Smart News | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/smart-news/RSS feed for Smart NewsenThu, 24 Sep 2026 19:01:33 +0000Some Birdsongs Are More Pleasing to Human Ears Than Others. Higher-Pitched, Complex Calls Tend to Sound More Beautiful to Ushttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-birdsongs-are-more-pleasing-to-human-ears-than-others-higher-pitched-complex-calls-tend-to-sound-more-beautiful-to-us-180989540/In a new study, more than 80 participants rated the pleasantness of vocalizations made by 123 European bird species. Researchers then looked at the acoustic qualities of the most—and least—liked songsThu, 24 Sep 2026 19:01:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/some-birdsongs-are-more-pleasing-to-human-ears-than-others-higher-pitched-complex-calls-tend-to-sound-more-beautiful-to-us-180989540/A 3,000-Year-Old Warhorse Burial and a Ramses II Tablet, Among Other Relics, Have Been Discovered in an Ancient Egyptian Fortresshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-3000-year-old-warhorse-burial-and-a-ramses-ii-tablet-among-other-relics-have-been-discovered-in-an-ancient-egyptian-fortress-180989564/New excavations in the Nile Delta offer eye-opening clues about military and residential life in the New Kingdom eraThu, 24 Sep 2026 17:07:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-3000-year-old-warhorse-burial-and-a-ramses-ii-tablet-among-other-relics-have-been-discovered-in-an-ancient-egyptian-fortress-180989564/Why Did Claude Monet Paint the Same Scenes Over and Over Again? The Impressionist Artist Was Obsessed With Capturing the Fleeting Nature of Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-claude-monet-paint-the-same-scenes-over-and-over-again-the-impressionist-artist-was-obsessed-with-capturing-the-fleeting-nature-of-time-180989563/An upcoming exhibition at Tate Modern will feature more than 60 artworks created by Monet between the 1870s and 1920s. These pieces reveal how he documented changing light and weather conditionsThu, 24 Sep 2026 15:01:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-claude-monet-paint-the-same-scenes-over-and-over-again-the-impressionist-artist-was-obsessed-with-capturing-the-fleeting-nature-of-time-180989563/Scientists Say Scorching Temperatures Brought on by the 'Super' El Niño Could Kill Nearly Half a Million People by Februaryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-scorching-temperatures-brought-on-by-the-super-el-nino-could-kill-nearly-half-a-million-people-by-february-180989555/The predicted number, which includes deaths since June, likely represents an underestimate of total deaths. The heat could linger beyond February, and the climate swing could bring about other life-threatening conditions, including flooding, wildfire and infectious diseasesThu, 24 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-scorching-temperatures-brought-on-by-the-super-el-nino-could-kill-nearly-half-a-million-people-by-february-180989555/A Metal Detectorist Exploring a Field in Germany Was Stunned to Discover a Massive Hoard of Roman Coinshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-exploring-a-field-in-germany-was-stunned-to-discover-a-massive-hoard-of-roman-coins-180989561/Together, the 943 silver denarii span nearly 300 years of Roman history, from 148 B.C.E. to 124 or 125 C.E.Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-exploring-a-field-in-germany-was-stunned-to-discover-a-massive-hoard-of-roman-coins-180989561/This Cubist Painting With a Mysterious Provenance Hung in the Art Institute of Chicago for Decades. Now, the Museum Will Return It to Its Rightful Jewish Heirshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-cubist-painting-with-a-mysterious-provenance-hung-in-the-art-institute-of-chicago-for-decades-now-the-museum-will-return-it-to-its-rightful-jewish-heirs-180989553/Infrared imaging links the 20th-century Jean Metzinger work to a collector whose pieces were forcibly auctioned under Nazi orders during World War IIWed, 23 Sep 2026 20:18:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-cubist-painting-with-a-mysterious-provenance-hung-in-the-art-institute-of-chicago-for-decades-now-the-museum-will-return-it-to-its-rightful-jewish-heirs-180989553/Researchers in Turkey Have Unearthed an Ancient Fragment Inscribed With the World’s Oldest Peace Treatyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-in-turkey-have-unearthed-an-ancient-fragment-inscribed-with-the-worlds-oldest-peace-treaty-180989554/The piece of a clay tablet is marked with Akkadian cuneiform, and its text belongs to the Kadesh Peace Treaty, created by ancient Egyptians and Hittites in the 13th century B.C.E.Wed, 23 Sep 2026 18:39:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-in-turkey-have-unearthed-an-ancient-fragment-inscribed-with-the-worlds-oldest-peace-treaty-180989554/An Otter Just Returned to New York City's Bronx River for the First Time in a Century. Now, You Can Help Name Ithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-otter-just-returned-to-new-york-citys-bronx-river-for-the-first-time-in-a-century-now-you-can-help-name-it-180989556/A trail camera photographed the animal earlier this summer, offering a hopeful sign that the once-polluted urban waterway is recovering after decades of restoration workWed, 23 Sep 2026 18:06:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-otter-just-returned-to-new-york-citys-bronx-river-for-the-first-time-in-a-century-now-you-can-help-name-it-180989556/From Boosting Mental Health to Reducing Dementia Risk, Here's Why Reading Is Extremely Good for You, According to Sciencehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-boosting-mental-health-to-reducing-dementia-risk-heres-why-reading-is-extremely-good-for-you-according-to-science-180989548/Mounting evidence suggests that regularly cozying up with a book can increase brain and mental health, improve literacy and math skills, and even slow cognitive decline. What's more, fiction seems to have the added benefit of introducing readers to others' perspectivesWed, 23 Sep 2026 16:33:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-boosting-mental-health-to-reducing-dementia-risk-heres-why-reading-is-extremely-good-for-you-according-to-science-180989548/Meet Bubbles, a Dolphin in Australia Who Chases Fish Until They Barf—Then Eats Their Upchucked Mealshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-bubbles-a-dolphin-in-australia-that-chases-fish-until-they-barf-then-eats-their-upchucked-meals-180989547/Scientists recorded 11 instances of Bubbles successfully snacking this way. They mark some of the first detailed observations of kleptoparasitism, or food stealing, in cetaceans, the group of marine mammals that includes dolphins, whales and porpoisesWed, 23 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-bubbles-a-dolphin-in-australia-that-chases-fish-until-they-barf-then-eats-their-upchucked-meals-180989547/Experience the Wonder of Birds With These 11 Winning Photos From the Bird Photographer of the Year Contesthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experience-the-wonder-of-birds-with-these-11-winning-photos-from-the-bird-photographer-of-the-year-contest-180989552/From a greater sage-grouse performing a mating display to a tawny frogmouth making a funny face, these photographs capture the breathtaking diversity of the world’s avian speciesWed, 23 Sep 2026 13:22:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experience-the-wonder-of-birds-with-these-11-winning-photos-from-the-bird-photographer-of-the-year-contest-180989552/This Woman Who Lived in 14th-Century China May Have Had Her Nose Cut Off as Punishment for Theft or Adulteryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-woman-who-lived-in-imperial-china-may-have-had-her-nose-cut-off-as-punishment-for-theft-or-adultery-180989551/Researchers found signs of healing on her 700-year-old skull, which suggests that she survived the painful sanction—and may even have gone on to wear a prosthesisWed, 23 Sep 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-woman-who-lived-in-imperial-china-may-have-had-her-nose-cut-off-as-punishment-for-theft-or-adultery-180989551/Mercury Has Wrinkles That Show It's Shrinking. Now, Scientists Say the Planet Has Shriveled Far More Than Previously Thoughthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mercury-has-wrinkles-that-show-its-shrinking-now-scientists-say-the-planet-has-shriveled-far-more-than-we-previously-thought-180989532/A new study suggests that our solar system’s smallest planet has shrunk by up to 30 percent since its birth roughly 4.5 billion years agoTue, 22 Sep 2026 19:12:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mercury-has-wrinkles-that-show-its-shrinking-now-scientists-say-the-planet-has-shriveled-far-more-than-we-previously-thought-180989532/Claude Monet’s Long-Hidden ‘Iris’ Is About to Become the Most Expensive Painting Ever Auctioned in Francehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/claude-monets-long-hidden-iris-is-about-to-become-the-most-expensive-painting-ever-auctioned-in-france-180989546/The artwork reflects the famed Impressionist’s later, abstract style. Sotheby’s estimates that it will sell for $25 million to $34 millionTue, 22 Sep 2026 19:12:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/claude-monets-long-hidden-iris-is-about-to-become-the-most-expensive-painting-ever-auctioned-in-france-180989546/More Than 800,000 Bees, Worth Tens of Thousands of Dollars, Have Been Stolen in ‘Sophisticated’ Heists Across Northern Australiahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-than-800000-bees-worth-tens-of-thousands-of-dollars-have-been-stolen-in-sophisticated-heists-across-northern-australia-180989545/The recent spread of a bee-killing parasite has contributed to an uptick in brazen thefts, experts theorizeTue, 22 Sep 2026 17:38:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-than-800000-bees-worth-tens-of-thousands-of-dollars-have-been-stolen-in-sophisticated-heists-across-northern-australia-180989545/Scientists Say the Human Brain Might Be Made of Two Distinct Nervous Systems That Got Squished Togetherhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-the-human-brain-might-be-made-of-two-distinct-nervous-systems-that-got-squished-together-180989539/Two separate types of progenitor cells give rise to the front and back of the organ, according to a new study. The findings can help researchers study human diseases that affect the hindbrain, since its nerve cells have previously been difficult—if not impossible—to make in the labTue, 22 Sep 2026 15:54:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-the-human-brain-might-be-made-of-two-distinct-nervous-systems-that-got-squished-together-180989539/Cameras Capture Adult Chimpanzees Passing Tools—and Know-How—to Their Young, Teaching Important Skills to the Next Generationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cameras-capture-adult-chimpanzees-passing-tools-and-know-how-to-their-young-teaching-important-skills-to-the-next-generation-180989538/Researchers recorded footage of wild chimps in Senegal showing youngsters how to use sticks to fish out ants and how to smash baobab fruit against rocks to open it, among other instances of instructionTue, 22 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cameras-capture-adult-chimpanzees-passing-tools-and-know-how-to-their-young-teaching-important-skills-to-the-next-generation-180989538/Workers Extracting Gravel From the Danube River Dredged Up a 2,200-Year-Old ‘Rusty Treasure’ That Could Have Equipped an Armyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/workers-excavating-gravel-from-the-danube-river-dredged-up-a-2200-year-old-rusty-treasure-that-could-have-equipped-an-army-180989542/The cache comprises the remains of at least 500 iron bars, which were likely headed downstream to be forged into finished productsTue, 22 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/workers-excavating-gravel-from-the-danube-river-dredged-up-a-2200-year-old-rusty-treasure-that-could-have-equipped-an-army-180989542/A Rare Aztec Codex Detailing the Rise and Fall of Tenochtitlan Returns to Mexico for the First Time in Nearly Two Centurieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-aztec-codex-detailing-the-rise-and-fall-of-tenochtitlan-returns-to-mexico-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-two-centuries-180989536/The artifact, among the most prized visual accounts of Aztec history, will be on display in Mexico City for three monthsMon, 21 Sep 2026 19:34:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-aztec-codex-detailing-the-rise-and-fall-of-tenochtitlan-returns-to-mexico-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-two-centuries-180989536/Henry VIII Relied on This Courtier to Enforce His Orders During the English Reformation. Behind the Scenes, the Tudor Politician Defied His King by Secretly Saving a Catholic Texthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/henry-viii-relied-on-this-courtier-to-enforce-his-orders-during-the-english-reformation-behind-the-scenes-the-tudor-politician-defied-his-king-by-secretly-saving-a-catholic-text-180989541/A newly discovered fragment suggests that John Gage preserved a 15th-century religious manuscript, keeping it "safe when he was meant to destroy books precisely like this one"Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:08:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/henry-viii-relied-on-this-courtier-to-enforce-his-orders-during-the-english-reformation-behind-the-scenes-the-tudor-politician-defied-his-king-by-secretly-saving-a-catholic-text-180989541/The Brain Shrinks as We Age and During Major Transitions. But Surprisingly, It Seems to Take a Break From Rewiring During Menopausehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-brain-shrinks-as-we-age-and-during-major-transitions-but-surprisingly-it-seems-to-take-a-break-from-rewiring-during-menopause-180989527/Puberty, pregnancy and menopause are the three major hormonal transitions for the female brain. Researchers already knew that during the first two, the organ fine-tunes itself in response to hormonal shifts, but they haven't been sure about the thirdMon, 21 Sep 2026 18:51:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-brain-shrinks-as-we-age-and-during-major-transitions-but-surprisingly-it-seems-to-take-a-break-from-rewiring-during-menopause-180989527/An Armadillo Found in Ohio Is the Latest Surprise in the Armored Animals' Expansion North. Where Are They Now, and What's Driving Their Movement?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-armadillo-found-in-ohio-is-the-latest-surprise-in-the-armored-animals-expansion-north-where-are-they-now-and-whats-driving-their-movement-180989530/Typically spotted in the South and Southeast, the creatures have been reaching increasingly distant states like North Carolina, Virginia and Illinois as winters become milderMon, 21 Sep 2026 17:56:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-armadillo-found-in-ohio-is-the-latest-surprise-in-the-armored-animals-expansion-north-where-are-they-now-and-whats-driving-their-movement-180989530/A Cutting-Edge English Initiative Replaces Lawnmowers With Scythes to Restore Wildflowers and Save the Beeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-cutting-edge-english-project-replaces-lawnmowers-with-scythes-to-protect-wildflowers-and-save-the-bees-180989537/English Heritage has recruited volunteers to mow meadows the old-fashioned way at some of its historic sitesMon, 21 Sep 2026 17:46:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-cutting-edge-english-project-replaces-lawnmowers-with-scythes-to-protect-wildflowers-and-save-the-bees-180989537/Alcohol-Related Cancer Deaths Have More Than Doubled in the United States Over the Past 30 Years, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alcohol-related-cancer-deaths-have-more-than-doubled-in-the-united-states-over-the-past-30-years-study-suggests-180989531/While scientists say their findings don't necessarily mean you need to cut alcohol from your life entirely, knowing the potential risks—especially if you're already at an elevated risk of developing cancer—can help guide your decisionsMon, 21 Sep 2026 15:32:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alcohol-related-cancer-deaths-have-more-than-doubled-in-the-united-states-over-the-past-30-years-study-suggests-180989531/A Researcher Studying in a Dutch Library Was Amazed to Discover a Scrap of Parchment From a 1,700-Year-Old Copy of ‘The Odyssey’https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-researcher-studying-in-a-dutch-library-was-amazed-to-discover-a-scrap-of-parchment-from-a-1700-year-old-copy-of-the-odyssey-180989524/The handwritten fragment contains Greek verses from Book 12 of Homer’s epic, in which King Odysseus recounts the fate of his doomed crewMon, 21 Sep 2026 14:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-researcher-studying-in-a-dutch-library-was-amazed-to-discover-a-scrap-of-parchment-from-a-1700-year-old-copy-of-the-odyssey-180989524/Meet the Adorable and Tiny Tilcayo, the First Brand-New Cat Species Identified in More Than a Centuryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-adorable-and-tiny-tilcayo-the-first-brand-new-cat-species-identified-in-more-than-a-century-180989528/Discovered in a cloud forest in Bolivia, the diminutive felines are smaller than a house cat and covered in large, irregularly shaped rosettesMon, 21 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-adorable-and-tiny-tilcayo-the-first-brand-new-cat-species-identified-in-more-than-a-century-180989528/From ‘Sunday Scaries’ and ‘Whack-a-Mole’ to ‘Looksmaxxing’ and ‘Cuffing Season,’ These Are the Newest Words in the Dictionaryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-sunday-scaries-and-whack-a-mole-to-looksmaxxing-and-cuffing-season-these-are-the-newest-words-in-the-dictionary-180989529/Merriam-Webster’s update includes 1,400 words that have demonstrated frequent, widespread and meaningful useMon, 21 Sep 2026 13:28:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-sunday-scaries-and-whack-a-mole-to-looksmaxxing-and-cuffing-season-these-are-the-newest-words-in-the-dictionary-180989529/The Moon Just Got a Massive New Crater That's Wider Than Two End-to-End Football Fields. It's a 'Once-in-a-Lifetime Observation'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-moon-just-got-a-massive-new-crater-thats-wider-than-two-end-to-end-football-fields-its-a-once-in-a-lifetime-observation-180989526/The impact crater was formed in 2024 when an object the size of a multistory building crashed into our lunar companion. The resulting divot is about 728 feet wide and 141 feet deepFri, 18 Sep 2026 19:04:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-moon-just-got-a-massive-new-crater-thats-wider-than-two-end-to-end-football-fields-its-a-once-in-a-lifetime-observation-180989526/A Herd of 40 Life-Size Bison Puppets Will Stampede Through New York This Weekend to Honor Indigenous History and Resiliencehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-herd-of-40-life-size-bison-puppets-will-stampede-through-new-york-this-weekend-to-honor-indigenous-history-and-resilience-180989525/The massive bovines, each maneuvered by three puppeteers, will roam through Lower Manhattan and BrooklynFri, 18 Sep 2026 18:44:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-herd-of-40-life-size-bison-puppets-will-stampede-through-new-york-this-weekend-to-honor-indigenous-history-and-resilience-180989525/Centuries Ago, an Architect Characterized the Parthenon’s Curves as a Clever Optical Illusion. Now, a Mathematician Begs to Differhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-an-architect-characterized-the-parthenons-curves-as-a-clever-optical-illusion-now-a-mathematician-begs-to-differ-180989520/In the first century B.C.E., Vitruvius wrote that the Acropolis’ largest temple was horizontally bowed so that it didn't seem to sag, and that explanation persisted for millennia. New research suggests a different reasonFri, 18 Sep 2026 17:11:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-an-architect-characterized-the-parthenons-curves-as-a-clever-optical-illusion-now-a-mathematician-begs-to-differ-180989520/Tyrannosaurus Rex Was a Warm-Blooded Dinosaur, With a Body Temperature Similar to That of Humans, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tyrannosaurus-rex-was-a-warm-blooded-dinosaur-with-a-body-temperature-similar-to-that-of-humans-study-suggests-180989519/A tooth analysis hints that the fearsome predator ran at a toasty 97 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintaining that internal temperature may have allowed it to inhabit a range stretching from modern-day Alaska to Mexico during the Cretaceous periodFri, 18 Sep 2026 15:59:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tyrannosaurus-rex-was-a-warm-blooded-dinosaur-with-a-body-temperature-similar-to-that-of-humans-study-suggests-180989519/The Ancient DNA of a Deadly Animal Virus Has Been Lurking in Medieval Manuscripts for Centuries, Researchers Findhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-manuscripts-preserved-traces-of-a-deadly-virus-for-centuries-180989522/A new analysis of teeth and parchment suggests that the devastating sheep pox virus has been infecting livestock for 3,700 yearsFri, 18 Sep 2026 15:10:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-manuscripts-preserved-traces-of-a-deadly-virus-for-centuries-180989522/A Humpback Whale Mom Stayed With Her Stillborn Calf, Repeatedly Touching It and Staring Into Its Eyes. Was She Grieving?