of $3 million to $5 million, was owned by generations of European royaltyMon, 09 Jun 2025 20:02:36 +0000NASA Spacecraft Orbiting Mars Captures Image of Giant Ancient Volcano Just Before Dawnhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-spacecraft-orbiting-mars-captures-first-of-its-kind-image-of-giant-ancient-volcano-just-before-dawn-180986762/The perspective is what astronauts would see out their window if there was an International Space Station flying around the red planetMon, 09 Jun 2025 19:43:16 +0000Dehorning Rhinos Curbs Poaching, New Study Findshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dehorning-rhinos-curbs-poaching-new-study-finds-180986760/Researchers in South Africa find that cutting the animals' horns reduces poaching by almost 80 percentMon, 09 Jun 2025 18:28:20 +0000Study the Secrets of Early American Photography at This New Exhibitionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-the-secrets-of-early-american-photography-at-this-new-exhibition-180986731/"The New Art: American Photography, 1839-1910" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will feature more than 250 photographsFri, 06 Jun 2025 19:03:19 +0000Researchers Discover That Living Worm Towers Exist in Nature, Not Just in Horror Movieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-discover-that-living-worm-towers-exist-in-nature-not-just-in-horror-movies-180986754/A new study reveals that nematodes assemble into coordinated structures to catch a ride on passersbyFri, 06 Jun 2025 19:02:40 +0000The Resilience Spacecraft Likely Crashed on the Moonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ispaces-resilience-spacecraft-likely-crashed-marking-the-japanese-companys-second-failed-landing-180986755/Early reports suggest that an issue with the Japanese lander's sensors prevented it from sufficiently slowing downFri, 06 Jun 2025 18:47:51 +0000You Can Buy David Lynch's Coffee Makers, Behind-the-Scenes Photographs and Early Drafts of Film Scriptshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-buy-david-lynchs-coffee-makers-behind-the-scenes-photographs-and-early-drafts-of-film-scripts-180986750/Nearly 450 objects are heading to auction this month. The collection reveals the "Twin Peaks" director's restless creativity across many decades and art formsFri, 06 Jun 2025 18:05:24 +0000Sea Horse Smuggling Is a Big Problem, Despite Global Efforts to Protect These Beloved Aquatic Creatureshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/seahorse-smuggling-is-a-big-problem-despite-global-efforts-to-protect-these-beloved-aquatic-creatures-180986757/Between 2010 and 2021, authorities seized around five million individual sea horses worth more than $21 millionFri, 06 Jun 2025 17:47:55 +0000This 17th-Century Dutch Painting Was Rescued From a Dusty Barn Attic in Connecticut. It Just Sold for More Than $7 Millionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-17th-century-dutch-painting-was-rescued-from-a-dusty-barn-attic-in-connecticut-it-just-sold-for-more-than-7-million-180986733/Painted in 1666, "View of Olinda, Brazil, With Ruins of the Jesuit Church" is a masterpiece by Frans Post, one of the first European-trained artists to depict the landscapes of Dutch BrazilFri, 06 Jun 2025 16:34:57 +0000Catch This Year's Strawberry Moon Lighting Up the Sky on June 11https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/catch-junes-strawberry-moon-lighting-up-the-sky-on-june-11-180986748/The last full moon before summer kicks off is one of the lowest of the year in the Northern HemisphereThu, 05 Jun 2025 20:30:58 +0000The Dead Sea Scrolls Changed Our Understanding of the Bible. Could Some of Them Be Even Older Than We Thought?