smithsonianmag.com

Journal

To Defeat the Royal Navy During the American Revolution, a Rebel Inventor Designed a Secret Weapon: a Bomb-Carrying Submarine

David Bushnell developed the "Turtle" submersible as a student at Yale University. The vessel's attack on a British flagship failed, but the

smithsonianmag.com 03.09.26 · 123👁

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To Capture the Beauty and Wonder of Flight, These Celebrated Artists Created Spectacular Visions of Astronauts, Aviators, Rocket Launches and the Moon

At the National Air and Space Museum, a recently opened gallery space features artworks by Norman Rockwell, Alma Thomas, Francisco Goya and

smithsonianmag.com 03.09.26 · 113👁

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Readers Respond to the Summer 2026 Issue

Your feedback on our special America at 250 issue, including stories about Margaret Fuller, Sequoyah and Woodrow Wilson

smithsonianmag.com 03.09.26 · 116👁

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These 20 Breathtaking Bird Images From the Audubon Photography Awards Capture the Wonder of the Winged World

The winners of the 17th annual contest reveal the beauty of birds, the splendor of their migratory journeys and the risks they face

smithsonianmag.com 02.09.26 · 146👁

Journal

Blue Crabs Have Taken Over the Adriatic Sea. To Fight Them Off, Italian Researchers Just Released Thousands of Baby Octopuses

Although prized in the United States, the crustaceans have been decimating ecosystems and the fishing industry in Italy. Experts hope that a

smithsonianmag.com 02.09.26 · 139👁

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Archaeologists Discover a 4,000-Year-Old Tomb With a False Door at Egypt's Ancient Saqqara Necropolis

In addition to the tomb, which once belonged to a high-ranking official, excavations revealed a network of burial shafts that still held hum

smithsonianmag.com 02.09.26 · 151👁

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World War II Sugar Rationing Data Hints That Limiting Intake of the Sweet Stuff Early in Life Lowers the Risk of Dementia and Cancer

For roughly a decade leading up to September 1953, the United Kingdom limited sugar purchases. Scientists studied health outcomes in people

smithsonianmag.com 02.09.26 · 125👁

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Corals Reveal El Niño Events Have Become Stronger in Recent Decades, Probably Because Humans Have Been Heating Up the Planet

Researchers used elements trapped within Galápagos corals to understand natural swings in the climate over the past millennium. They hint th

smithsonianmag.com 02.09.26 · 105👁

Journal

Spain’s White-Headed Ducks Have a Signature Color Right in the Name. And That Isn’t Even Their Most Remarkable Hue

The first thing you’re likely to notice is the blue bill. But beyond appearances, the duck has an exciting story to tell about conservation

smithsonianmag.com 02.09.26 · 91👁

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Reptiles Make a Surprising Amount of Noise. Here's What Those Sounds Might Mean, From Pops to Hoots to Bellows

Scientists are realizing that turtles, lizards and crocodilians communicate vocally more than they once thought

smithsonianmag.com 02.09.26 · 114👁

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Before Vegas Became Vegas, Hot Springs Was America's Sin City. Now the Arkansas Spa Town Embraces Its Colorful and Seedy History

A life-size statue of Al Capone greets downtown visitors, and you can stay in his hotel suite. The town where gangsters once vacationed with

smithsonianmag.com 02.09.26 · 86👁

Journal

Allergic to Dogs? These Gene-Edited Beagles Could Pave the Way to Your Dream Canine Companion That Won't Trigger Sniffles

Geneticists altered Alfie and Bailey’s DNA so that they don't produce a major allergen. However, canines like them are not currently commerc

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 191👁

Journal

This 91-Year-Old Man Fell 71 Times While Hiking the Appalachian Trail. He Just Became the Oldest Person to Complete the 2,190-Mile Trek

Dale Sanders finished the hike in just under a year. Nicknamed "Grey Beard," he's no stranger to age-defying feats of endurance

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 192👁

Journal

A Frank Lloyd Wright House in L.A. Is in Danger Of ‘Demolition by Neglect,’ Say Advocates

The visionary designed this two-bedroom, one-bathroom in his affordable Usonian style. It’s the only house of its kind in L.A.

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 122👁

Journal

Mars' Southern Half Is Weirdly Warm Underground. The 'Thermal Anomaly' Might Explain Why the Planet's Hemispheres Look So Different

Researchers used a novel technique to figure out what's going on inside the Red Planet. The work suggests that the interior of the southern

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 122👁

Journal

This Ancient Insect Had 24 Legs—and Could Help Explain How the Ancestors of Modern-Day Bugs Took Over the Land

A previously undescribed critter that lived 324 million years ago appears to have been a transitional species that lived between land and se

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 117👁

Journal

Female Treefrogs Experience 'Choice Overload' Amid Too Many Mating Calls From Males

Faced with a chorus of potential mates, female Cope’s gray treefrogs may be overwhelmed by the number of options and struggle to make a care

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 112👁

Journal

Stones From One of Henry VIII's Fortresses Spent More Than a Century Hidden in Plain Sight. New Research Suggests the Victorians Repurposed Them as Building Materials

Recently discovered archival records indicate that workers constructing an extension of the Constable's Gate at Dover Castle in the late 19t

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 116👁

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We’ve Been Strapping Cargo to Our Backs for Millions of Years, but Backpack Innovation Really Took Off Around the Civil War

Discover the origin story for an accessory being comfortably lugged by nearly every hiker and student, with about 450 million sold each year

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 97👁

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Some of the Earliest Automobile Enthusiasts Signed Up to Help the Allies in WWI. They Also Ushered in the Mechanization of War

When the gentlemen drivers of Britain’s Royal Automobile Club Volunteer Force shipped their roadsters and racers to face the Germans, they b

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 107👁

Journal

Falling for Beckley: 8 Ways to Experience Raleigh County's Autumn Season

Coal seams, mountain trails and craft galleries meet peak color in Raleigh County, where autumn rewards the curious traveler

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 100👁

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The Best Way to Explore Zagreb Might Just Be On Your Plate

From bustling food markets and Michelin-starred restaurants to lively street food festivals, Croatia’s capital is emerging as one of central

smithsonianmag.com 01.09.26 · 129👁

Journal

What Triggered the Devastating Floods in Nepal and Tibet, and Are We Due for More in the Future? Here's What Scientists Know So Far

Natural hazards researchers suspect that a landslide involving a glacier triggered the event, and they say more could happen because of huma

smithsonianmag.com 31.08.26 · 171👁

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See the Digitally Reconstructed Face of an Ancient Man Who Witnessed England’s Greatest Upheaval

The so-called “Conquest Man” was buried in England in 1079, just over a decade into the reign of William the Conqueror. Researchers recently

smithsonianmag.com 31.08.26 · 141👁