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-humpback-whale-mom-stayed-with-her-stillborn-calf-repeatedly-touchingi-it-and-staring-into-its-eyes-was-she-grieving-180989516/Observed last year off the coast of Queensland, Australia, this event marks the first documentation of a stillbirth in the species, providing a rare glimpse at how the highly social animals respond to deathFri, 18 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-humpback-whale-mom-stayed-with-her-stillborn-calf-repeatedly-touchingi-it-and-staring-into-its-eyes-was-she-grieving-180989516/Scientists Created Mice With Half-Human Brains. The Hybrid Animals Could Revolutionize Our Understanding of Neurological Disordershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-created-mice-with-half-human-brains-the-hybrid-animals-could-revolutionize-our-understanding-of-neurological-disorders-180989518/Our brains and their associated diseases are notoriously hard to study. So researchers developed an animal model with a cortex—the brain’s outer layer—grown from human-derived cellsThu, 17 Sep 2026 20:16:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-created-mice-with-half-human-brains-the-hybrid-animals-could-revolutionize-our-understanding-of-neurological-disorders-180989518/Pope Leo XIV Makes a Splash for His 71st Birthday, Announcing a Water-Themed Art Exhibition at the Vatican Libraryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pope-leo-xiv-makes-a-splash-for-his-71st-birthday-announcing-a-water-themed-art-exhibition-at-the-vatican-library-180989515/Contemporary sculptures, fish made from typographic elements, centuries-old treatises and historical global cookbooks will feature in the new ‘Catastrophe and Wonder’ art showThu, 17 Sep 2026 19:12:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pope-leo-xiv-makes-a-splash-for-his-71st-birthday-announcing-a-water-themed-art-exhibition-at-the-vatican-library-180989515/Bought for $30 at an Estate Sale, This Long-Lost Gertrude Abercrombie Painting Could Now Fetch $250,000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bought-for-30-at-an-estate-sale-this-long-lost-gertrude-abercrombie-painting-could-now-fetch-250000-180989513/The Chicago-based Surrealist created the piece in 1951, then gave it to a doctor in exchange for medical servicesThu, 17 Sep 2026 18:02:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bought-for-30-at-an-estate-sale-this-long-lost-gertrude-abercrombie-painting-could-now-fetch-250000-180989513/Billions of Years Ago, Venus May Have Had a Moon—Which the Planet Promptly Gobbled Up, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/billions-of-years-ago-venus-may-have-had-a-moon-which-the-planet-promptly-gobbled-up-study-suggests-180989510/Scientists have puzzled over why the planet dubbed "Earth's twin" doesn't have a moon. Computer simulations hint that if Venus ever did have one, it probably would've cannibalized its companionThu, 17 Sep 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/billions-of-years-ago-venus-may-have-had-a-moon-which-the-planet-promptly-gobbled-up-study-suggests-180989510/A Rare Marble Sculpture by America’s First Professional Female Sculptor Sat Hidden in Plain Sight for Decades in an English Gardenhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-marble-sculpture-by-americas-first-professional-female-sculptor-sat-hidden-in-plain-sight-for-decades-in-english-garden-180989508/Until its discovery during a house appraisal, the debut bust by Harriet Goodhue Hosmer, a celebrated artist and feminist icon, had been mistaken for an ordinary garden ornamentThu, 17 Sep 2026 14:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-marble-sculpture-by-americas-first-professional-female-sculptor-sat-hidden-in-plain-sight-for-decades-in-english-garden-180989508/Researchers Have Analyzed the Roman Empire’s 190,000-Mile Network of Roads. Turns Out, Not All of Them Led to Romehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-have-created-a-digital-map-of-the-roman-empires-190000-mile-network-of-roads-turns-out-not-all-of-them-led-to-rome-180989509/For a new study, archaeologists attempted to answer age-old questions about Rome’s roads, including how connected the capital was and whether current motorways trace Roman routesThu, 17 Sep 2026 14:10:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-have-created-a-digital-map-of-the-roman-empires-190000-mile-network-of-roads-turns-out-not-all-of-them-led-to-rome-180989509/New Zealand Welcomes a Record 90 Kakapo Chicks, Helping the World's Chunkiest Parrot Species Rebound From the Brink of Extinctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-zealand-welcomes-a-record-90-kakapo-chicks-helping-the-worlds-chunkiest-parrot-species-rebound-from-the-brink-of-extinction-180989511/Annual chick counts aren't confirmed until the youngest hatchling reaches 150 days old, a benchmark for independence. The population now stands at 325 birds, up from the 51 individuals that remained in 1995Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-zealand-welcomes-a-record-90-kakapo-chicks-helping-the-worlds-chunkiest-parrot-species-rebound-from-the-brink-of-extinction-180989511/A 66-Million-Year-Old Feather Trapped in Dinosaur Poop Might Help Explain Why Some Birds Survived Mass Extinctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-66-million-year-old-feather-trapped-in-dinosaur-poop-might-help-explain-why-some-birds-survived-mass-extinction-180989496/Discovered in Montana in 2016, the cherry-size coprolite contains feathers, bones and evidence of the bird's last meal before the creature was eaten by a theropodWed, 16 Sep 2026 18:45:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-66-million-year-old-feather-trapped-in-dinosaur-poop-might-help-explain-why-some-birds-survived-mass-extinction-180989496/This New Brain Map Shows Every Nerve Cell in an Adult Male Fruit Fly's Central Nervous System. Here's Why That Mattershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-new-brain-map-shows-every-nerve-cell-in-an-adult-male-fruit-flys-central-nervous-system-heres-why-that-matters-180989490/The recently released "connectome" joins a previously completed map of an adult female fruit fly’s brain. The digital 3D diagrams allow scientists to trace precise neural paths in the bugs’ brains, which can unlock secrets about the organ in humansWed, 16 Sep 2026 16:17:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-new-brain-map-shows-every-nerve-cell-in-an-adult-male-fruit-flys-central-nervous-system-heres-why-that-matters-180989490/Three Wild Dogs Made a Record-Breaking Trek Across Zambia, Traveling More Than 2,500 Miles in Search of Mateshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/three-wild-dogs-made-a-record-breaking-trek-across-zambia-traveling-more-than-2500-miles-in-search-of-mates-180989505/The canines achieved the longest recorded movement by any African mammal. Their journey highlights the importance of having protected corridors for wildlifeWed, 16 Sep 2026 15:47:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/three-wild-dogs-made-a-record-breaking-trek-across-zambia-traveling-more-than-2500-miles-in-search-of-mates-180989505/Mysteriously Stolen More Than 30 Years Ago, and Illicitly Transported to the U.S., This 300-Pound Sculpture Is Finally Back Home in Francehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysteriously-stolen-more-than-30-years-ago-and-illicitly-transported-to-the-us-this-300-pound-sculpture-is-finally-back-home-in-france-180989507/Alfred Lepère’s hulking “Faune Chasseur” artwork is once again on display at the Musée de Picardie, in AmiensWed, 16 Sep 2026 15:03:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysteriously-stolen-more-than-30-years-ago-and-illicitly-transported-to-the-us-this-300-pound-sculpture-is-finally-back-home-in-france-180989507/Tasmanian Devils Lived Alongside Humans in Northwestern Australia as Far Back as 45,000 Years Ago, Researchers Findhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tasmanian-devils-lived-alongside-humans-in-northwestern-australia-as-far-back-as-45000-years-ago-researchers-find-180989503/Fossils and marked bones unearthed in a Juukan Gorge cave suggest that the marsupial species not only once lived in the region but may have been a “garbage compactor on four legs” for its human populationWed, 16 Sep 2026 13:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tasmanian-devils-lived-alongside-humans-in-northwestern-australia-as-far-back-as-45000-years-ago-researchers-find-180989503/The Ruins of a Long-Lost Medieval Convent Have Been Discovered Just a Few Feet Beneath a Soccer Fieldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ruins-of-a-long-lost-medieval-convent-have-been-discovered-just-a-few-feet-beneath-a-soccer-field-180989506/St. Clare's Convent closed in the 16th century, and researchers assumed all traces of it had been lost. But a new ground-penetrating radar survey revealed surprisingly intact remains of pillars, rooms, cloisters, a courtyard and a churchWed, 16 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ruins-of-a-long-lost-medieval-convent-have-been-discovered-just-a-few-feet-beneath-a-soccer-field-180989506/Two Chonky, Mountain-Dwelling Marmots Were Found in the Bay Area. What Were They Doing So Far Away From Their Home?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/marmot-mystery-how-did-these-large-mountain-dwelling-rodents-end-up-in-the-bay-area-180989502/The two rodents of unusual size, rescued this month, might have hitched a ride in the engine compartment of a vehicle coming down from the mountains, wildlife officials sayTue, 15 Sep 2026 20:21:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/marmot-mystery-how-did-these-large-mountain-dwelling-rodents-end-up-in-the-bay-area-180989502/A Geologist in California Found Something Strange Sticking Out of a Creek. A Reverse Image Search Told Her It Was an Ancient Mastodon Toothhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-geologist-in-california-found-something-strange-sticking-out-of-a-creek-reverse-image-search-told-her-it-was-an-ancient-mastodon-tooth-180989504/Pacific mastodons roamed parts of North America before disappearing along with other Ice Age megafauna around 11,700 years agoTue, 15 Sep 2026 19:04:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-geologist-in-california-found-something-strange-sticking-out-of-a-creek-reverse-image-search-told-her-it-was-an-ancient-mastodon-tooth-180989504/Russia Sends the Centuries-Old Remains of a Medieval Warrior Prince to Its Front Line in Ukraine, Hoping to ‘Spiritually Strengthen’ Troopshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/russia-sends-the-centuries-old-remains-of-a-medieval-warrior-prince-to-its-front-line-in-ukraine-hoping-to-spiritually-strengthen-troops-180989501/A reliquary containing part of the right hand of Dmitry Donskoy, whose crypt was discovered in August, has been dispatched to DonetskTue, 15 Sep 2026 18:41:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/russia-sends-the-centuries-old-remains-of-a-medieval-warrior-prince-to-its-front-line-in-ukraine-hoping-to-spiritually-strengthen-troops-180989501/What If Emmett Till Had Lived? A New Exhibition Imagines an Alternate Future for the Murdered Black Teenagerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-if-emmett-till-had-lived-a-new-exhibition-imagines-an-alternate-future-for-the-murdered-black-teenager-180989498/Featuring photographs by more than 110 artists, the show honors Till’s memory by inviting viewers to contemplate the person he might have become had he made it to adulthoodTue, 15 Sep 2026 16:01:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-if-emmett-till-had-lived-a-new-exhibition-imagines-an-alternate-future-for-the-murdered-black-teenager-180989498/Renovations at Buckingham Palace Have Revealed Fascinating Artifacts Previously Lost to Time Lodged in Its Walls and Floorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/renovations-at-buckingham-palace-have-revealed-fascinating-artifacts-previously-lost-to-time-lodged-in-its-walls-and-floors-180989494/The findings include a card game tournament ticket, an important newspaper clipping and the schedule for a diplomatic evening event under Elizabeth IITue, 15 Sep 2026 14:21:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/renovations-at-buckingham-palace-have-revealed-fascinating-artifacts-previously-lost-to-time-lodged-in-its-walls-and-floors-180989494/These Four Giant Dinosaur Footprints Discovered in North Dakota Might Represent the First Trackway Made by an Adult T. Rex Ever Foundhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-four-giant-dinosaur-footprints-discovered-in-north-dakota-might-represent-the-first-trackway-made-by-an-adult-t-rex-ever-found-180989481/A high school teacher first spotted the remarkable trail while volunteering on a paleontological dig. Researchers suspect a hulking, full-grown dinosaur marched through the then-swampy landscape roughly 66.5 million years agoTue, 15 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-four-giant-dinosaur-footprints-discovered-in-north-dakota-might-represent-the-first-trackway-made-by-an-adult-t-rex-ever-found-180989481/World Maps Might Soon Get an Upgrade. The United Nations Votes to Endorse Global Charts That Better Represent Africa's True Sizehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-maps-might-soon-get-an-upgrade-the-united-nationas-votes-to-endorse-global-charts-that-better-represent-africas-true-size-180989495/The most widely used global map is almost 500 years old and was designed for navigation. But landmasses near the poles look larger than their actual relative sizes, and those near the equator look much smallerMon, 14 Sep 2026 19:15:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-maps-might-soon-get-an-upgrade-the-united-nationas-votes-to-endorse-global-charts-that-better-represent-africas-true-size-180989495/Unsealed for the First Time in 600 Years, This Tomb in Peru Was Just Declared the 'Discovery of the Decade'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/unsealed-for-the-first-time-in-600-years-this-tomb-in-peru-was-just-declared-the-discovery-of-the-decade-180989497/Archaeologists excavating Chan Chan, the capital of the pre-Inca Chimú civilization, found an undisturbed mausoleum that held the remains of at least 38 individuals, as well as a trove of rich funerary goodsMon, 14 Sep 2026 19:05:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/unsealed-for-the-first-time-in-600-years-this-tomb-in-peru-was-just-declared-the-discovery-of-the-decade-180989497/See Nine Stunning Images from This Year's Ocean Photographer of the Year Contest That Show the Majesty of Marine Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-nine-stunning-images-from-this-years-ocean-photographer-of-the-year-contest-that-show-the-majesty-of-marine-life-180989489/From seahorse farewells to saving a stranded whale, the photos capture the diversity and beauty of sea creatures—but also the perils they faceMon, 14 Sep 2026 16:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-nine-stunning-images-from-this-years-ocean-photographer-of-the-year-contest-that-show-the-majesty-of-marine-life-180989489/Princess Diana's 'Revenge Dress' Is Heading to Auction for the First Time in Nearly 30 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/princess-dianas-revenge-dress-is-heading-to-auction-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-30-years-180989492/The fashion icon wore the strapless silk frock the same day her then-estranged husband publicly admitted to having an affairMon, 14 Sep 2026 15:58:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/princess-dianas-revenge-dress-is-heading-to-auction-for-the-first-time-in-nearly-30-years-180989492/A Rare Nazi-Looted Painting, Lost for Some 80 Years, Turned Up in a Real Estate Listing. Now, a Judge Has Ordered It Returned to Its Rightful Heirshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/A-Rare-Nazi-Looted-Painting-lost-for-Some-80-Years-Turned-Up-in-a-Real-Estate-Listing-Now-a-Judge-Has-Ordered-It-Returned-to-Its-Rightful-Heirs-180989488/Missing since it was stolen in Amsterdam in 1945, Giacomo Ceruti’s ‘Portrait of a Lady’ will be restored to its true owners, a court in Argentina has ruled in a landmark decisionMon, 14 Sep 2026 14:29:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/A-Rare-Nazi-Looted-Painting-lost-for-Some-80-Years-Turned-Up-in-a-Real-Estate-Listing-Now-a-Judge-Has-Ordered-It-Returned-to-Its-Rightful-Heirs-180989488/Watch an Elusive and Ethereal Bigfin Squid Float Above the Seafloor Off Central Californiahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-an-elusive-and-ethereal-bigfin-squid-float-above-the-seafloor-off-central-california-180989491/This marks the first time the mysterious creature has been seen alive in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. It was spotted last month by scientists on an expedition to study marine life near underwater mountainsMon, 14 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-an-elusive-and-ethereal-bigfin-squid-float-above-the-seafloor-off-central-california-180989491/Scientists Find a Trove of Denisovan Fossils and Tools in Southwest China, Giving an Unprecedented Glimpse Into Our Extinct Cousins' Liveshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-find-a-trove-of-denisovan-fossils-and-tools-in-southwest-china-giving-an-unprecendented-glimpse-into-our-extinct-cousins-lives-180989483/Relatively few fossils belonging to the enigmatic early human have been unearthed in the past. Two new studies describe seven Denisovan fossils and more than 1,300 stone and bone toolsMon, 14 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-find-a-trove-of-denisovan-fossils-and-tools-in-southwest-china-giving-an-unprecendented-glimpse-into-our-extinct-cousins-lives-180989483/A Finnish Metal Detectorist Was Shocked to Unearth a Trove of Viking Age Silver in His Hometown. Then His Detector Went Off Againhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-finnish-metal-detectorist-was-shocked-to-unearth-a-trove-of-viking-age-silver-in-his-hometown-then-his-detector-went-off-again-180989487/Weighing a combined ten pounds, the artifacts are estimated to be 1,000 years old and constitute Finland’s largest coin hoard of the eraFri, 11 Sep 2026 19:14:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-finnish-metal-detectorist-was-shocked-to-unearth-a-trove-of-viking-age-silver-in-his-hometown-then-his-detector-went-off-again-180989487/Did You Suffer a Sweltering August? You Weren't Alone. It Tied for the Month With the Hottest Global Temperatures on Recordhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-you-suffer-a-sweltering-august-you-werent-alone-it-tied-for-the-month-with-the-hottest-global-temperatures-on-record-180989482/Last month, the air temperature averaged 62.53 degrees Fahrenheit, tying with July 2023 as the toastiest month ever documented by the European Union's climate serviceFri, 11 Sep 2026 16:57:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-you-suffer-a-sweltering-august-you-werent-alone-it-tied-for-the-month-with-the-hottest-global-temperatures-on-record-180989482/Designers