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-dead-sea-scrolls-changed-our-understanding-of-the-bible-could-some-of-them-be-even-older-than-we-thought-180986746/A new study combines A.I., radiocarbon dating and handwriting analysis to estimate new dates for some of the ancient scrolls, thought to be some of the earliest surviving fragments of the Old TestamentThu, 05 Jun 2025 20:00:39 +0000A Tiny Endangered Creature That 'Moves Like Greased Lightning' Has Been Found in an Unexpected Placehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-tiny-endangered-creature-that-moves-like-greased-lightning-has-been-found-in-an-unexpected-place-180986749/Trail cameras captured an elusive Leadbeater's possum in the Australian state of New South Wales, where they were thought to be locally extinctThu, 05 Jun 2025 19:59:56 +0000Mary Abbott Worked Alongside Abstract Expressionists Like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. Now, She's Finally Getting Her Duehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mary-abbott-worked-alongside-abstract-expressionists-like-mark-rothko-and-jackson-pollock-now-shes-finally-getting-her-due-180986722/Abbott was an integral part of New York City's mid-century avant-garde art scene, but her better-known male colleagues have long dominated the movement's legacyThu, 05 Jun 2025 19:11:53 +0000Ispace's Resilience Spacecraft Is Set to Land on the Moon Today—Here's How to Follow Alonghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ispaces-resilience-probe-set-to-land-on-the-moon-todayheres-how-to-follow-along-180986747/The Japanese company's second attempt at a lunar landing can be streamed live this afternoonThu, 05 Jun 2025 16:41:35 +0000Nearly Half of the Protected Land Around the Nazca Lines of Peru Is Now Open to Minershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-half-of-the-protected-land-around-the-nazca-lines-of-peru-is-now-open-to-miners-180986738/Some environmentalists are concerned about mining operations drawing closer to the ancient landmarksThu, 05 Jun 2025 16:19:42 +0000Pocket Watch Recovered From Lake Michigan's Deadliest Shipwreck Returns to Owner's Hometown After 165 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pocket-watch-recovered-from-lake-michigans-deadliest-shipwreck-returns-to-owners-hometown-after-165-years-180986728/The timepiece belonged to Herbert Ingram, a British journalist and politician who died when the "Lady Elgin" sank in 1860. His watch was recovered from the bottom of the lake in 1992Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:04:12 +0000A Deadly Disease Is Eating Away at Caribbean Corals and Wreaking Havoc on Reefs. Could Probiotics Be the Solution?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-deadly-disease-is-eating-away-at-caribbean-corals-and-wreaking-havoc-on-reefs-could-probiotics-be-the-solution-180986743/New research suggests the probiotic McH1-7 could help stop the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease among wild corals near Fort Lauderdale, FloridaThu, 05 Jun 2025 06:01:00 +0000These Australian Cockatoos Learned to Operate Drinking Fountains With Their Feet to Quench Their Thirsthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-australian-cockatoos-learned-to-operate-drinking-fountains-with-their-feet-to-quench-their-thirst-180986742/Birds in Sydney’s western suburbs have figured out how to get a sip from the fountains, even though they have access to nearby streamsWed, 04 Jun 2025 20:36:06 +0000Tourists Are Stuffing Coins Into the Cracks of the Giant's Causeway, Damaging the Iconic Site in Northern Irelandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tourists-are-stuffing-coins-into-the-cracks-of-the-giants-causeway-damaging-the-iconic-site-in-northern-ireland-180986745/Authorities are urging visitors to stop wedging pocket change between the basalt columns, which are cracking and crumbling as the coins expandWed, 04 Jun 2025 19:58:11 +0000Mount Etna's Spectacular Monday Eruption Marks the Volcano's Most Intense Activity in Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mount-etnas-spectacular-monday-explosion-marks-the-volcanos-most-intense-activity-in-years-180986741/The explosion was the strongest since 2021, expelling ash, dust, lava and a pyroclastic flow, but no injuries or deaths were reportedWed, 04 Jun 2025 19:51:20 +0000Archaeologists Discover More Than 100 Structures Linked to a Mysterious Pre-Columbian Civilization in the Remote Peruvian Andeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-more-than-100-structures-linked-to-a-mysterious-pre-hispanic-civilization-in-the-remote-peruvian-andes-180986740/Based in high-altitude urban centers, the Chachapoya resisted conquest by the Inca Empire for centuriesWed, 04 Jun 2025 18:37:19 +0000Our Milky Way Might Not Crash Into the Andromeda Galaxy