and Computer Scientists Create New Decoy Fonts That Humans Can Read but A.I. Bots Cannothttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/designers-and-computer-scientists-create-new-decoy-fonts-that-humans-can-read-and-ai-bots-cannot-180989470/To prevent the trawling and theft of human writing, font-makers are employing both old and new illusions to outsmart large language modelsFri, 11 Sep 2026 16:08:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/designers-and-computer-scientists-create-new-decoy-fonts-that-humans-can-read-and-ai-bots-cannot-180989470/Ancient Rome’s Largest Fresco and Mosaic Complex, Featuring Depictions of a Mysterious Maritime City, Opens to the Public After 2,000 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-romes-largest-fresco-and-mosaic-complex-featuring-depictions-of-a-mysterious-maritime-city-opens-to-the-public-after-2000-years-180989484/The massive artworks, created in the first century C.E., were discovered in the 1990s during excavations of the Baths of TrajanFri, 11 Sep 2026 15:31:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-romes-largest-fresco-and-mosaic-complex-featuring-depictions-of-a-mysterious-maritime-city-opens-to-the-public-after-2000-years-180989484/Archaeologists Discover the World's Oldest Evidence of Habitual Drug Use in the Teeth of a Hunter-Gatherer Who Lived Up to 25,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-the-worlds-oldest-evidence-of-habitual-drug-use-in-the-teeth-of-a-hunter-gatherer-who-lived-up-to-25000-years-ago-180989485/This individual may have regularly sucked on betel nuts, known for their mind-altering properties, leading to worsening dental disease. Researchers say the discovery sheds light on addiction in prehistoric environmentsFri, 11 Sep 2026 15:12:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-the-worlds-oldest-evidence-of-habitual-drug-use-in-the-teeth-of-a-hunter-gatherer-who-lived-up-to-25000-years-ago-180989485/For Decades, Scientists Thought an 'American Cheetah' Once Roamed North America. Turns Out the Extinct Cat Wasn't a Cheetahhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-decades-scientists-thought-an-american-cheetah-once-roamed-north-america-ancient-turns-out-the-extinct-cat-wasnt-a-cheetah-180989465/Ancient DNA from fossils found in Wyoming and Canada's Yukon Territory suggests the wild cat more closely resembled modern pumas than modern cheetahsFri, 11 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-decades-scientists-thought-an-american-cheetah-once-roamed-north-america-ancient-turns-out-the-extinct-cat-wasnt-a-cheetah-180989465/A Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Kept a Man Alive for a Record Nine Months, Allowing Him to Wait for a Donated Human Organhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-genetically-modified-pig-kidney-kept-a-man-alive-for-a-record-nine-months-allowing-him-to-wait-for-a-donated-human-organ-180989466/The animal organ kept Tim Andrews off dialysis for 271 days and represents the first time a pig kidney has been used as a bridge to human organ transplantationFri, 11 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-genetically-modified-pig-kidney-kept-a-man-alive-for-a-record-nine-months-allowing-him-to-wait-for-a-donated-human-organ-180989466/A.I. May Have Solved a Longstanding Math Problem With a Million-Dollar Prize. It Ignited a Controversy Over Who Gets Credithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-may-have-solved-a-longstanding-math-problem-with-a-million-dollar-prize-it-ignited-a-controversy-over-who-gets-credit-180989472/OpenAI announced a solution to the Navier-Stokes problem. But could its A.I. models have used data from two mathematicians working on a similar breakthrough?Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:23:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-may-have-solved-a-longstanding-math-problem-with-a-million-dollar-prize-it-ignited-a-controversy-over-who-gets-credit-180989472/Girl Scouts of America Announces a First for Its Iconic Cookie Lineup—One Created Exclusively for Dogshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/girl-scouts-of-america-announces-a-first-for-its-iconic-cookie-lineup-one-created-exclusively-for-dogs-180989479/For the first time in its 109-year history of cookie sales, the organization offers a custom-made sweet treat for four-legged friendsThu, 10 Sep 2026 19:28:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/girl-scouts-of-america-announces-a-first-for-its-iconic-cookie-lineup-one-created-exclusively-for-dogs-180989479/Australia’s Second-Smallest Rock-Wallaby Reappears in a Region Where It Had Not Been Seen for 50 Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australias-second-smallest-rock-wallaby-reappears-in-a-region-where-it-had-not-been-seen-for-50-years-180989469/The endangered nabarlek is not easy to find and difficult to distinguish from similar species. But a research team made new detections of the animals that offer “good news for their long-term survival”Thu, 10 Sep 2026 18:00:37 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australias-second-smallest-rock-wallaby-reappears-in-a-region-where-it-had-not-been-seen-for-50-years-180989469/The Life of Agatha Christie, the World’s Best-Selling Novelist, Goes Under the Microscope at the British Libraryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-life-of-agatha-christie-the-worlds-best-selling-novelist-goes-under-the-microscope-at-the-british-library-180989480/An upcoming London exhibition will explore the breadth of Christie’s ‘remarkable’ experiences through letters, photographs, a typewriter and a replica of her Hawaiian surfboardThu, 10 Sep 2026 17:55:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-life-of-agatha-christie-the-worlds-best-selling-novelist-goes-under-the-microscope-at-the-british-library-180989480/The Tasmanian Tiger Was Branded a Livestock Killer. New Research Challenges That Mythhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-tasmanian-tiger-was-branded-a-livestock-killer-new-research-challenges-that-myth-180989473/Thylacines had powerful snapping bites suited for catching small and medium-sized prey like bandicoots—not taking down large animals such as sheep and cattle, as European colonists fearedThu, 10 Sep 2026 17:43:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-tasmanian-tiger-was-branded-a-livestock-killer-new-research-challenges-that-myth-180989473/The Tip of This Snake's Tail Looks Like a Spider. But Inside, Its Bones Are 'Bizarrely Normal'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-tip-of-this-snakes-tail-looks-like-a-spider-but-inside-its-bones-are-bizarrely-normal-180989478/High-tech scans reveal the first detailed look at the internal anatomy of the spider-tailed horned viper. The findings shed light on little-known snake vertebrae and highlight the difficulty of predicting what an animal looks like from its skeletonThu, 10 Sep 2026 16:06:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-tip-of-this-snakes-tail-looks-like-a-spider-but-inside-its-bones-are-bizarrely-normal-180989478/A Psychedelic Compound Found in 'Magic' Mushrooms Might Prevent Debilitating Nerve Damage and Pain Caused by Chemotherapyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-psychedelic-compound-found-in-magic-mushrooms-might-prevent-debilitating-nerve-damage-and-pain-caused-by-chemotherapy-180989457/A study in mice and human tissue suggests psilocybin protects against peripheral neuropathy, a common side effect of chemotherapy. The findings are so promising that researchers are starting a mid-stage clinical trial this yearThu, 10 Sep 2026 15:48:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-psychedelic-compound-found-in-magic-mushrooms-might-prevent-debilitating-nerve-damage-and-pain-caused-by-chemotherapy-180989457/Archaeologists Uncover a Neolithic Sculpture of a Human Riding a Leopard That's 'Unlike Anything We Have Encountered Before'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-uncover-a-neolithic-sculpture-of-a-human-riding-a-leopard-thats-unlike-anything-we-have-encountered-before-180989477/The artifact was found during excavations at Karahan Tepe, an 11,000-year-old site in southeastern Turkey. Created long before the invention of writing, the 2.3-foot-tall sculpture's purpose is a mysteryThu, 10 Sep 2026 14:09:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-uncover-a-neolithic-sculpture-of-a-human-riding-a-leopard-thats-unlike-anything-we-have-encountered-before-180989477/Archaeologists Excavating a Roman-Era Cemetery in Poland Were Surprised to Stumble Upon a 5,000-Year-Old Necklace Made of 42 Teethhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-roman-era-cemetery-in-poland-were-surprised-to-stumble-upon-a-5000-year-old-necklace-made-of-42-teeth-180989471/Crafted from the teeth of large mammals, such as wolves, deer, bears and perhaps even humans, the jewelry was found in a grave in southern Poland that may belong to an important patriarch of the Corded Ware cultureWed, 09 Sep 2026 21:05:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-excavating-a-roman-era-cemetery-in-poland-were-surprised-to-stumble-upon-a-5000-year-old-necklace-made-of-42-teeth-180989471/To Researchers' Surprise, This Giant Dinosaur Laid Eggs in a Cold Climatehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-researchers-surprise-this-giant-dinosaur-laid-eggs-in-a-cold-climate-180989474/A new study suggests that titanosaurs used rotting vegetation to keep their eggs warm much like crocodiles do todayWed, 09 Sep 2026 20:29:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-researchers-surprise-this-giant-dinosaur-laid-eggs-in-a-cold-climate-180989474/A ‘Legendary’ 132-Year-Old Dime Recently Sold for More Than $1.2 Million at Auction. What Makes It So Extraordinary?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-legendary-132-year-old-dime-recently-sold-for-more-than-12-million-at-auction-what-makes-it-so-extraordinary-180989476/Only 24 of the 1894-S Barber dimes were minted in San Francisco in June 1894, and just nine known specimens exist todayWed, 09 Sep 2026 19:33:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-legendary-132-year-old-dime-recently-sold-for-more-than-12-million-at-auction-what-makes-it-so-extraordinary-180989476/This Hospital Ship Sank Off Albania's Coast During World War II. Now, It’s Teeming With Marine Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-hospital-ship-sank-off-albania-coast-during-world-war-ii-now-its-teeming-with-marine-life-180989468/A new survey of the "Po" has revealed a thriving underwater ecosystem, including rare Mediterranean monk sealsWed, 09 Sep 2026 17:57:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-hospital-ship-sank-off-albania-coast-during-world-war-ii-now-its-teeming-with-marine-life-180989468/World’s Largest Collection of Serial Killer ‘Murderabilia,’ From John Wayne Gacy to H.H. Holmes, Opens in Chicagohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-largest-collection-of-serial-killer-murderabilia-from-john-wayne-gacy-to-hh-holmes-opens-in-chicago-180989461/More than 2,000 items belonging or connected to some 150 serial killers from around the globe feature in a chilling new exhibitionWed, 09 Sep 2026 14:24:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-largest-collection-of-serial-killer-murderabilia-from-john-wayne-gacy-to-hh-holmes-opens-in-chicago-180989461/Stealing Candy From Children, Splash-Proof Urinals and Buried Panties, Oh My! Here Are the Winners of the 2026 Ig Nobel Prizeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stealing-candy-from-children-splash-proof-urinals-and-buried-panties-oh-my-here-are-the-winners-of-the-2026-ig-nobel-prizes-180989463/The awards are an unaffiliated spoof of the Nobel Prizes. They highlight research achievements that are surprising and silly-sounding—but also make people thinkTue, 08 Sep 2026 20:50:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stealing-candy-from-children-splash-proof-urinals-and-buried-panties-oh-my-here-are-the-winners-of-the-2026-ig-nobel-prizes-180989463/Thieves Broke Into a French Museum and Made Off With Renoir Paintings Worth More Than $2.5 Millionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-broke-into-a-french-museum-and-made-off-with-renoir-paintings-worth-more-than-25-million-180989462/Early today, burglars stole four artworks from the Renoir Museum, in the French Riviera, only to drop two of them as they escapedTue, 08 Sep 2026 19:21:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-broke-into-a-french-museum-and-made-off-with-renoir-paintings-worth-more-than-25-million-180989462/These Adorable, Critically Endangered Pygmy Raccoons in Cozumel Are Teaching One Another to Turn Trash Into Toy Ballshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-adorable-critically-endangered-pygmy-raccoons-in-cozumel-are-teaching-one-another-to-turn-trash-into-toy-balls-180989459/The observations offer rare evidence of a skill being passed among raccoons. But the work also highlights the effects of human pollution at the popular tourist destinationTue, 08 Sep 2026 18:49:50 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-adorable-critically-endangered-pygmy-raccoons-in-cozumel-are-teaching-one-another-to-turn-trash-into-toy-balls-180989459/Scientists May Have Finally Detected a Hint of Dark Matter, the Mysterious, Invisible Stuff That Holds the Universe Togetherhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-may-have-finally-detected-a-hint-of-dark-matter-the-mysterious-invisible-stuff-that-holds-the-universe-together-180989440/A South Dakota-based instrument built to detect theoretical dark matter particles has sensed a particle interaction that's difficult to explain with known phenomena. But more data is needed to confirm that the strange substance—which scientists have never directly observed—is, indeed, the culpritTue, 08 Sep 2026 15:23:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-may-have-finally-detected-a-hint-of-dark-matter-the-mysterious-invisible-stuff-that-holds-the-universe-together-180989440/Routine Yard Work Reveals a Trove of Viking Silver—the Largest Treasure of Its Kind Ever Discovered in Denmarkhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/routine-yard-work-reveals-a-trove-of-viking-silver-the-largest-treasure-of-its-kind-ever-discovered-in-denmark-180989456/The collection includes coins, jewelry, silver bars and a tiny artifact shaped like Thor's hammer. Experts say the roughly 700 items were buried during the tenth centuryTue, 08 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/routine-yard-work-reveals-a-trove-of-viking-silver-the-largest-treasure-of-its-kind-ever-discovered-in-denmark-180989456/A New York City Exhibition Celebrates Snoopy’s Enduring Influence on Art and Fashionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-york-city-exhibition-celebrates-snoopys-enduring-influence-on-art-and-fashion-180989455/The beloved "Peanuts" character’s many costumes and brand collaborations are featured in a new showcaseFri, 04 Sep 2026 21:22:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-york-city-exhibition-celebrates-snoopys-enduring-influence-on-art-and-fashion-180989455/After an Eight-Year Journey, Two Spacecraft Have Begun Their Arrival to Mercury, the Inner Solar System's Most Mysterious Planethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-an-eight-year-journey-two-spacecraft-have-begun-their-arrival-to-mercury-the-inner-solar-systems-most-mysterious-planet-180989458/The BepiColombo mission, by the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, is only the third to study our smallest planetary neighborFri, 04 Sep 2026 18:48:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-an-eight-year-journey-two-spacecraft-have-begun-their-arrival-to-mercury-the-inner-solar-systems-most-mysterious-planet-180989458/GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Can Slow Aging and Extend Life Span, Mouse Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/GLP-1-weight-loss-drugs-can-slow-aging-and-extend-lifespan-mouse-study-suggests-180989452/Older female mice—equivalent in age to 60-year-old women—given daily injections of the active ingredient in Ozempic lived about 12 percent longer than animals that didn't receive the drugFri, 04 Sep 2026 15:16:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/GLP-1-weight-loss-drugs-can-slow-aging-and-extend-lifespan-mouse-study-suggests-180989452/Why Does Rain Eat Through Protective Coatings on Metal Structures? Researchers Propose a New Idea: Electrically Charged Dropletshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-does-rain-eat-through-protective-coatings-on-metal-structures-researchers-propose-a-new-idea-electrically-charged-droplets-180989434/Scientists long attributed rain damage to physical abrasion and chemical degradation from acidic substances. A new study offers a third idea, which could help researchers develop longer-lasting coatings and preserve important objectsFri, 04 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-does-rain-eat-through-protective-coatings-on-metal-structures-researchers-propose-a-new-idea-electrically-charged-droplets-180989434/Researchers Have Figured Out How to Spot Fake Ancient Pottery Using the Earth's Magnetic Fieldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-determine-how-to-spot-fake-ancient-pottery-using-the-earths-magnetic-field-180989441/The magnetic North Pole has shifted over the millennia, leaving clues in the minerals that make up clay antiquitiesFri, 04 Sep 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-determine-how-to-spot-fake-ancient-pottery-using-the-earths-magnetic-field-180989441/Part of Your Personality Is Encoded in Your Genes. Huge Analysis Links Characteristics to More Than 1,200 Common Genetic Variantshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/part-of-your-ersonality-is-encoded-in-your-genes-huge-analysis-links-characteristics-to-more-than-1200-common-genetic-variants-180989450/A new meta-analysis pooled data from more than one million people to look at the crossover between DNA and the "Big Five" personality traits: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticismFri, 04 Sep 2026 11:37:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/part-of-your-ersonality-is-encoded-in-your-genes-huge-analysis-links-characteristics-to-more-than-1200-common-genetic-variants-180989450/Scientists Recreated the Long-Lost Chirps of Jurassic Insects. Listen to the Simulated Soundscape of 165 Million Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-recreated-the-long-lost-chirps-of-jurassic-insects-listen-to-the-simulated-soundscape-of-165-million-years-ago-180989445/With artificial intelligence and careful modeling of fossilized wings, researchers reproduced how some extinct, katydid-like insects might have made noiseThu, 03 Sep 2026 20:08:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-recreated-the-long-lost-chirps-of-jurassic-insects-listen-to-the-simulated-soundscape-of-165-million-years-ago-180989445/A Lake in Canada Got a Mysterious New Island. Then, It Disappeared—and Now It's Backhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-lake-in-canada-got-a-mysterious-new-island-then-it-disappeared-and-now-its-back-180989442/The floating forest appeared in a well-mapped reservoir in British Columbia. Its presence and vanishing act have puzzled locals and officials at the power utility that operates the lake, but other similar islands exist elsewhereThu, 03 Sep 2026 19:15:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-lake-in-canada-got-a-mysterious-new-island-then-it-disappeared-and-now-its-back-180989442/A Mysterious Decagon Unexpectedly Appeared Around Saturn's South Pole. The Ten-Sided Shape Seems to Be a Wave in the Atmospherehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-mysterious-decagon-unexpectedly-appeared-around-saturns-south-pole-the-ten-sided-shape-seems-to-be-a-wave-in-the-atmosphere-180989449/Decades ago, scientists found a hexagon around Saturn’s north pole. Now, recent images reveal a decagon in the planet’s southern hemisphere—and it seems to have recently formedThu, 03 Sep 2026 19:01:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-mysterious-decagon-unexpectedly-appeared-around-saturns-south-pole-the-ten-sided-shape-seems-to-be-a-wave-in-the-atmosphere-180989449/Historic Trove of Monets, Renoirs and Other Impressionist Masterpieces Expected to Fetch Up to $50 Million on Auction Block This Fallhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-trove-of-monets-renoirs-and-other-impressionist-masterpieces-expected-to-fetch-up-to-50-million-on-auction-block-this-fall-180989448/More than 60 paintings from the private estate of Paul Durand-Ruel, who shepherded Impressionism out from obscurity, will be up for saleThu, 03 Sep 2026 17:16:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-trove-of-monets-renoirs-and-other-impressionist-masterpieces-expected-to-fetch-up-to-50-million-on-auction-block-this-fall-180989448/Leaf-Peeping Season Is Almost Here. These Interactive Maps Can Help You Figure Out When Fall Foliage Will Peak in Your Areahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/leaf-peeping-season-is-almost-here-these-interactive-maps-can-help-you-figure-out-when-fall-foliage-will-peak-in-your-area-180989439/From the magnificent mountains of New England to the desert landscape of northern New Mexico, the tools can help you make the most of nature's upcoming wardrobe changeThu, 03 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/leaf-peeping-season-is-almost-here-these-interactive-maps-can-help-you-figure-out-when-fall-foliage-will-peak-in-your-area-180989439/These 20 Breathtaking Bird Images From the Audubon Photography Awards Capture the Wonder of the Winged Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-20-breathtaking-bird-images-from-the-audubon-photography-awards-capture-the-wonder-of-the-winged-world-180989436/The winners of the 17th annual contest reveal the beauty of birds, the splendor of their migratory journeys and the risks they faceWed, 02 Sep 2026 19:48:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-20-breathtaking-bird-images-from-the-audubon-photography-awards-capture-the-wonder-of-the-winged-world-180989436/Blue Crabs Have Taken Over the Adriatic Sea. To Fight Them Off, Italian Researchers Just Released Thousands of Baby Octopuseshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/blue-crabs-have-taken-over-the-adriatic-sea-to-fight-them-off-italian-researchers-just-released-thousands-of-baby-octopuses-180989430/Although prized in the United States, the crustaceans have been decimating ecosystems and the fishing industry in Italy. Experts hope that an army of natural predators—common octopuses—can help contain the invasive species' spreadWed, 02 Sep 2026 18:48:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/blue-crabs-have-taken-over-the-adriatic-sea-to-fight-them-off-italian-researchers-just-released-thousands-of-baby-octopuses-180989430/Archaeologists Discover a 4,000-Year-Old Tomb With a False Door at Egypt's Ancient Saqqara Necropolishttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-a-4000-year-old-tomb-with-a-false-door-at-egypts-ancient-saqqara-necropolis-180989438/In addition to the tomb, which once belonged to a high-ranking official, excavations revealed a network of burial shafts that still held human remains and funerary objectsWed, 02 Sep 2026 18:43:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-a-4000-year-old-tomb-with-a-false-door-at-egypts-ancient-saqqara-necropolis-180989438/World War II Sugar Rationing Data Hints That Limiting Intake of the Sweet Stuff Early in Life Lowers the Risk of Dementia and Cancerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-war-ii-sugar-rationing-data-hints-that-limiting-intake-of-the-sweet-stuff-early-in-life-lowers-the-risk-of-dementia-and-cancer-180989431/For roughly a decade leading up to September 1953, the United Kingdom limited sugar purchases. Scientists studied health outcomes in people born during the ration and right afterWed, 02 Sep 2026 15:48:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-war-ii-sugar-rationing-data-hints-that-limiting-intake-of-the-sweet-stuff-early-in-life-lowers-the-risk-of-dementia-and-cancer-180989431/Corals Reveal El Niño Events Have Become Stronger in Recent Decades, Probably Because Humans Have Been Heating Up the Planethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/corals-reveal-el-nino-events-have-become-stronger-in-recent-decades-probably-because-humans-have-been-heating-up-the-planet-180989432/Researchers used elements trapped within Galápagos corals to understand natural swings in the climate over the past millennium. They hint that variability has gone up over the past 40 years compared to preindustrial timesWed, 02 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/corals-reveal-el-nino-events-have-become-stronger-in-recent-decades-probably-because-humans-have-been-heating-up-the-planet-180989432/Allergic to Dogs? These Gene-Edited Beagles Could Pave the Way to Your Dream Canine Companion That Won't Trigger Sniffleshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/allergic-to-dogs-these-gene-edited-beagles-could-pave-the-way-to-your-dream-canine-companion-that-wont-trigger-sniffles-180989303/Geneticists altered Alfie and Bailey’s DNA so that they don't produce a major allergen. However, canines like them are not currently commercially available, and some experts express ethical concerns about altering the animals' genesTue, 01 Sep 2026 19:12:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/allergic-to-dogs-these-gene-edited-beagles-could-pave-the-way-to-your-dream-canine-companion-that-wont-trigger-sniffles-180989303/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 Trekhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-91-year-old-man-fell-71-times-while-hiking-appalachian-trail-he-just-became-oldest-person-complete-2190-mile-trek-180989428/Dale Sanders finished the hike in just under a year. Nicknamed "Grey Beard," he's no stranger to age-defying feats of enduranceTue, 01 Sep 2026 18:24:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-91-year-old-man-fell-71-times-while-hiking-appalachian-trail-he-just-became-oldest-person-complete-2190-mile-trek-180989428/A Frank Lloyd Wright House in L.A. Is in Danger of 'Demolition by Neglect,' Say Advocateshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-frank-lloyd-wright-house-in-la-is-in-danger-of-demolition-by-neglect-say-advocates-180989429/The visionary designed this two-bedroom, one-bathroom in his affordable Usonian style. It’s the only house of its kind in L.A.Tue, 01 Sep 2026 17:18:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-frank-lloyd-wright-house-in-la-is-in-danger-of-demolition-by-neglect-say-advocates-180989429/Mars' Southern Half Is Weirdly Warm Underground. The 'Thermal Anomaly' Might Explain Why the Planet's Hemispheres Look So Differenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-southern-half-is-weirdly-warm-underground-the-thermal-anomaly-might-explain-why-the-planets-hemispheres-look-so-different-180989424/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 hemisphere is hundreds of degrees hotter than that of the northern hemisphere and partially moltenTue, 01 Sep 2026 15:47:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-southern-half-is-weirdly-warm-underground-the-thermal-anomaly-might-explain-why-the-planets-hemispheres-look-so-different-180989424/This Ancient Insect Had 24 Legs—and Could Help Explain How the Ancestors of Modern-Day Bugs Took Over the Landhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-insect-had-24-legs-and-could-help-explain-how-the-ancestors-of-modern-day-bugs-took-over-the-land-180989420/A previously undescribed critter that lived 324 million years ago appears to have been a transitional species that lived between land and sea. It could help researchers fill an 80-million-year gap in the fossil record of how crustaceans evolved into insectsTue, 01 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-insect-had-24-legs-and-could-help-explain-how-the-ancestors-of-modern-day-bugs-took-over-the-land-180989420/Female Treefrogs Experience 'Choice Overload' Amid Too Many Mating Calls From Maleshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-treefrogs-experience-choice-overload-amid-too-many-mating-calls-from-males-180989411/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 careful decision, a study suggestsTue, 01 Sep 2026 13:42:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-treefrogs-experience-choice-overload-amid-too-many-mating-calls-from-males-180989411/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 Materialshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stones-from-one-of-henry-viiis-fortresses-spent-more-than-a-century-hidden-in-plain-sight-new-research-suggests-the-victorians-repurposed-them-as-building-materials-180989427/Recently discovered archival records indicate that workers constructing an extension of the Constable's Gate at Dover Castle in the late 19th century reused fragments of the Tudor-era Sandown CastleTue, 01 Sep 2026 12:52:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stones-from-one-of-henry-viiis-fortresses-spent-more-than-a-century-hidden-in-plain-sight-new-research-suggests-the-victorians-repurposed-them-as-building-materials-180989427/What Triggered the Devastating Floods in Nepal and Tibet, and Are We Due for More in the Future? Here's What Scientists Know So Farhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-triggered-the-devastating-floods-in-nepal-and-tibet-and-are-we-due-for-more-in-the-future-heres-what-scientists-know-so-far-180989426/Natural hazards researchers suspect that a landslide involving a glacier triggered the event, and they say more could happen because of human-caused climate changeMon, 31 Aug 2026 20:50:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-triggered-the-devastating-floods-in-nepal-and-tibet-and-are-we-due-for-more-in-the-future-heres-what-scientists-know-so-far-180989426/See the Digitally Reconstructed Face of an Ancient Man Who Witnessed England’s Greatest Upheavalhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-digitally-reconstructed-face-of-an-ancient-man-who-witnessed-englands-greatest-upheaval-180989425/The so-called “Conquest Man” was buried in England in 1079, just over a decade into the reign of William the Conqueror. Researchers recently analyzed the skeleton’s DNA and teeth to learn more about himMon, 31 Aug 2026 20:35:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-digitally-reconstructed-face-of-an-ancient-man-who-witnessed-englands-greatest-upheaval-180989425/A New Museum in Norway Is Bringing Visitors Into the World of Whales—From Life-Size Orcas to Immersive Underwater Exhibitshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-museum-in-northern-norway-is-bringing-visitors-into-the-world-of-whales-from-life-size-orcas-to-immersive-underwater-exhibits-180989421/Opening in 2027, The Whale will explore the science, behavior, evolution and cultural history of whales through art, storytelling, sound and architectureMon, 31 Aug 2026 17:57:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-museum-in-northern-norway-is-bringing-visitors-into-the-world-of-whales-from-life-size-orcas-to-immersive-underwater-exhibits-180989421/Thieves Steal 3,000-Year-Old Treasure in a 'Super-Professional' Museum Heist That Took Only Four Minuteshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-steal-3000-year-old-treasure-in-a-super-professional-museum-heist-that-took-only-four-minutes-180989418/Officials were shaken after dozens of ancient artifacts vanished from the local archaeological museum in Villena, Spain. The thieves left only a few pieces from the Bronze Age treasure behindMon, 31 Aug 2026 17:11:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-steal-3000-year-old-treasure-in-a-super-professional-museum-heist-that-took-only-four-minutes-180989418/'Odyssey' Translator Emily Wilson Is Starting Over After Calling Christopher Nolan's Blockbuster Film 'Abysmal'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/emily-wilson-will-completely-re-translate-homers-odyssey-after-calling-christopher-nolan-blockbuster-film-abysmal-180989423/Nearly a decade after her acclaimed first translation was released, Wilson is taking a fresh approach to Homer's ancient Greek epicMon, 31 Aug 2026 16:21:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/emily-wilson-will-completely-re-translate-homers-odyssey-after-calling-christopher-nolan-blockbuster-film-abysmal-180989423/Would You Eat a Cookie Made From Upcycled Plastic? Scientists Propose a New Way to Deal With Waste and Provide Food in Extreme Environmentshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/would-you-eat-a-cookie-made-from-upcycled-plastics-scientists-propose-a-new-way-to-deal-with-waste-and-provide-food-in-extreme-environments-180989413/A team of researchers programmed yeast to turn broken-down plastic and agricultural waste into sweet treats called µBites. They might come in handy during deep-space missions or in disaster zones, although some critics say the food is impracticalMon, 31 Aug 2026 15:42:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/would-you-eat-a-cookie-made-from-upcycled-plastics-scientists-propose-a-new-way-to-deal-with-waste-and-provide-food-in-extreme-environments-180989413/Archaeologists in Denmark Discover Rare Fragments of 1,300-Year-Old Clothing Preserved Inside a Viking Age Gravehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-in-denmark-discover-rare-fragments-of-1300-year-old-clothing-preserved-inside-viking-age-grave-180989419/Researchers found the textile traces on a pair of metal brooches. When the accessories corroded, they released metallic salts that inadvertently preserved the fabric for centuriesMon, 31 Aug 2026 14:52:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-in-denmark-discover-rare-fragments-of-1300-year-old-clothing-preserved-inside-viking-age-grave-180989419/Meet the Newly Discovered Fuzzy Fish Species Named After Mr. Snuffleupagus From 'Sesame Street'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-newly-discovered-fuzzy-fish-species-named-after-mr-snuffleupagus-from-sesame-street-180988774/The ghost pipefish's scruffy appearance probably helps it look like floating algae, allowing it to blend in with its environment. Researchers had been on the hunt for this strange creature for years after first spotting one more than two decades agoMon, 31 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-newly-discovered-fuzzy-fish-species-named-after-mr-snuffleupagus-from-sesame-street-180988774/NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launches to Find Exoplanets and Unravel Mysteries of Dark Matter and Dark Energyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-launches-to-find-exoplanets-and-unravel-mysteries-of-dark-matter-and-dark-energy-180989268/The new observatory will complete three surveys of the universe in five years, although it's designed to function at least twice as long. Its data could change scientists' basic understanding of the cosmosSun, 30 Aug 2026 11:26:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-launches-to-find-exoplanets-and-unravel-mysteries-of-dark-matter-and-dark-energy-180989268/Forests Didn't Fare Well During an Ancient Global Warming Event, Offering a 'Cautionary' Tale About Today's Climate Changehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/forests-didnt-fare-well-during-an-ancient-global-warming-event-offering-a-cautionary-tale-about-todays-climate-change-180989353/An intense global warming event 56 million years ago caused a forest in modern-day Wyoming to lose around 60 percent of its canopy cover, and it took more than 100,000 years to bounce back, a study suggestsFri, 28 Aug 2026 18:43:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/forests-didnt-fare-well-during-an-ancient-global-warming-event-offering-a-cautionary-tale-about-todays-climate-change-180989353/Deep Inside a Spanish Cave, Roman Women May Have Worshipped a Mysterious Goddesshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-inside-spanish-cave-roman-women-may-have-worshipped-mysterious-goddess-180989414/Best known for its Paleolithic art, Valencia’s Cova de les Dones also contains a Roman sanctuary where researchers say women appear to have played an active role in the worship of a female deityFri, 28 Aug 2026 18:43:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-inside-spanish-cave-roman-women-may-have-worshipped-mysterious-goddess-180989414/Historical Pollution, Not Current Industrial Emissions, Damaged the World's Largest and Oldest Collection of Ancient Rock Art, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historical-pollution-not-current-industrial-emissions-damaged-worlds-largest-oldest-collection-ancient-rock-art-180989416/Researchers say that past exposure to sulfur dioxide is likely to blame for the increased porosity of the Murujuga rock art created by the Ngarda-Ngarli people tens of thousands of years agoFri, 28 Aug 2026 18:04:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historical-pollution-not-current-industrial-emissions-damaged-worlds-largest-oldest-collection-ancient-rock-art-180989416/This Star Orbits Our Galaxy's Heart at a Record-Breaking Speed—and Could Help Uncover Secrets About the Behemoth Black Hole Therehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-star-orbits-our-galaxys-heart-at-a-record-breaking-speed-and-could-help-uncover-secrets-about-the-behemoth-black-hole-there-180989393/The speedster travels at up to 56 million miles per hour, or about 8 percent the speed of light. It also gets very close to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky WayFri, 28 Aug 2026 15:45:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-star-orbits-our-galaxys-heart-at-a-record-breaking-speed-and-could-help-uncover-secrets-about-the-behemoth-black-hole-there-180989393/A Landlord Found a Peculiar Print Hanging in a Vacant Apartment. It Turned Out to Be an Original Picasso That Had Been Missing for Eight Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-landlord-found-a-peculiar-print-hanging-in-a-vacant-apartment-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-picasso-print-that-had-been-missing-for-eight-years-180989417/When "Torero" vanished from a Milwaukee art gallery in 2018, the owners didn't know whether they'd ever see it again. The man who found the etching turned it over to the police earlier this monthFri, 28 Aug 2026 15:37:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-landlord-found-a-peculiar-print-hanging-in-a-vacant-apartment-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-picasso-print-that-had-been-missing-for-eight-years-180989417/When Fruit Is Scarce, These Monkeys Hunt Animals. The Behavior May Offer Clues About the Origins of Humans' Meat-Eating Habitshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-fruit-is-scarce-these-monkeys-hunt-animals-the-behavior-may-offer-clues-about-the-origins-of-humans-meat-eating-habits-180989412/The bearded capuchins of northeastern Brazil typically eat plant-based foods, but they turn to small vertebrates when those sources are limited. Our ancestors may have done the same, eventually allowing predatory behaviors to be more frequently passed on in our lineageFri, 28 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-fruit-is-scarce-these-monkeys-hunt-animals-the-behavior-may-offer-clues-about-the-origins-of-humans-meat-eating-habits-180989412/Snails Can Make Their Slime Sticky, Slippery, Foamy or Hard Depending on Their Needs. Here's How They Tweak Their Multipurpose Mucushttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/snails-can-make-their-slime-sticky-slippery-foamy-or-hard-depending-on-their-needs-heres-how-they-tweak-their-multipurpose-mucus-180989361/The critters can alter the proportions of calcium and collagen in the versatile substance, which changes the protein structure. The different textures can help snails glide, climb or protect themselvesThu, 27 Aug 2026 20:04:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/snails-can-make-their-slime-sticky-slippery-foamy-or-hard-depending-on-their-needs-heres-how-they-tweak-their-multipurpose-mucus-180989361/1,800 Volunteers Pull a 400-Ton Japanese Castle Keep Back Toward Its Original Location After a Decade of Restoration Workhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1800-people-pull-a-400-ton-japanese-castle-keep-back-toward-its-original-location-after-a-decade-of-restoration-work-180989401/The chance to help move the castle keep drew thousands of applications from Japan and abroad. Groups of lottery winners took turns tugging on thick ropes attached to the massive structureThu, 27 Aug 2026 19:43:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1800-people-pull-a-400-ton-japanese-castle-keep-back-toward-its-original-location-after-a-decade-of-restoration-work-180989401/What Are Mel Brooks’ Favorite Movies? To Celebrate His 100th Birthday, the Comedy Legend Picks 20 Films to Screen Across Los Angeleshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-are-mel-brooks-favorite-movies-to-celebrate-100th-birthday-comedy-legend-picks-20-films-to-screen-across-los-angeles-180989410/The eclectic program spans decades and genres, offering glimpses into Brooks’ comedic influences, personal history and enduring love of filmThu, 27 Aug 2026 19:23:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-are-mel-brooks-favorite-movies-to-celebrate-100th-birthday-comedy-legend-picks-20-films-to-screen-across-los-angeles-180989410/A Historic Alabama Hotel Linked to the Civil Rights Movement Is Falling Apart. Can the Conservationists Fighting to Save It Turn the Tide?