After All—New Simulations Suggest a 50-50 Chance of Merginghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/our-milky-way-might-not-crash-into-the-andromeda-galaxy-after-all-new-simulations-suggest-a-50-50-chance-of-merging-180986737/Scientists previously predicted the pair of galaxies would merge in about five billion years. Now, research suggests that outcome is less certain than thoughtWed, 04 Jun 2025 18:22:14 +0000See the Highest-Resolution Views of the Sun's Corona, as Wisps of Plasma Dance in Crystal Clear Detailhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-highest-resolution-views-of-the-suns-corona-as-wisps-of-plasma-dance-in-crystal-clear-detail-180986730/Astronomers have captured videos of the sun without the typical blur caused by turbulence in Earth's atmosphereWed, 04 Jun 2025 15:01:49 +0000A Giant Cloud of Saharan Dust Is Heading to the Southeastern U.S. Here's What That Meanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-giant-cloud-of-saharan-dust-is-heading-to-the-southeastern-us-heres-what-that-means-180986732/The plume of dust has already blown over the Caribbean and is expected to reach Florida later this weekTue, 03 Jun 2025 21:25:50 +0000Florida Bobcat Kills 13-Foot Python for the First Time on Record. It's a Sign of Nature 'Fighting Back' Against the Invasive Snakeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/florida-bobcat-kills-13-foot-python-for-the-first-time-on-record-its-a-sign-of-nature-fighting-back-against-the-invasive-snakes-180986735/Burmese pythons are wreaking havoc on the Everglades ecosystem, but some native animals have been known to prey on the enormous reptilesTue, 03 Jun 2025 19:57:35 +0000What Was Daily Life Like for the Women Who Lived in Ancient Pompeii 2,000 Years Ago?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-was-life-like-for-the-women-who-lived-in-ancient-pompeii-2000-years-ago-180986714/A new exhibition is spotlighting the women who have long been sidelined in histories of the Roman Empire—from mothers and weavers to entrepreneurs and influential tavern ownersTue, 03 Jun 2025 19:50:18 +0000The D.C. Street Where Pioneering Abstract Artist Alma Thomas Lived for 70 Years Has Been Renamed in Her Honorhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-dc-street-where-pioneering-abstract-artist-alma-thomas-lived-for-70-years-has-been-renamed-in-her-honor-180986726/Thomas worked as an art teacher at the city's public schools for 35 years before dedicating herself to painting full-time when she was in her 60sTue, 03 Jun 2025 17:45:56 +0000Two Wildlife Tunnels Are Saving Thousands of Amphibians From Being Crushed by Cars in Vermonthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-wildlife-tunnels-are-saving-thousands-of-amphibians-from-being-crushed-by-cars-in-vermont-180986727/New research finds a pair of underpasses installed under a road that crosses a migration corridor have led to an 80.2 percent reduction in amphibian deathsTue, 03 Jun 2025 15:24:06 +0000See Soaring Sunflowers and Radiant Roses That Bring Vincent van Gogh's Paintings to Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-soaring-sunflowers-and-radiant-roses-that-bring-vincent-van-goghs-paintings-to-life-180986672/Featuring 18,000 plants and works by three contemporary artists, a new exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden celebrates the Dutch painter's love of natureTue, 03 Jun 2025 15:09:30 +0000A New Museum Dedicated to Frida Kahlo's Early Years and Family Life Is Coming to Mexico Cityhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-museum-dedicated-to-frida-kahlos-early-years-and-family-life-is-coming-to-mexico-city-180986713/The Museo Casa Kahlo will be located beside the popular Museo Frida Kahlo. It will display letters, artworks and mementos that shed light on the Mexican artist's childhoodMon, 02 Jun 2025 20:19:14 +000014 Million Honeybees Escaped From an Overturned Truck in Washington State. Local Beekeepers Helped Corral Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/14-million-honeybees-escaped-from-an-overturned-truck-in-washington-state-local-beekeepers-helped-corral-them-180986725/Most of the bees have now been recovered, and the road is open to the public againMon, 02 Jun 2025 19:27:50 +0000Meet