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-alabama-hotel-linked-civil-rights-movement-is-falling-apart-can-conservationists-fighting-to-save-it-turn-the-tide-180989407/Selma's Edistone Hotel has witnessed pivotal chapters in American history, from Reconstruction to "Bloody Sunday." Now, after years of neglect and a recent wall collapse, the Conservation Fund is working to secure its futureThu, 27 Aug 2026 18:35:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-alabama-hotel-linked-civil-rights-movement-is-falling-apart-can-conservationists-fighting-to-save-it-turn-the-tide-180989407/Why Was This 17th-Century Polish Woman Buried With a Padlock on Her Toe and an Iron Sickle Across Her Neck?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-17th-century-polish-woman-buried-with-a-padlock-on-her-toe-and-an-iron-sickle-across-her-neck-180989408/New research suggests that the people who buried the young woman took precautionary measures to stop her from coming back to life and exacting revenge on themThu, 27 Aug 2026 17:51:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-this-17th-century-polish-woman-buried-with-a-padlock-on-her-toe-and-an-iron-sickle-across-her-neck-180989408/Paleontologists Discover a New Species of Ice Age Toad at the La Brea Tar Pits, Offering Clues About the Area's Ancient Climatehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/paleontologists-discover-a-new-species-of-ice-age-toad-at-the-la-brea-tar-pits-offering-clues-about-the-areas-ancient-climate-180989390/The fossilized remains, recovered in 1929, were part of La Brea's relatively understudied amphibian collection. Since toads are cold-blooded and sensitive to environmental changes, the discovery can help researchers piece together past climate conditionsThu, 27 Aug 2026 15:37:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/paleontologists-discover-a-new-species-of-ice-age-toad-at-the-la-brea-tar-pits-offering-clues-about-the-areas-ancient-climate-180989390/Freddie Mercury's Boundary-Pushing Costumes Take Center Stage at the Victoria and Albert Museum to Mark the 80th Anniversary of His Birthhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/freddie-mercurys-boundary-pushing-costumes-take-center-stage-at-victoria-and-albert-museum-to-mark-80th-anniversary-his-birth-180989403/Eight ensembles from the Queen frontman's career will be displayed across six stops in the London museum's permanent galleries, offering a glimpse into the clothes behind his legendary stage personaThu, 27 Aug 2026 14:34:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/freddie-mercurys-boundary-pushing-costumes-take-center-stage-at-victoria-and-albert-museum-to-mark-80th-anniversary-his-birth-180989403/At Least One in Four Former NFL Players Who Died Between 2016 and 2021 Had the Progressive Brain Disease CTE, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/at-least-one-in-four-former-nfl-players-who-died-between-2016-and-2021-had-the-progressive-brain-disease-cte-study-suggests-180989406/The true prevalence of the neurodegenerative disease—which is associated with repeated head injuries—among the deceased football players might be much higher. CTE affects other athletes too, including hockey players, soccer players and wrestlersThu, 27 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/at-least-one-in-four-former-nfl-players-who-died-between-2016-and-2021-had-the-progressive-brain-disease-cte-study-suggests-180989406/For the First Time, a Selection of Islamic Masterpieces From the Louvre Is Coming to the United States. See the Treasures Soon to Be Displayed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Arthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-a-selection-of-islamic-masterpieces-from-the-louvre-is-coming-to-the-united-states-see-the-treasures-soon-to-be-displayed-at-the-smithsonians-national-museum-of-asian-art-180989402/Twenty-six works spanning many centuries and regions will form the September exhibition titled "From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art"Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:00:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-a-selection-of-islamic-masterpieces-from-the-louvre-is-coming-to-the-united-states-see-the-treasures-soon-to-be-displayed-at-the-smithsonians-national-museum-of-asian-art-180989402/Turn Your Eyes to the Night Skies This Week to See a Near-Total Lunar Eclipse. It'll Temporarily Turn the Moon Redhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turn-your-eyes-to-the-night-skies-this-week-to-see-a-near-total-lunar-eclipse-itll-temporarily-turn-the-moon-red-180989404/During the peak, 96 percent of the moon will be within the darkest part of our planet's shadow. The orb will take on an eerie glow because of how sunlight gets filtered through Earth's atmosphereWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:57:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/turn-your-eyes-to-the-night-skies-this-week-to-see-a-near-total-lunar-eclipse-itll-temporarily-turn-the-moon-red-180989404/A Brittle Coating on a 2,200-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck Reveals How Ancient Sailors Kept Their Ships Afloathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brittle-coating-on-2200-year-old-roman-shipwreck-revealing-how-ancient-soliders-kept-ships-afloat-180989394/Traces of pine tar and beeswax preserved on the vessel reveal the painstaking techniques shipbuilders millennia ago used to protect their ships from the briny deepWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:45:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brittle-coating-on-2200-year-old-roman-shipwreck-revealing-how-ancient-soliders-kept-ships-afloat-180989394/See 16 Stunning Animal Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awardshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-16-stunning-animal-images-from-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-awards-180989397/Now in its 62nd year, the famed competition has released a sneak peek of the entries from this contest ahead of announcing the winners in OctoberWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:28:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-16-stunning-animal-images-from-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-awards-180989397/These Medieval Manuscript Fragments Were Reused as Parchment, Inadvertently Preserving Them for Centurieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-medieval-manuscript-fragments-were-reused-as-parchment-inadvertently-preserving-them-for-centuries-180989398/Recently discovered on Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, the pages include Bible passages, poems, plays and other texts. They were repurposed as book bindings during the 16th and 17th centuriesWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:20:50 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-medieval-manuscript-fragments-were-reused-as-parchment-inadvertently-preserving-them-for-centuries-180989398/The Soccer Ball Used for Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ World Cup Goal Sells for $3.35 Million at Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/soccer-ball-used-for-diego-maradona-hand-of-god-world-cup-goal-sells-at-auction-180989392/Despite its role in one of the most famous games in soccer history, the historic piece of sports memorabilia fell short of its $10 million pre-sale estimateWed, 26 Aug 2026 17:02:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/soccer-ball-used-for-diego-maradona-hand-of-god-world-cup-goal-sells-at-auction-180989392/This Deadly Shellfish Poisoning Has No Antidote. A Protein Found in American Bullfrogs Could Change Thathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-deadly-shellfish-poisoning-has-no-antidote-a-protein-found-in-american-bullfrogs-could-change-that-180989365/A study in mice found that a protein called saxiphilin acts like a sponge against a deadly toxin produced by algal blooms. The harmful agent, which accumulates in certain seafood, can cause a life-threatening illness called paralytic shellfish poisoningWed, 26 Aug 2026 15:39:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-deadly-shellfish-poisoning-has-no-antidote-a-protein-found-in-american-bullfrogs-could-change-that-180989365/A New Telescope Still Under Construction Accidentally Reveals How a Dying Star Returns Matter to Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-telescope-still-under-construction-accidentally-reveals-how-a-dying-star-returns-matter-to-space-180989349/Researchers captured an unprecedented image of the stellar recycling process while calibrating a Chile-based instrument called MOTHRA, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2026Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-telescope-still-under-construction-accidentally-reveals-how-a-dying-star-returns-matter-to-space-180989349/'Hunger Stones' Resurface in Europe, Bringing Centuries-Old Warnings Back Into View as Rivers Hit Historic Lowshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunger-stones-resurface-europe-bringing-centuries-old-warnings-back-into-view-rivers-hit-historic-lows-180989387/As drought exposes stretches of riverbed in central Europe, markers carved by past generations to record low water levels are emerging once againWed, 26 Aug 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hunger-stones-resurface-europe-bringing-centuries-old-warnings-back-into-view-rivers-hit-historic-lows-180989387/Cast Your Vote for the Chunkiest Alpine Rodent During Colorado's First-Ever Fat Marmot Weekhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cast-your-vote-for-the-chunkiest-alpine-rodent-during-colorados-first-ever-fat-marmot-week-180989395/The inaugural competition puts eight yellow-bellied marmots head-to-head while shining a light on the science behind their seasonal weight gain and survival at high elevationsTue, 25 Aug 2026 19:33:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cast-your-vote-for-the-chunkiest-alpine-rodent-during-colorados-first-ever-fat-marmot-week-180989395/A New Statue Honors 'Moby-Dick' Author Herman Melville in the Massachusetts City Where His Whaling Adventures Beganhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-statue-honors-moby-dick-author-herman-melville-in-the-massachusetts-city-where-his-whaling-adventures-began-180989388/The 7.5-foot-tall bronze artwork stands in the heart of historic New Bedford, the 19th-century whaling port that inspired the author's famous 1851 novelTue, 25 Aug 2026 17:57:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-statue-honors-moby-dick-author-herman-melville-in-the-massachusetts-city-where-his-whaling-adventures-began-180989388/A Human Skeleton Was Found Inside a Mysterious Stone Structure in Scotland. Archaeologists Still Don't Know Why It Was Buried Therehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-skeleton-found-inside-mysterious-stone-structure-in-scotland-archaeologists-still-dont-know-why-it-was-buried-there-180989391/Built with fitted stone and a clay-like material that may have helped retain liquid, the unusual structure has left researchers searching for an explanationTue, 25 Aug 2026 17:51:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-skeleton-found-inside-mysterious-stone-structure-in-scotland-archaeologists-still-dont-know-why-it-was-buried-there-180989391/These Tiny Shrews Grow Bigger Snouts and Shrink Their Brains to Survive Harsh Winters, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-tiny-shrews-grow-bigger-snouts-and-shrink-their-brains-to-survive-harsh-winters-study-suggests-180989369/Scientists have long known that some small mammals reduce their brain size during cold months and regrow them in the spring. Long-clawed shrews from Hokkaido, Japan, seem to follow that pattern—while their noses surprisingly do the oppositeTue, 25 Aug 2026 15:36:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-tiny-shrews-grow-bigger-snouts-and-shrink-their-brains-to-survive-harsh-winters-study-suggests-180989369/This Rock Art in China Has Remained Bright Red for Nearly 2,000 Years. How? The Secret Ingredient Might Be Bloodhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rock-art-in-china-has-remained-bright-red-for-nearly-2000-years-how-the-secret-ingredient-might-be-blood-180989389/A new study offers clues about how the Luoyue people created rock paintings in what’s now southern China. The murals have somehow been durable enough to withstand rain, heat, wind and humidity for centuriesTue, 25 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-rock-art-in-china-has-remained-bright-red-for-nearly-2000-years-how-the-secret-ingredient-might-be-blood-180989389/In France, Brutal Summer Heat Waves Are Taking a Toll on the Flowers That Inspired Claude Monet's Most Beloved Paintingshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-france-brutal-summer-heat-waves-taking-toll-on-flowers-that-inspired-claude-monet-most-beloved-paintings-180989384/The colorful nasturtiums at the artist's house and gardens have been hit particularly hard this summer as France grapples with a record 52 heatwave daysMon, 24 Aug 2026 20:06:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-france-brutal-summer-heat-waves-taking-toll-on-flowers-that-inspired-claude-monet-most-beloved-paintings-180989384/‘Only One of Its Kind’ Jellyfish Museum Astounds Visitors With Awe-Inspiring Displays of Sea Nettles Safely Behind Glasshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/only-one-of-its-kind-jellyfish-museum-opens-in-florida-astounds-visitors-awe-inspiring-displays-nettles-safely-behind-glass-180989381/The museum opened in the spring and was founded by two aquarium experts who fled the Russia-Ukraine warMon, 24 Aug 2026 17:55:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/only-one-of-its-kind-jellyfish-museum-opens-in-florida-astounds-visitors-awe-inspiring-displays-nettles-safely-behind-glass-180989381/This 15-Foot Python Is the First Known Snake to Receive Electrochemotherapy for Cancer. Now, She's Officially Free of the Diseasehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-15-foot-python-is-the-first-known-snake-to-receive-electrochemotherapy-for-cancer-now-shes-officially-free-of-the-disease-180989385/The pioneering treatment makes it easier for traditional chemotherapy drugs to penetrate cancer cells. After the procedure, the reptile, named Jodie Foster, made a speedy recoveryMon, 24 Aug 2026 17:31:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-15-foot-python-is-the-first-known-snake-to-receive-electrochemotherapy-for-cancer-now-shes-officially-free-of-the-disease-180989385/Closed to the Public Since WWII, a ‘Hidden’ Gallery at London’s Natural History Museum Opens Its Doors Once Againhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/closed-to-public-since-wwii-hidden-gallery-at-london-natural-history-museum-opens-doors-once-again-180989380/Animal skeletons, Neolithic tools and pop culture memorabilia are among the dozens of objects to be displayed in the reopened “Nature and Us” exhibitionMon, 24 Aug 2026 17:18:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/closed-to-public-since-wwii-hidden-gallery-at-london-natural-history-museum-opens-doors-once-again-180989380/Centuries Ago, Europeans Were Plagued by Constant Flooding, With 16 Major Events That Killed Thousands Over the Course of Just Three Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-europeans-plagued-constant-flooding-16-major-events-killed-thousands-over-course-three-years-180989378/When researchers went looking for information about the legendary Magdalena Flood, they were surprised to discover that it was just one of many extreme weather events that ravaged the region in the early 1340sMon, 24 Aug 2026 16:43:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-europeans-plagued-constant-flooding-16-major-events-killed-thousands-over-course-three-years-180989378/Scientists Used A.I. to Design New Viruses. The Technology Could Be a Boon for Medicine, but Experts Worry About Harmful Pathogenshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-used-ai-too-design-new-viruses-the-technology-could-be-a-boon-for-medicine-but-experts-worry-about-harmful-pathogens-180989336/The findings represent the first genomes, or complete genetic instruction books, designed entirely with generative A.I. The resulting viruses attack only bacteria, which could one day help overcome the problem of antibiotic-resistant microbesMon, 24 Aug 2026 16:08:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-used-ai-too-design-new-viruses-the-technology-could-be-a-boon-for-medicine-but-experts-worry-about-harmful-pathogens-180989336/A New Personalized Cancer Vaccine Could Keep Skin Cancer From Coming Back, Drugmakers Sayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-personalized-cancer-vaccine-could-keep-skin-cancer-from-coming-back-drugmakers-say-180989382/The results, announced this week by Moderna and Merck, could pave the way for a new generation of treatments tailored to individual tumorsFri, 21 Aug 2026 18:16:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-personalized-cancer-vaccine-could-keep-skin-cancer-from-coming-back-drugmakers-say-180989382/Shipwreck Hunters Discover the Ruins of a British Destroyer That Split in Half During a Tragic Peacetime Accident 118 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunters-discover-the-ruins-of-a-british-destroyer-that-split-in-half-during-a-tragic-peacetime-accident-118-years-ago-180989379/Minutes after it collided with a 10,000-ton cruiser, the HMS "Tiger" sank to the bottom of the English Channel. Divers and historians have spent the past four years searching for the Royal Navy vesselFri, 21 Aug 2026 18:04:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-hunters-discover-the-ruins-of-a-british-destroyer-that-split-in-half-during-a-tragic-peacetime-accident-118-years-ago-180989379/Scientists Gave Dogs MRIs and Learned That They're Surprisingly Good at Distinguishing Between Human Emotions, Even Some Negative Oneshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-gave-dogs-mris-and-learned-that-theyre-surprisingly-good-at-distinguishing-between-human-emotions-even-some-negative-ones-180989329/A recent study found that man’s best friend processes positive and negative human emotions differently and can distinguish between fearful faces and those showing sadness or angerFri, 21 Aug 2026 15:58:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-gave-dogs-mris-and-learned-that-theyre-surprisingly-good-at-distinguishing-between-human-emotions-even-some-negative-ones-180989329/An 'Extremely Rare' Half-Male, Half-Female Bird Temporarily Took Up Residence Outside of Chicagohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-extremely-rare-half-male-half-female-bird-temporarily-took-up-residence-outside-of-chicago-180989377/The unusual-looking bobolink is what's called a bilateral gynandromorph. The bird behaved like a male, eventually wooing a mate and raising fledglingsFri, 21 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-extremely-rare-half-male-half-female-bird-temporarily-took-up-residence-outside-of-chicago-180989377/These ‘Extremely Rare’ 17th-Century Drawings Were Astonishingly Well-Preserved. Now They Are on Display for the First Time in Nearly a Centuryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/extremely-rare-artworks-from-17th-century-drawing-book-were-astonishingly-well-preserved-now-they-are-on-display-for-first-time-in-nearly-century-180989374/Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum acquired the drawing book, which has artwork attributed to Rombout Uylenburgh, a celebrated 17th-century Dutch painter whose legacy later fell into obscurityFri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/extremely-rare-artworks-from-17th-century-drawing-book-were-astonishingly-well-preserved-now-they-are-on-display-for-first-time-in-nearly-century-180989374/NASA-Funded Mission to Rescue a Falling Space Telescope Officially Ends in Failurehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-funded-mission-to-rescue-a-falling-space-telescope-officially-ends-in-failure-180989376/The commercial LINK spacecraft was supposed to give NASA's Swift observatory a boost, pushing it higher into orbit to extend its life. But after launch, LINK experienced several problems. Swift is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up by the end of this yearThu, 20 Aug 2026 19:35:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-funded-mission-to-rescue-a-falling-space-telescope-officially-ends-in-failure-180989376/How Should the Bayeux Tapestry End? A New Competition Invites Children to Reimagine Its Missing Final Panelhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-should-the-bayeux-tapestry-end-new-a-competition-invites-childresn-to-reimagine-its-missing-final-panel-180989366/Some historians think the 230-foot-long artwork is missing its final panel, which may have once depicted William the Conqueror's coronation. As the tapestry goes on view in London, students will be drafting endings of their ownThu, 20 Aug 2026 15:50:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-should-the-bayeux-tapestry-end-new-a-competition-invites-childresn-to-reimagine-its-missing-final-panel-180989366/Narwhals Sport Iconic Straight, Spiraled Tusks. Scientists Just Uncovered Some of the Eye-Catching Feature's Structural Secretshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/narwhals-sport-iconic-straight-spiraled-tusks-scientists-just-uncovered-some-of-the-eye-catching-features-structural-secrets-180989368/The Arctic whales are the only known animals with straight tusks, and ones that consistently twist to the left. New research reveals that the inner layer twists to the right and that the opposing spirals provide strength and help the tusks grow straightThu, 20 Aug 2026 15:11:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/narwhals-sport-iconic-straight-spiraled-tusks-scientists-just-uncovered-some-of-the-eye-catching-features-structural-secrets-180989368/Construction in Austria Revealed a Roman-Era Mass Grave Beneath a Soccer Field. New Research Suggests That the Men's Enemies Targeted Their 'Sensitive Areas'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/construction-in-austria-revealed-roman-era-mass-grave-beneath-soccer-field-new-research-suggests-that-the-mens-enemies-targeted-their-sensitive-areas-180989372/No written records mention a fight in this specific part of Vienna at the time of the men's deaths. But the brutal nature of their injuries, particularly to the pelvis area, indicates that these individuals died on the battlefieldThu, 20 Aug 2026 15:06:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/construction-in-austria-revealed-roman-era-mass-grave-beneath-soccer-field-new-research-suggests-that-the-mens-enemies-targeted-their-sensitive-areas-180989372/Ireland's 'Kerry Cow' Bones Are Actually Wild Boar and Bear, Shaking Up the Story of Farming's Arrival on the Islandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/irelands-kerry-cow-bones-are-actually-wild-boar-and-bear-shaking-up-the-story-of-farmings-arrival-on-the-island-180989371/The bones were discovered on the Dingle Peninsula more than 30 years ago, but scientists recently decided to take another look at them, this time using modern techniquesThu, 20 Aug 2026 14:40:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/irelands-kerry-cow-bones-are-actually-wild-boar-and-bear-shaking-up-the-story-of-farmings-arrival-on-the-island-180989371/Archaeologists Have Found Thousands of Intact Ancient Human Brains. Scientists Say They've Figured Out Why the Organs Don't Always Rothttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-have-found-thousands-of-intact-ancient-human-brains-scientists-say-theyve-figured-out-why-the-organs-dont-always-rot-180989370/Under the right conditions—wet and oxygen-deprived—the same chemical reactions that cause tissue to break down can instead have the opposite effect, according to a new studyThu, 20 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-have-found-thousands-of-intact-ancient-human-brains-scientists-say-theyve-figured-out-why-the-organs-dont-always-rot-180989370/Why Don't Insects Live in the Ocean? Scientists Just Ruled Out One Possible Explanation Thanks to Deep-Diving Fly Larvaehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-dont-insects-live-in-the-ocean-scientists-just-ruled-out-one-possible-explanation-thanks-to-deep-diving-fly-larvae-180989348/Researchers thought that insects might not live there because their respiratory systems would implode from water pressure. But certain fly larvae in East Africa make daily trips toward the bottom of Lake Malawi with the help of strong air sacs that contain a stretchy proteinWed, 19 Aug 2026 20:52:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-dont-insects-live-in-the-ocean-scientists-just-ruled-out-one-possible-explanation-thanks-to-deep-diving-fly-larvae-180989348/A Towering 182-Feet-Tall Statue in Rural Poland Is Now the Tallest Virgin Mary in All of Europe. Locals Hope It Will Become a Tourist Destinationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-towering-182-feet-tall-statue-in-rural-poland-now-tallest-virgin-mary-in-europe-locals-hope-it-will-become-tourist-destination-180989364/The steel and concrete monument honoring the mother of Jesus is located in Konotopie, a rural village about 100 miles from WarsawWed, 19 Aug 2026 17:07:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-towering-182-feet-tall-statue-in-rural-poland-now-tallest-virgin-mary-in-europe-locals-hope-it-will-become-tourist-destination-180989364/Why Are Some Octopuses So Smart? The Answer Might Lie in a Never-Before-Seen Mutation That Helps Them Accurately Build Proteinshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-some-octopuses-so-smart-the-answer-might-lie-in-a-never-before-seen-mutation-that-helps-them-accurately-build-proteins-180989319/Scientists discovered a strange feature in certain octopuses’ ribosomal RNA, molecules that create a 3D scaffold for cellular protein factories. It was found only in shallow-water creatures that have expanded nervous systems and can do complex behaviorsWed, 19 Aug 2026 16:00:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-some-octopuses-so-smart-the-answer-might-lie-in-a-never-before-seen-mutation-that-helps-them-accurately-build-proteins-180989319/Brazil's First Urban Yellow Fever Outbreak in Nearly a Century May Have Been Fueled by a Surprising Culprithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brazils-first-urban-yellow-fever-outbreak-in-nearly-a-century-may-have-been-fueled-by-a-surprising-culprit-180989363/Extremely wet conditions are known to help spread mosquito-borne diseases like yellow fever. But based on computer simulations, researchers suspect that a severe drought may have contributed to the South American country’s recent deadly epidemicWed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brazils-first-urban-yellow-fever-outbreak-in-nearly-a-century-may-have-been-fueled-by-a-surprising-culprit-180989363/You Can Now See One of the Oldest Surviving Copies of 'The Odyssey' at the Metropolitan Museum of Arthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-now-see-one-of-oldest-surviving-copies-of-the-odyssey-at-metropolitan-museum-of-art-180989360/The papyrus fragment contains three lines that don't appear in standard modern-day translations of Homer's epic poemWed, 19 Aug 2026 13:19:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/you-can-now-see-one-of-oldest-surviving-copies-of-the-odyssey-at-metropolitan-museum-of-art-180989360/Do Monkeys Keep Pets? Study Finds Widespread Primate Interactions With Other Animal Species, From Mice to Deerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/do-monkeys-keep-pets-study-finds-widespread-primate-interactions-with-other-animal-species-from-mice-to-deer-180989356/This social behavior might reveal the evolutionary roots of traits that underlie pet-keeping in humans, scientists say, from caregiving to tolerance and curiosity. But it's not the same as a person keeping a cat or a dogTue, 18 Aug 2026 20:22:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/do-monkeys-keep-pets-study-finds-widespread-primate-interactions-with-other-animal-species-from-mice-to-deer-180989356/This Newly Approved Narcolepsy Drug Is the First to Target the Sleep Disorder's Root Cause Rather Than Its Symptomshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-approved-narcolepsy-drug-is-the-first-to-target-the-sleep-disorders-root-cause-rather-than-its-symptoms-180989362/The Food and Drug Administration just greenlit a medication called Orzeyful for the treatment of narcolepsy type 1 in adults. The condition is caused by the loss of brain cells that produce orexin, a chemical important for regulating the sleep-wake cycleTue, 18 Aug 2026 19:18:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-approved-narcolepsy-drug-is-the-first-to-target-the-sleep-disorders-root-cause-rather-than-its-symptoms-180989362/Inside the Fight to Save a 300-Year-Old Tree That Survived a Revolutionary War Battlehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/inside-fight-to-save-300-year-old-tree-that-survived-revolutionary-war-battle-180989357/Arborists are working to preserve the 45-foot-tall live oak in South Carolina's Eutaw Springs Battlefield Park. The historic tree suffered damage during a lightning strike 50 years agoTue, 18 Aug 2026 15:50:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/inside-fight-to-save-300-year-old-tree-that-survived-revolutionary-war-battle-180989357/Stolen Masterpieces Worth $10 Million Discovered in a Cardboard Box, Months After Thieves Snuck Into a Museum and Whisked Them Away Into the Nighthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stolen-masterpieces-worth-10-million-discovered-in-a-cardboard-box-months-after-thieves-snuck-into-a-museum-and-whisked-them-away-into-the-night-180989358/The artworks by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse disappeared in a three-minute heist earlier this year. Now, police have arrested five suspects in connection with the burglary in northern ItalyTue, 18 Aug 2026 15:24:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stolen-masterpieces-worth-10-million-discovered-in-a-cardboard-box-months-after-thieves-snuck-into-a-museum-and-whisked-them-away-into-the-night-180989358/These Coral Reefs Off West Africa Were Long Presumed Dead. Scientists Just Found Them Alive and Teeming With Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-coral-reefs-off-west-africa-were-long-presumed-dead-scientists-just-found-them-alive-and-teeming-with-life-180989350/Fish surveys in the 1960s detected what experts thought was a dead coral reef barrier off the country of Benin. Decades later, researchers set off in small fishing boats to investigate it using sonar mapping, underwater drone surveys and stationary video recordersTue, 18 Aug 2026 14:34:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-coral-reefs-off-west-africa-were-long-presumed-dead-scientists-just-found-them-alive-and-teeming-with-life-180989350/Avoiding These Three Vascular Health Risk Factors in Midlife Can Help You Delay Dementia for About 13 Years, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/avoiding-these-three-vascular-health-risk-factors-in-midlife-can-help-you-delay-dementia-for-about-13-years-study-suggests-180989354/High blood pressure, diabetes and smoking are three major modifiable risk factors of dementia. New research tracked more than 12,000 participants to quantify how many years of healthy cognitive function you can gain by evading some or all of them during middle ageTue, 18 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/avoiding-these-three-vascular-health-risk-factors-in-midlife-can-help-you-delay-dementia-for-about-13-years-study-suggests-180989354/As Sicilians Flocked to a Religious Festival, Thieves Broke Into a Nearby Museum and Stole Four Renaissance Paintingshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/as-sicilians-flocked-to-religious-festival-thieves-broke-into-nearby-museum-stole-four-renaissance-paintings-180989352/The missing works include three panels from a 15th-century altarpiece by Antonello da Messina, as well as a two-sided devotional painting by the artistMon, 17 Aug 2026 19:36:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/as-sicilians-flocked-to-religious-festival-thieves-broke-into-nearby-museum-stole-four-renaissance-paintings-180989352/In a First, Astronomers May Have Spotted a Galaxy in the Early Universe With Three Behemoth Black Holeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-may-have-spotted-a-galaxy-in-the-early-universe-with-three-behemoth-black-holes-180989344/The galaxy’s light took about 12.5 billion years to reach the James Webb Space Telescope, meaning the instrument saw the black holes a little more than one billion years after the Big Bang. Two of the black holes seemed on track to merge, illustrating how the objects growMon, 17 Aug 2026 19:13:48 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-may-have-spotted-a-galaxy-in-the-early-universe-with-three-behemoth-black-holes-180989344/When Did Animals Start Giving Birth to Live Young? This 236-Million-Year-Old Fossil Might Rewrite Mammals' Evolutionary Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-did-animals-start-giving-birth-to-live-young-this-236-million-year-old-fossil-might-rewrite-mammals-evolutionary-history-180989343/A bone feature found in a mammal ancestor hints that the creature was relatively large as a newborn, more in line with the size of a creature birthed live than hatched from an egg. Still, it provides only indirect evidenceMon, 17 Aug 2026 16:23:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-did-animals-start-giving-birth-to-live-young-this-236-million-year-old-fossil-might-rewrite-mammals-evolutionary-history-180989343/This Couple Found a Mysterious 150-Pound Sculpture Buried in Their Backyard. Now, They're Trying to Figure Out Who Made Ithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-couple-found-a-mysterious-150-pound-sculpture-buried-in-their-backyard-now-theyre-trying-to-figure-out-who-made-it-180989347/After discovering a large limestone bust on their San Francisco property in May, Greg Gatwood and Judy Gittelsohn have spent the past few months trying to unravel its backstoryMon, 17 Aug 2026 14:33:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-couple-found-a-mysterious-150-pound-sculpture-buried-in-their-backyard-now-theyre-trying-to-figure-out-who-made-it-180989347/Listen Up, Parents: Running With a Stroller Might Make You Less Prone to Overuse Injurieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/listen-up-parents-running-with-a-stroller-might-make-you-less-prone-to-overuse-injuries-180989345/Runners often experience conditions like shin splints, runner’s knee and plantar fasciitis, which causes pain in the bottom of the heel. But pushing a stroller’s handlebar seems to make you distribute your weight differentlyMon, 17 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/listen-up-parents-running-with-a-stroller-might-make-you-less-prone-to-overuse-injuries-180989345/Covid-19 Can Reawaken Dormant Viruses in the Body, Which Might Worsen Symptoms of the Respiratory Illness, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/covid-19-can-reawaken-dormant-viruses-in-the-body-which-might-worsen-symptoms-of-the-respiratory-illness-study-suggests-180989322/Most people carry a sleeping virus in their bodies, such as the herpesvirus that causes mononucleosis, or the “kissing disease.” A new study hints that Covid-19 triggers their reactivation, which could worsen symptoms and increase the risk of long CovidFri, 14 Aug 2026 20:06:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/covid-19-can-reawaken-dormant-viruses-in-the-body-which-might-worsen-symptoms-of-the-respiratory-illness-study-suggests-180989322/A Medieval Man's Injuries Reminded One Archaeologist of Modern-Day Car Crash Victims. They Turned Out to Be the Work of an English Trebuchethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-medieval-mans-injuries-reminded-one-archaeologist-of-modern-day-car-crash-victims-they-turned-out-to-be-the-work-of-an-english-trebuchet-180989346/A skeleton unearthed in Scotland likely belongs to a soldier struck by a high-speed projectile during Edward I's 1304 siege of Stirling Castle. The man suffered more than 160 fracturesFri, 14 Aug 2026 19:49:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-medieval-mans-injuries-reminded-one-archaeologist-of-modern-day-car-crash-victims-they-turned-out-to-be-the-work-of-an-english-trebuchet-180989346/Schlitz Beer, an Iconic Midwestern Pour, Runs Dry in Chicago After 177 Years. Its Legacy, However, Goes Far Beyond the Pint Glasshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/schlitz-beer-an-iconic-midwestern-pour-officially-runs-dry-in-chicago-after-177-years-180989342/With significant roles in the Great Chicago Fire, 1893 World’s Fair and modern-day architecture, the beer’s impact on the Windy City is undeniableFri, 14 Aug 2026 18:05:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/schlitz-beer-an-iconic-midwestern-pour-officially-runs-dry-in-chicago-after-177-years-180989342/Astronomers Peered at the Early Universe and May Have Discovered a New Kind of Celestial Object: Black Hole Starshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-peered-at-the-early-universe-and-may-have-discovered-a-new-kind-of-celestial-object-black-hole-stars-180989334/Since the James Webb Space Telescope started collecting data in 2022, it has found puzzling objects dubbed little red dots. A new study suggests they might be giant black holes with some characteristics of starsFri, 14 Aug 2026 15:47:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-peered-at-the-early-universe-and-may-have-discovered-a-new-kind-of-celestial-object-black-hole-stars-180989334/Historic Submarine Restoration Reveals a Hidden Connection to a Lost Sister Ship That Sank During World War IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-submarine-restoration-reveals-a-hidden-connection-to-a-lost-sister-ship-that-sank-during-world-war-ii-180989340/Experts working on the USS "Silversides" found a flood valve that appears to have been destined for its sister ship, the USS "Trigger." The vessel sank in the East China Sea on March 28, 1945Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:01:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historic-submarine-restoration-reveals-a-hidden-connection-to-a-lost-sister-ship-that-sank-during-world-war-ii-180989340/Here's Why These Male Spiders Sacrifice Themselves by Somersaulting Into Females' Fangs While Matinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-why-these-male-spiders-sacrifice-themselves-by-somersaulting-into-females-fangs-while-mating-180989337/A new study suggest that even strange, complex animal behaviors can have a relatively simple genetic basisFri, 14 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-why-these-male-spiders-sacrifice-themselves-by-somersaulting-into-females-fangs-while-mating-180989337/This Library Book Was 150 Years Overdue. Fortunately for the Man Who Just Returned It, Librarians Won't Be Enforcing a $20,000 Late Feehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-library-book-was-150-years-overdue-fortunately-for-the-man-who-just-returned-it-librarians-wont-be-enforcing-a-20000-late-fee-180989339/"The Antiquities of Athens" had likely been missing from an Australian library since the 1870s. Staffers say its recovery is "an unlikely