Marguerite, Henri Matisse's Eldest Daughter—and One of His Most Influential Modelshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-marguerite-henri-matisses-eldest-daughter-and-one-of-his-most-influential-models-180986684/An exhibition at the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris examines Marguerite's indelible influence on her father's evolving painting stylesMon, 02 Jun 2025 19:12:44 +0000Cats Can Recognize Their Owner's Scent Compared to a Stranger's, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cats-can-recognize-their-owners-scent-compared-to-a-strangers-new-research-suggests-180986710/In an experiment, domestic cats spent longer sniffing cotton swabs with the scents of unfamiliar people than swabs with the scent of their ownerMon, 02 Jun 2025 17:44:39 +0000Did a Neanderthal Who Lived 43,000 Years Ago Paint a Red Nose on a Rock That Looked Like a Face?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-a-neanderthal-who-lived-43000-years-ago-paint-a-red-nose-on-a-rock-that-looked-like-a-face-180986704/Researchers theorize that an adult male dipped his finger in red ocher and intentionally used the pigment to complete the face he saw on a small granite stoneMon, 02 Jun 2025 16:48:13 +0000Scientists Find the First Evidence of Birds Nesting in the Arctic Alongside Dinosaurshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-find-the-first-evidence-of-birds-nesting-in-the-arctic-alongside-dinosaurs-180986720/The researchers analyzed rare fossils of hatchling birds found in northern Alaska, which offered the earliest evidence of the creatures reproducing in a polar regionMon, 02 Jun 2025 15:25:29 +0000Last Surviving Grandson of President John Tyler, Who Took Office in 1841, Dies at 96https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/last-surviving-grandson-of-president-john-tyler-who-took-office-in-1841-dies-at-96-180986724/When Harrison Ruffin Tyler's grandfather was born 235 years ago in 1790, George Washington had just become the nation's first presidentFri, 30 May 2025 21:20:28 +0000Scientists Investigate 2.2-Million-Year-Old Tooth Enamel to Unravel the Mysteries of Ancient Human Relativeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-investigate-22-million-year-old-tooth-enamel-to-unravel-the-mysteries-of-ancient-human-relatives-180986723/By studying proteins preserved in teeth, researchers determined the sex of four Paranthropus robustus individuals that lived in southern AfricaFri, 30 May 2025 21:02:47 +0000Banksy Unveils New Lighthouse Mural With the Words 'I Want to Be What You Saw in Me' in Francehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/banksy-unveils-new-lighthouse-mural-with-the-words-i-want-to-be-what-you-saw-in-me-in-france-180986719/The anonymous street artist announced the uncharacteristically personal artwork on May 29. It's located on a wall in the French city of MarseilleFri, 30 May 2025 20:00:47 +0000NASA Wants Your Help to Study These Rare, High-Altitude Clouds That Appear to Glow at Sunrise and Sunsethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-wants-your-help-to-study-these-rare-high-altitude-clouds-that-appear-to-glow-at-sunrise-and-sunset-180986721/Noctilucent clouds usually form close to the poles, but in recent decades, they’re being spotted closer to the EquatorFri, 30 May 2025 19:53:32 +0000A Fungal Disease Ravaged North American Bats. Now, Researchers Found a Second Species That Suggests It Could Happen Againhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-fungal-disease-ravaged-north-american-bats-now-researchers-found-a-second-species-that-suggests-it-could-happen-again-180986715/White-nose syndrome caused millions of bat deaths, and scientists are sounding the alarm that a second fungus could be disastrous if it reaches American wildlifeFri, 30 May 2025 17:55:04 +0000This 55-Year-Old Sherpa Guide Just Summited Mount Everest for the 31st Time, Breaking His Own Recordhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-55-year-old-sherpa-just-summited-mount-everest-for-the-31st-time-breaking-his-own-record-180986717/Kami Rita has been scaling the world's tallest mountain since 1994. He reaches the summit nearly every year—and sometimes twice in the same yearFri, 30 May 2025 17:29:13 +0000The Chrysler Building