story of survival (of the book) and redemption (of the borrower)"Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-library-book-was-150-years-overdue-fortunately-for-the-man-who-just-returned-it-librarians-wont-be-enforcing-a-20000-late-fee-180989339/Meat Wasn't the Only Food That Drove Early Humans to Evolve Bigger Brains. Sugar May Have Fueled the Organ's Enlargement, Toohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meat-wasnt-the-only-food-that-drove-early-humans-to-evolve-bigger-brains-sugar-may-have-fueled-the-organs-enlargement-too-180989335/Scientists examined four million years of hominin diets. They found that natural sugars may have supplied energy—in the form of glucose—to growing brains before cooking made starchy foods easier to digestThu, 13 Aug 2026 20:27:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meat-wasnt-the-only-food-that-drove-early-humans-to-evolve-bigger-brains-sugar-may-have-fueled-the-organs-enlargement-too-180989335/More Than 200 Golden Mozart Statuettes Stolen From Salzburg Months After Famed Composer’s 270th Birthdayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-than-200-golden-mozart-statuettes-stolen-from-salzburg-months-after-famed-composers-270th-birthday-180989332/The Austrian public art installation heist is not the first time miniature statues of composers have been stolenThu, 13 Aug 2026 19:07:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-than-200-golden-mozart-statuettes-stolen-from-salzburg-months-after-famed-composers-270th-birthday-180989332/An Aerospace Startup Just Got Approval to Test Beaming Sunlight to Earth. Here's Why Experts Are Worried—and Petitioninghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-aerospace-startup-just-got-approval-to-test-beaming-sunlight-to-earth-heres-why-experts-are-worried-and-petitioning-180989323/By 2035, Reflect Orbital aims to launch up to 50,000 satellites equipped with mirrors to provide sunlight to Earth-based solar panels. Critics are concerned about impacts on wildlife, astronomy research and human healthThu, 13 Aug 2026 17:38:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-aerospace-startup-just-got-approval-to-test-beaming-sunlight-to-earth-heres-why-experts-are-worried-and-petitioning-180989323/From Armpits to Feet, Our Ticklish Hot Spots Are Surprisingly Universal. The Finding Offers Clues About the Sensation's Evolutionary Originshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-armpits-to-feet-our-ticklish-hot-spots-are-surprisingly-universal-the-finding-offers-clues-about-the-sensations-evolutionary-origins-180989324/A new study probes the basics of gargalesis, a poorly understood type of tickling caused by firm, repetitive touches that typically elicits laughter and squirmingThu, 13 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/from-armpits-to-feet-our-ticklish-hot-spots-are-surprisingly-universal-the-finding-offers-clues-about-the-sensations-evolutionary-origins-180989324/See Magnificent Photos of the Total Solar Eclipse Over Europe That Showcase the Sun's Beauty and the Wonder of Skywatchinghttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-magnificent-photos-of-the-total-solar-eclipse-over-europe-that-showcase-the-suns-beauty-and-the-wonder-of-skywatching-180989325/The moon’s shadow swept over Earth on Wednesday, captivating millions across the planet. It was the first total solar eclipse since the North American eclipse of April 2024Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-magnificent-photos-of-the-total-solar-eclipse-over-europe-that-showcase-the-suns-beauty-and-the-wonder-of-skywatching-180989325/Thousands of Years Ago, Denisovans Might Have Been Huge, Especially Compared to Their Archaic Human Neighborshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-years-ago-denisovans-might-have-been-huge-especially-compared-to-their-archaic-human-neighbors-180989327/New research offers rare insight into our extinct cousins who lived in Asia and who may have towered over petite "Homo erectus"Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:14:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-years-ago-denisovans-might-have-been-huge-especially-compared-to-their-archaic-human-neighbors-180989327/A Historian at MIT Discovered the Surprising Truth About This Chinese Label Long Thought to Be a Souvenir of the Boston Tea Partyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-historian-at-mit-discovered-the-surprising-truth-about-this-chinese-label-long-thought-to-be-a-souvenir-of-the-boston-tea-party-180989328/The saga of the artifact displayed at Boston's Old South Meeting House demonstrates how the study of history evolvesWed, 12 Aug 2026 21:17:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-historian-at-mit-discovered-the-surprising-truth-about-this-chinese-label-long-thought-to-be-a-souvenir-of-the-boston-tea-party-180989328/NASA Completes Daring 'Big Bang' Fix on the Voyager 2 Probe, Allowing It to Keep Studying Interstellar Spacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-completes-daring-big-bang-fix-on-the-voyager-2-probe-allowing-it-to-keep-studying-interstellar-space-180989312/Scientists swapped three of the probe’s heating devices for ones that use less energy, and they might do the same with Voyager 1. Both spacecraft launched almost 50 years agoWed, 12 Aug 2026 20:09:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-completes-daring-big-bang-fix-on-the-voyager-2-probe-allowing-it-to-keep-studying-interstellar-space-180989312/Following Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical, the Vatican Announces a New Art Triennial Celebrating Human Creativity and Empathy in the Age of A.I.https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/following-pope-leo-vivs-encyclical-the-vatican-announces-a-new-art-triennial-celebrating-human-creativity-and-empathy-in-the-age-of-ai-180989321/More than 100 artists will showcase their art on four continents as the Catholic Church continues to emphasize human creativity and relationships over artificial intelligence toolsWed, 12 Aug 2026 19:00:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/following-pope-leo-vivs-encyclical-the-vatican-announces-a-new-art-triennial-celebrating-human-creativity-and-empathy-in-the-age-of-ai-180989321/Stunning New Images Reveal Whirlpools on the Sun's Surface. The Swirling Structures Might Help Power Solar Flareshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stunning-new-images-reveal-whirlpools-on-the-suns-surface-the-swirling-strutures-might-help-power-solar-flares-180989292/Observed directly in the solar photosphere for the first time, the vortices might braid magnetic fields, thought to be responsible for energy buildups and eventual outbursts. The features also offer clues about why the sun’s outer atmosphere is millions of degrees hotter than its surfaceWed, 12 Aug 2026 18:19:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/stunning-new-images-reveal-whirlpools-on-the-suns-surface-the-swirling-strutures-might-help-power-solar-flares-180989292/Shipwreck Divers Discovered a 162-Year-Old Bottle of Guinness Brewed During the Reign of Queen Victoria—and They Want to Take a Swighttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/The beer was preserved in a sealed glass bottle and may be safe to sample. The team is also hoping to sequence the DNA of the yeast to recreate what the stout would have tasted like in the 19th centuryWed, 12 Aug 2026 17:28:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/Pumas Might Be Making Your Drive Home Safer. When the Predators Are Around, Deer Tend to Avoid Roads, Preventing Some Collisionshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pumas-might-be-making-your-drive-home-safer-when-the-predators-are-around-deer-tend-to-avoid-roads-preventing-some-collisions-180989314/In Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, the wild cats’ presence corresponded with a 67 percent drop in the likelihood of a deer-vehicle crash and a 76 percent overall decline in the number of wrecks during a five-year period, according to a new studyWed, 12 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pumas-might-be-making-your-drive-home-safer-when-the-predators-are-around-deer-tend-to-avoid-roads-preventing-some-collisions-180989314/Archaeologists in England Preparing for Road Construction Unearthed a Roman-Era Fingernail Cleaner With a Handle Shaped Like a Penishttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-in-England-preparing-for-road-construction-unearthed-a-roman-era-fingernail-cleaner-with-a-handle-shaped-like-a-penis-180989318/The Romans considered the phallus a symbol of good luck and used it to decorate objects, mark walls and inspire sculpturesTue, 11 Aug 2026 22:45:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-in-England-preparing-for-road-construction-unearthed-a-roman-era-fingernail-cleaner-with-a-handle-shaped-like-a-penis-180989318/A Total Solar Eclipse Is Coming to Spain. This Madrid Museum Is Celebrating With a Digital Artwork Illuminating Its Paintings ‘In the Light of the Eclipse’https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-total-solar-eclipse-is-coming-to-spain-this-madrid-museum-is-celebrating-with-a-digital-artwork-illuminating-its-paintings-in-the-light-of-the-eclipse-180989311/A new animation from The Prado, called "El Prado a la luz del eclipse," uses A.I. to imagine masterpieces by Goya and Velázquez as if their scenes occurred during a total solar eclipseTue, 11 Aug 2026 21:08:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-total-solar-eclipse-is-coming-to-spain-this-madrid-museum-is-celebrating-with-a-digital-artwork-illuminating-its-paintings-in-the-light-of-the-eclipse-180989311/How to Watch the Total Solar Eclipse on a Livestream, Witnessing the Rare View of the Sun's Corona From Your Own Homehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-to-watch-the-total-solar-eclipse-on-a-live-stream-witnessing-the-rare-view-of-the-suns-corona-from-your-own-home-180989315/Wednesday’s eclipse will bring dark skies to parts of Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and Spain. But with these online broadcasts, you can view the spectacle from anywhereTue, 11 Aug 2026 20:35:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-to-watch-the-total-solar-eclipse-on-a-live-stream-witnessing-the-rare-view-of-the-suns-corona-from-your-own-home-180989315/This New App Created in Collaboration With the Rainy Lake Ojibwe Community Aims to Preserve Indigenous Language and Knowledgehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-new-app-created-in-collaboration-with-the-rainy-lake-ojibwe-community-aims-to-preserve-indigenous-language-and-knowledge-180989317/Users can browse traditional stories, learn more about notable landmarks and discover family connectionsTue, 11 Aug 2026 19:00:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-new-app-created-in-collaboration-with-the-rainy-lake-ojibwe-community-aims-to-preserve-indigenous-language-and-knowledge-180989317/Jackie the Bald Eagle, Who Captured Hearts Around the World Via Livestream, Has Died After Battling a Mysterious Illnesshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jackie-the-bald-eagle-who-captured-hearts-around-the-world-via-livestream-has-died-after-battling-a-mysterious-illness-180989310/A raptor center in California had been caring for the animal since mid-July, after she had an altercation with two young eagles. But she had probably been sick long before thenTue, 11 Aug 2026 18:37:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jackie-the-bald-eagle-who-captured-hearts-around-the-world-via-livestream-has-died-after-battling-a-mysterious-illness-180989310/An 11-Year-Old Boy in a Small Midwestern Town Just Became the Guinness World Record Holder for Being the Youngest Museum Curatorhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-11-year-old-boy-in-an-illinois-small-town-just-became-the-guinness-world-record-holder-for-being-the-youngest-museum-curator-180989313/Four years after Anderson Taylor began collecting specimens, he opened the Cambridge Natural History Museum in Cambridge, Illinois, offering school tours and attracting visitors from across the regionTue, 11 Aug 2026 17:53:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-11-year-old-boy-in-an-illinois-small-town-just-became-the-guinness-world-record-holder-for-being-the-youngest-museum-curator-180989313/For the First Time, an mRNA Flu Shot Will Be Available to Some People in the United States. Here's What You Should Knowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-an-mrna-flu-shot-will-be-available-to-some-people-in-the-united-states-heres-what-you-should-know-180989305/The Food and Drug Administration just approved the new type of flu vaccine for adults ages 50 and older. It relies on the same technology as many Covid-19 jabs. However, it’s unclear whether insurance companies will pay for the novel flu shotTue, 11 Aug 2026 15:41:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-an-mrna-flu-shot-will-be-available-to-some-people-in-the-united-states-heres-what-you-should-know-180989305/Got a Brawny Build? You Might Be Able to Thank Your Neanderthal Ancestors, According to a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/got-a-brawny-build-you-might-be-able-to-thank-your-neanderthal-ancestors-according-to-a-new-study-180989306/New research hints that some living people inherited a gene variant from Neanderthals that has made them slightly taller and more muscular than their peersTue, 11 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/got-a-brawny-build-you-might-be-able-to-thank-your-neanderthal-ancestors-according-to-a-new-study-180989306/Off the Coast of Sicily, Divers Discovered a Roman-Era Shipwreck With Hundreds of Amphorae, Ancient Jars Frequently Used to Hold Winehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/off-the-coast-of-sicily-divers-discovered-a-roman-era-shipwreck-with-hundreds-of-amphorae-ancient-jars-frequently-used-to-hold-wine-180989307/The site could offer fresh insights into Mediterranean trade routes more than 2,000 years agoMon, 10 Aug 2026 21:53:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/off-the-coast-of-sicily-divers-discovered-a-roman-era-shipwreck-with-hundreds-of-amphorae-ancient-jars-frequently-used-to-hold-wine-180989307/A ‘Scallywag’ Schoolboy Swiped an Abbot's Kneecap 70 Years Ago. His Widow Just Returned It to Glastonbury Abbeyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-scallywag-schoolboy-swiped-an-abbots-kneecap-70-years-ago-his-widow-just-returned-it-to-glastonbury-abbey-180989308/George Box kept the knee bone, along with a piece of tile from the same site, throughout his entire life. He confessed the origins of their acquisition to his wife in his later yearsMon, 10 Aug 2026 20:59:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-scallywag-schoolboy-swiped-an-abbots-kneecap-70-years-ago-his-widow-just-returned-it-to-glastonbury-abbey-180989308/This Dutch Painting Showed a 17th-Century Drinking Game Until Someone Smudged Out a Player, Spoiling the Fun. A Museum Just Restored the Imbibing Soldierhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-this-soldier-was-smudged-out-of-a-famed-de-hooch-painting-restorers-have-painted-him-back-in-180989304/Pieter de Hooch was known for his 17th-century portrayals of domestic life. Some scenes suggested scandal or taught a moralMon, 10 Aug 2026 19:24:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-this-soldier-was-smudged-out-of-a-famed-de-hooch-painting-restorers-have-painted-him-back-in-180989304/The Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week Amid Ideal Viewing Conditions. Here's How to Watch the Event's Bright Shooting Starshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-perseid-meteor-shower-peaks-this-week-amid-ideal-viewing-conditions-heres-how-to-watch-the-events-bright-shooting-stars-180989298/The much-anticipated annual event peaks on the night of August 12 into the next morning. This year, the moon won’t crash the party, as our natural satellite will be in its dark new moon phaseMon, 10 Aug 2026 18:32:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-perseid-meteor-shower-peaks-this-week-amid-ideal-viewing-conditions-heres-how-to-watch-the-events-bright-shooting-stars-180989298/Why Did the Ancient Romans Bury This Monumental Marble Statue Facedown? They Wanted to Repurpose It as a Paving Stonehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-the-ancient-romans-bury-this-monumental-marble-statue-face-down-they-wanted-to-repurpose-it-as-a-paving-stone-180989302/Archaeologists discovered the roughly 2,500-year-old sculpture of a young man while conducting excavations at Sardis in western Turkey. The artwork reflects the different cultures that wielded control over the city in the first millennium B.C.E.Mon, 10 Aug 2026 18:01:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-the-ancient-romans-bury-this-monumental-marble-statue-face-down-they-wanted-to-repurpose-it-as-a-paving-stone-180989302/Spinal Deformities in Saber-Toothed Cat Fossils Reveal How the Now-Extinct Felines May Have Spent Their Final Dayshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spinal-deformities-in-saber-toothed-cat-fossils-reveal-how-the-now-extinct-felines-may-have-spent-their-final-days-180989237/Researchers studied saber-toothed cat vertebrae found in the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. They identified a surprisingly high number of deformations, including signs of spinal nerve tumors, hinting at a dwindling population suffering the consequences of inbreedingMon, 10 Aug 2026 15:36:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/spinal-deformities-in-saber-toothed-cat-fossils-reveal-how-the-now-extinct-felines-may-have-spent-their-final-days-180989237/The Hiroshima Atomic Bombing Birthed a Strange, Never-Before-Seen Material, According to a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-hiroshima-atomic-bombing-birthed-a-strange-never-before-seen-material-according-to-a-new-study-180989249/The devastating blast vaporized buildings, metal, glass, soil and water. When the substances cooled and condensed, the process created spherical glassy grains—and some of them seem to contain a previously unknown metal alloyMon, 10 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-hiroshima-atomic-bombing-birthed-a-strange-never-before-seen-material-according-to-a-new-study-180989249/One of the Most Important Cookbooks of the 20th Century Is Celebrating 50 Years. What Made Its French Author So Special in American Kitchens?