Has Towered Above New York City for Nearly a Century. Now, the Art Deco Skyscraper Is for Salehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-chrysler-building-has-towered-above-new-york-city-for-nearly-a-century-now-the-art-deco-skyscraper-is-for-sale-180986699/When it was completed in 1930, the 1,046-foot building was briefly the tallest in the world. In recent years, it's fallen into disrepairFri, 30 May 2025 15:11:09 +0000This 300-Pound Bust Was Stolen From Jim Morrison's Grave in 1988. French Police Just Recovered Ithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-300-pound-bust-was-stolen-from-jim-morrisons-grave-in-1988-french-police-just-recovered-it-180986702/Created for the tenth anniversary of the Doors frontman's death in 1971, the bust stood on his grave in the famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris for only seven yearsFri, 30 May 2025 14:15:20 +0000You Can Now Visit the Small House Where Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë Were Bornhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-now-visit-the-small-house-where-charlotte-emily-and-anne-bronte-were-born-180986682/The newly renovated Brontë Birthplace in Bradford, England, was the three sisters' home until 1820, when the family moved to a nearby parsonageThu, 29 May 2025 20:47:08 +0000The Fearsome Megalodon Ate Basically Whatever It Wanted to Reach Its Daily 100,000-Calorie Need, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-fearsome-megalodon-ate-basically-whatever-it-wanted-to-reach-its-daily-100000-calorie-need-study-suggests-180986712/Scientists previously assumed the giant, prehistoric sharks mostly feasted on whales, but it turns out they probably weren’t so pickyThu, 29 May 2025 20:18:32 +0000Experts Think the Hagia Sophia Is in Danger. They've Got a Plan to Protect It From Earthquakeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experts-think-the-hagia-sophia-is-in-danger-theyve-got-a-plan-to-protect-it-from-earthquakes-180986665/Turkey is located near two fault lines, leaving the 1,500-year-old structure vulnerable to damage. Architects and engineers will be investigating how to best preserve itThu, 29 May 2025 20:12:02 +0000A 164-Foot Tsunami Pushed This Enormous Boulder Atop a Cliff in Tonga 7,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-164-foot-tsunami-pushed-this-enormous-boulder-atop-a-cliff-in-tonga-7000-years-ago-180986711/The hulking rock, called Maka Lahi, is the size of a two-story house and sits on a 120-foot-tall cliff, covered in vegetationThu, 29 May 2025 18:42:10 +0000This Bewildering Byzantine Bucket Stumped Archaeologists for Decades. Now, They've Finally Discovered Its Purposehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-bewildering-byzantine-bucket-stumped-archaeologists-for-decades-now-theyve-finally-discovered-its-purpose-180986701/Fragments of the bucket were first found at England's Sutton Hoo burial site in 1986. New research has revealed that the 1,500-year-old artifact was probably used as a cremation vesselThu, 29 May 2025 18:20:16 +0000Astronomers Discover a Possible Dwarf Planet Far Beyond Neptune, Where There Should Have Only Been Empty Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discover-a-possible-dwarf-planet-far-beyond-neptune-where-there-should-have-only-been-empty-space-180986703/As it orbits the sun once every 25,000 years, the celestial body 2017 OF201 travels beyond the Kuiper Belt into a region thought to be largely devoid of objectsThu, 29 May 2025 16:32:11 +0000Giant Sloths the Size of Elephants Once Walked Along the Ground. Here's How the Massive Animals Evolved and Declinedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giant-sloths-the-size-of-elephants-once-walked-along-the-ground-heres-how-the-massive-animals-evolved-and-declined-180986691/Researchers analyzed fossils and DNA to get a big-picture view of sloth evolution and determine what drove their immense size variationThu, 29 May 2025 13:30:00 +0000New Exhibition Features Contemporary Portraits Honoring Forgotten Black Abolitionistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-exhibition-features-contemporary-portraits-honoring-forgotten-black-abolitionists-180986658/Cambridge University's Fitzwilliam Museum is spotlighting the men and women who fought to end slavery but received little attention from artists during their lifetimesWed, 28 May 2025 20:51:44 +0000Bedbugs Could Have Been the First Urban Pest to Plague Human Cities, New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bedbugs-could-have-been-the-first-urban-pest-to-plague-human-cities-new-study-suggests-180986698/Scientists examined the genomes of two bedbug lineages to trace how their population sizes have changed over timeWed, 28 May 2025 19:28:35 +0000How Did Vikings View Pregnant Women? New Research Reveals That They Were Sometimes Depicted With Weaponshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-vikings-view-pregnant-women-new-research-reveals-that-they-were-sometimes-depicted-with-weapons-180986674/Researchers studied Old Norse literature and archaeological evidence to shed new light on women's experiences of pregnancy during the Viking AgeWed, 28 May 2025 17:38:46 +0000Scientists Discover the Oldest Known Tools Made From Whale Bones, Crafted in Western Europe 20,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-the-oldest-known-tools-made-from-whale-bones-crafted-in-western-europe-20000-years-ago-180986696/Stone Age humans scavenged the skeletons of several whale species along the Bay of Biscay in what is now southwestern France and northern Spain, according to a new studyWed, 28 May 2025 17:04:05 +0000Climbers Summit Mount Everest in Five Days Using Controversial Xenon Gashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/climbers-summit-mount-everest-in-five-days-using-controversial-xenon-gas-180986687/The four British former special forces soldiers left the United Kingdom on May 16. By 7:10 a.m. on May 21, they were standing at the top of the 29,032-foot-tall peakWed, 28 May 2025 15:13:12 +0000Revolutionary War-Era Gunboat Found Underneath World Trade Center Wreckage Finds a Permanent Home in Upstate New Yorkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/revolutionary-war-era-gunboat-found-at-ground-zero-finds-a-new-permanent-home-in-new-york-180986694/Researchers are reassembling the ship, which was likely built in the 1770s near PhiladelphiaWed, 28 May 2025 13:58:51 +0000New Contact Lenses Give Users Super-Vision to See Infrared Light—Even With Their Eyes Closedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-contact-lenses-give-users-supervision-even-with-their-eyes-closed-180986679/Researchers have developed experimental contact lenses that use nanoparticles to convert the invisible wavelengths of near-infrared light into visible colorsTue, 27 May 2025 20:37:00 +0000Egyptian Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Tombs Belonging to Three Senior Statesmen Who Helped Keep the New Kingdom Runninghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/egyptian-archaeologists-unearth-three-ancient-tombs-belonging-to-three-senior-statesmen-who-helped-keep-the-new-kingdom-running-180986692/The burials were found at Dra Abu el-Naga, a necropolis for nobles and officials on the West Bank of the Nile RiverTue, 27 May 2025 18:48:36 +0000See a Lost U.S. Navy Submarine, Sunk During a World War I Test Run, in Digital Detailhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-lost-us-navy-submarine-sunk-during-a-wwi-test-run-in-digital-detail-180986690/Researchers descended to the wreck in underwater vehicles to collect data for 3-D modelsTue, 27 May 2025 18:36:03 +0000California's Hummingbirds Have Changed Their Beaks in Response to Backyard Feeders, Study Findshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/californias-hummingbirds-have-changed-their-beaks-in-response-to-backyard-feeders-study-finds-180986693/With plenty of artificial nectar available, Anna’s hummingbirds have expanded their range northward and their beaks have tended to become longer and largerTue, 27 May 2025 18:19:20 +0000Penguin Poop Helps Drive Cloud Formation Over Antarctica, According to a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/penguin-poop-helps-drive-cloud-formation-over-antarctica-according-to-a-new-study-180986686/The ammonia from Adélie penguin guano reacts with sulfur-containing gases in the atmosphere to aid in forming clouds, which scientists say may be significant to regulating the climateTue, 27 May 2025 17:02:13 +0000