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-the-most-important-cookbooks-of-the-20th-century-celebrates-50-years-what-made-jacques-pepin-so-important-in-the-kitchen-180989297/With instructions and images explaining how to carve vegetables and deconstruct a lamb, "La Technique" by Jacques Pépin became a how-to guide and an inspiration for countless cooks and food loversMon, 10 Aug 2026 13:41:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-the-most-important-cookbooks-of-the-20th-century-celebrates-50-years-what-made-jacques-pepin-so-important-in-the-kitchen-180989297/A SpaceX Rocket Part Just Slammed Into the Moon, Creating a Dust Plume and Crater. Here's What Some Scientific Instruments Sawhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-spacex-rocket-part-just-slammed-into-the-moon-creating-a-dust-plume-and-crater-heres-what-some-scientific-instruments-saw-180989299/The Korea Aerospace Research Institute captured before-and-after images of the impact site, and a telescope in Chile detected signs of the plume. However, no one was able to watch the collision liveFri, 07 Aug 2026 21:26:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-spacex-rocket-part-just-slammed-into-the-moon-creating-a-dust-plume-and-crater-heres-what-some-scientific-instruments-saw-180989299/A British Museum Is Searching for a Rare 1940s Housecoat From a Fashion Brand That Dressed the Queen—and, on Special Occasions, Ordinary Women Toohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-british-museum-is-searching-for-a-rare-1940s-housecoat-from-a-fashion-brand-that-dressed-the-queen-and-ordinary-women-on-special-occasions-180989296/Patterned with a map of the British Isles, the housecoat was an early design by the pioneering brand Horrockses, which turned cotton cloth into whimsical women's wear after World War IIFri, 07 Aug 2026 20:10:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-british-museum-is-searching-for-a-rare-1940s-housecoat-from-a-fashion-brand-that-dressed-the-queen-and-ordinary-women-on-special-occasions-180989296/One of Italy's Most Popular Attractions, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Reveals Plans for a Major Renovation Over the Next Two Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-italys-most-popular-attractions-the-uffizi-galleries-in-florence-reveals-plans-for-a-major-renovation-over-the-next-two-years-180989295/The collection of treasures, many of them connected to the Medici family, includes Italian Renaissance masterpieces, a palace and a courtly gardenFri, 07 Aug 2026 18:22:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-italys-most-popular-attractions-the-uffizi-galleries-in-florence-reveals-plans-for-a-major-renovation-over-the-next-two-years-180989295/Traces of Two Extinct 'Ghost' Ancestors Were Found Hiding in Modern Human DNA, Hinting at Our Extremely Complex Family Treehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/traces-of-two-extinct-ghost-ancestors-were-found-hiding-in-modern-human-dna-hinting-at-our-extremely-complex-family-tree-180989250/Researchers used a new method to investigate past interbreeding with Homo sapiens that doesn't require ancient DNA. The technique identified areas of living humans' genomes that came from unknown hominins, including one from a 1.8-million-year-old lineageFri, 07 Aug 2026 15:34:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/traces-of-two-extinct-ghost-ancestors-were-found-hiding-in-modern-human-dna-hinting-at-our-extremely-complex-family-tree-180989250/First a Volcanic Eruption, Now a Crustacean Invasion? See the Giant Lobsters Taking Over the Ancient City of Pompeiihttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-a-volcanic-eruption-now-a-crustacean-invasion-see-the-giant-lobsters-taking-over-the-ancient-city-of-pompeii-180989275/A pop art installation featuring more than 30 sculptures from artist Philip Colbert is the first contemporary sculpture exhibition to land in Pompeii in three decadesFri, 07 Aug 2026 14:17:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-a-volcanic-eruption-now-a-crustacean-invasion-see-the-giant-lobsters-taking-over-the-ancient-city-of-pompeii-180989275/Butterflies Around the World Are Moving to New Habitats, Largely Because of Climate Change, a Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/butterflies-around-the-world-are-moving-to-new-habitats-largely-because-of-climate-change-a-study-suggests-180989279/Researchers examined data on 1,758 butterfly species—about ten percent of all those known—from 105 countries and estimated that about one in ten global species has shifted its distribution rangeFri, 07 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/butterflies-around-the-world-are-moving-to-new-habitats-largely-because-of-climate-change-a-study-suggests-180989279/Why Does Antarctica's Blood Falls Spew Ruby Red Water? Microbes Offer New Clues About the Geologic Feature's Ancient Originshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-does-antarcticas-blood-falls-spew-ruby-red-water-microbes-offer-new-clues-about-the-geologic-features-ancient-origins-180989271/The falls contain saltwater rich with iron, which oxidizes and turns red when exposed to air. A new study provides further evidence that the brine probably comes from ocean water trapped when flood waters retreated millions of years agoThu, 06 Aug 2026 20:26:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-does-antarcticas-blood-falls-spew-ruby-red-water-microbes-offer-new-clues-about-the-geologic-features-ancient-origins-180989271/This Marine-Life Mosaic Discovered Near the Colosseum Offers a Surprising Clue—Its Building May Have Housed Firefighters in Ancient Romehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-marine-life-mosaic-discovered-near-the-colosseum-offers-a-surprising-clue-its-building-may-have-housed-firefighters-in-ancient-rome-180989273/At the time of the structure's construction in the second century C.E., firefighting in ancient Rome was a formalized professionThu, 06 Aug 2026 19:51:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-marine-life-mosaic-discovered-near-the-colosseum-offers-a-surprising-clue-its-building-may-have-housed-firefighters-in-ancient-rome-180989273/Charles Darwin Theorized That These Plants Were Carnivorous 150 Years Ago. A New Study Proves Him Righthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/charles-darwin-theorized-that-these-plants-were-carnivorous-150-years-ago-a-new-study-proves-him-right-180989265/As the naturalist predicted in 1875, some Saxifraga plants consume insects—using sticky hairs to trap themThu, 06 Aug 2026 19:15:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/charles-darwin-theorized-that-these-plants-were-carnivorous-150-years-ago-a-new-study-proves-him-right-180989265/Notorious Feral Cat That Feasted on Rare New Zealand Ducks Captured After Three-Year Hunthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nine-lives-a-feral-cat-hunting-rare-ducks-in-new-zealand-has-been-caught-and-killed-after-three-years-180989267/The gray tabby, known as Nine Lives because it eluded capture so many times, had devastated efforts by conservationists to reintroduce the birds to the wildThu, 06 Aug 2026 17:42:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nine-lives-a-feral-cat-hunting-rare-ducks-in-new-zealand-has-been-caught-and-killed-after-three-years-180989267/Metal Detectorists Thought They'd Hit the Jackpot When They Discovered a Gold Bracelet Dating to the Bronze Age. Then They Dug Up Two Morehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/metal-detectorists-thought-theyd-hit-the-jackpot-when-they-discovered-gold-bracelet-dating-to-bronze-age-then-they-found-two-more-180989272/At first, Andy Crammond thought the object was a bull's nose ring. Other artifacts unearthed nearby include a Viking brooch, a Roman coin hoard and a Bronze Age ax headThu, 06 Aug 2026 17:39:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/metal-detectorists-thought-theyd-hit-the-jackpot-when-they-discovered-gold-bracelet-dating-to-bronze-age-then-they-found-two-more-180989272/Fires and Financial Trouble Leave the Fate of Two Arts Buildings Uncertain in This Scottish City—Including a Century-Old Masterpiecehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fires-and-financial-trouble-leave-the-fate-of-a-few-arts-institutions-uncertain-in-this-scottish-city-including-a-century-old-art-nouveau-masterpiece-180989264/The historic Glasgow School of Art and the more modern Glasgow Centre for Contemporary Arts were both affected by a significant blaze in 2018Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:35:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fires-and-financial-trouble-leave-the-fate-of-a-few-arts-institutions-uncertain-in-this-scottish-city-including-a-century-old-art-nouveau-masterpiece-180989264/Sperm Whales Seem to Change Their Calls When Ships Are Near, Highlighting the Implications of Underwater Noise Pollutionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sperm-whales-seem-to-change-their-calls-when-ships-are-near-highlighting-the-implications-of-underwater-noise-pollution-180989257/Several of the huge cetaceans living in the eastern Caribbean Sea shortened the intervals between their clicks and used one click pattern more than another when vessels were around, according to a new studyThu, 06 Aug 2026 15:12:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sperm-whales-seem-to-change-their-calls-when-ships-are-near-highlighting-the-implications-of-underwater-noise-pollution-180989257/This World War II Submarine Noted for Sinking Enemy Ships Just Journeyed Across Lake Michigan for a Multimillion-Dollar Makeoverhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-world-war-ii-submaring-noted-for-its-success-sinking-enemy-ships-just-journeyed-across-lake-michigan-for-a-multimillion-dollar-makeover-180989269/The USS 'Silversides' earned a dozen battle stars for its work patrolling the Pacific Ocean. The Gato-class sub is now the star of a museum in MichiganThu, 06 Aug 2026 14:48:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-world-war-ii-submaring-noted-for-its-success-sinking-enemy-ships-just-journeyed-across-lake-michigan-for-a-multimillion-dollar-makeover-180989269/A.I. Went to the Opera, Creating Images for an Anniversary Production of Wagner's 'Ring Cycle' at the Theater Where He First Staged the Masterpiecehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-went-to-the-opera-projecting-images-for-an-anniversary-production-of-wagners-ring-cycle-at-the-theater-where-he-first-staged-the-masterpiece-180989270/It took Richard Wagner a quarter-century to complete the four-part opera. The new production, called "10010110," uses generative artificial intelligence to explore the artwork’s evolutionWed, 05 Aug 2026 21:03:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-went-to-the-opera-projecting-images-for-an-anniversary-production-of-wagners-ring-cycle-at-the-theater-where-he-first-staged-the-masterpiece-180989270/Neptune May Have Once Witnessed a Lunar Massacre That Turned Its Original Moons 'Inside Out'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptune-may-have-once-witnessed-a-lunar-massacre-that-turned-its-original-moons-inside-out-180989266/A new study identifies an unexpected mineral in two of the planet’s inner moons, pointing to a destructive past in which a large object got pulled into the system and obliterated the former, larger satellitesWed, 05 Aug 2026 20:51:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptune-may-have-once-witnessed-a-lunar-massacre-that-turned-its-original-moons-inside-out-180989266/A Serpentine Sculpture Inspired by Benjamin Franklin's 'Join, or Die' Call for Unity Is Taking Shape—Segment by Segment—in Philadelphiahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-serpentine-sculpture-inspired-by-benjamin-franklins-join-or-die-call-for-unity-is-taking-shape-segment-by-segment-in-philadelphia-180989263/Created by John Collins, the 46-foot-long granite artwork inspired by an 18th-century political cartoon is slated to be unveiled on Independence Mall sometime this fallWed, 05 Aug 2026 14:16:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-serpentine-sculpture-inspired-by-benjamin-franklins-join-or-die-call-for-unity-is-taking-shape-segment-by-segment-in-philadelphia-180989263/Flesh-Eating 'Superworms' Could Become a New Skeleton-Cleaning Crew for Museum and Research Specimenshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/flesh-eating-superworms-could-become-a-new-skeleton-cleaning-crew-for-museum-and-research-specimens-180989258/A new study hints that the critters would be a good alternative to traditional methods used to remove flesh from bones, including dermestid beetles, chemical treatments and boiling, which can cause damage or be time-consumingWed, 05 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/flesh-eating-superworms-could-become-a-new-skeleton-cleaning-crew-for-museum-and-research-specimens-180989258/This American Pilot Downed 40 Enemy Aircraft During World War II. Researchers Discovered the Wreck of His Plane in a Pacific Jungle and Brought a Wing Back to His Home Statehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-american-pilot-downed-4o-enemy-aircraft-during-world-war-ii-researchers-discovered-the-wreck-of-his-plane-in-a-pacific-jungle-and-brought-a-wing-back-to-his-home-state-180989259/Richard I. Bong, flying a plane decorated with a portrait of his future wife, Marge, became America's highest-scoring "ace" and received a Medal of HonorTue, 04 Aug 2026 20:33:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-american-pilot-downed-4o-enemy-aircraft-during-world-war-ii-researchers-discovered-the-wreck-of-his-plane-in-a-pacific-jungle-and-brought-a-wing-back-to-his-home-state-180989259/Two People Died After Getting Sick With Cyclosporiasis, Marking the First Known Deaths Linked to the Ongoing Multistate Outbreakhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-peope-died-after-getting-sick-with-cyclosporiasis-marking-the-first-known-deaths-linked-to-the-ongoing-multi-state-outbreak-180989256/Both patients, who were in Michigan, had underlying health conditions, according to state officials. The parasite-caused infection usually isn't life-threateningTue, 04 Aug 2026 19:17:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-peope-died-after-getting-sick-with-cyclosporiasis-marking-the-first-known-deaths-linked-to-the-ongoing-multi-state-outbreak-180989256/The Danube River Has Fallen to Record-Low Water Levels, Revealing Nazi Warships, Bombs and Woolly Mammoth Bones In Its Channelhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-danube-river-has-fallen-to-record-low-water-levels-revealing-nazi-warships-bombs-and-woolly-mammoth-bones-in-its-channel-180989255/Residents and researchers are finding historic and prehistoric relics as Europe's second-longest river driesTue, 04 Aug 2026 18:20:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-danube-river-has-fallen-to-record-low-water-levels-revealing-nazi-warships-bombs-and-woolly-mammoth-bones-in-its-channel-180989255/In a First, Astronomers May Have Spotted a Supermassive Black Hole That Wandered to the Edge of Its Galaxyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-may-have-spotted-a-supermassive-black-hole-that-wandered-to-the-edge-of-its-galaxy-180989233/These giant celestial objects have mostly been identified at the centers of galaxies, where they're known to reside. But a recently discovered one—found because of the light emitted while it snacked on a star—appears to be more than 30,000 light-years from its host galaxy's heartTue, 04 Aug 2026 16:16:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-astronomers-may-have-spotted-a-supermassive-black-hole-that-wandered-to-the-edge-of-its-galaxy-180989233/These Early Biplanes Documented the Arctic, Captured Newsreel Footage and Witnessed Lindbergh's Historic Flight. Now, a Rare Example Will Hang in a Museumhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-early-biplanes-documented-the-arctic-captured-newsreel-footage-and-witnessed-lindberghs-historic-flight-now-a-rare-example-will-hang-in-a-museum-180989253/The Cradle of Aviation Museum recently acquired a Curtiss Oriole, three-seat biplane manufactured at a nearby Garden City factoryTue, 04 Aug 2026 15:17:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-early-biplanes-documented-the-arctic-captured-newsreel-footage-and-witnessed-lindberghs-historic-flight-now-a-rare-example-will-hang-in-a-museum-180989253/Ancient North American Mammals May Have Gathered in Mexico and Diversified Before Moving to South America, Priming Them to Thrive Therehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-north-american-mammals-may-have-gathered-in-mexico-and-diversified-before-moving-to-south-america-priming-them-to-thrive-there-180989251/An analysis of fossils from the country hints that animals from the north stayed in a "holding pen" between seven million and ten million years ago. The timeline might help explain why so many South American mammals have North American ancestry, but not vice versaTue, 04 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-north-american-mammals-may-have-gathered-in-mexico-and-diversified-before-moving-to-south-america-priming-them-to-thrive-there-180989251/To Recover Artworks Looted by the Nazis, Researchers Are Getting Creative, With New Strategies Including an A.I. Chatbot and a Campaign of 'Wanted' Postershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-recover-artworks-looted-by-the-nazis-researchers-are-getting-creative-with-new-strategies-including-an-ai-chatbot-and-a-campaign-of-wanted-posters-180989247/University researchers hope their new artificial intelligence chatbot makes provenance research easier and more accessibleMon, 03 Aug 2026 21:33:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-recover-artworks-looted-by-the-nazis-researchers-are-getting-creative-with-new-strategies-including-an-ai-chatbot-and-a-campaign-of-wanted-posters-180989247/New Images Provide the Best Evidence Yet That Supergiant Star Betelgeuse Does, Indeed, Have a Long-Theorized Stellar Companionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-provide-the-best-evidence-yet-that-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-does-inded-have-a-long-theorized-stellar-companion-180989225/The research team is mostly convinced by the data, but they want to capture additional observations in 2027 to confirm what they've foundMon, 03 Aug 2026 20:07:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-provide-the-best-evidence-yet-that-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-does-inded-have-a-long-theorized-stellar-companion-180989225/This 400-Year-Old Impenetrable Japanese Castle That Survived a Samurai Siege Just Crumbled in an Earthquakehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-400-year-old-impenetrable-japanese-castle-that-survived-a-samurai-siege-just-crumbled-in-an-earthquake-180989248/In 1877, a force rebelling against Emperor Meiji attacked Kumamoto Castle on Japan's southern Kyushu islandMon, 03 Aug 2026 19:55:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-400-year-old-impenetrable-japanese-castle-that-survived-a-samurai-siege-just-crumbled-in-an-earthquake-180989248/A Man Used This Civil War Artifact as a Paperweight on His Desk. The Bomb Squad Told Him It Was Actually a Live Explosivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-used-this-civil-war-artifact-as-a-paperweight-on-his-desk-the-bomb-squad-told-him-it-was-actually-a-live-explosive-180989245/The device turned out to be an artillery shell designed for a Parrott rifle in the mid-1800s. Experts safely detonated it at a firing range near San AntonioMon, 03 Aug 2026 19:40:33 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-used-this-civil-war-artifact-as-a-paperweight-on-his-desk-the-bomb-squad-told-him-it-was-actually-a-live-explosive-180989245/After Receiving a Custom Experimental Medicine, a Teen With a Rare Genetic Disorder Walked on His Own for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-receiving-a-custom-experimental-medicine-a-teen-with-a-rare-genetic-disorder-walked-on-his-own-for-the-first-time-180989230/The patient's genetic disorder causes frequent seizures and developmental delays. His progress, along with that of another boy who received a similar personalized treatment, highlights the promise—and challenges—of tailor-made drugsMon, 03 Aug 2026 17:31:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-receiving-a-custom-experimental-medicine-a-teen-with-a-rare-genetic-disorder-walked-on-his-own-for-the-first-time-180989230/Smallpox DNA Hidden for Centuries in Mummies Found in Chile Suggests European Colonists Brought the Virus to the Americashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-dna-hidden-for-centuries-in-mummies-found-in-chile-suggests-european-colonists-brought-the-virus-to-the-americas-180989244/Researchers say they found the first direct, molecular proof of the deadly trajectory the virus tookMon, 03 Aug 2026 15:27:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-dna-hidden-for-centuries-in-mummies-found-in-chile-suggests-european-colonists-brought-the-virus-to-the-americas-180989244/This Man Turned Human Corpses Into Popular Museum Displays. Now, the Creator of These Controversial ‘Body Worlds’ Has Donated His Own Body to Sciencehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-man-turned-human-corpses-into-popular-museum-displays-now-the-creator-of-these-controversial-body-worlds-has-donated-his-own-body-to-science-180989242/Gunther von Hagens, who invented plastination, a method of preserving bodies by replacing their natural fluids with polymers, recently died at age 81Fri, 31 Jul 2026 19:56:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-man-turned-human-corpses-into-popular-museum-displays-now-the-creator-of-these-controversial-body-worlds-has-donated-his-own-body-to-science-180989242/Rare Fossil Reveals a Three-Tier Food Chain Frozen in Time: a Pterosaur Eaten by an Ichthyosaur Eaten by a Pliosaurhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-fossil-reveals-a-three-tier-food-chain-frozen-in-time-a-pterosaur-eaten-by-an-ichthyosaur-eaten-by-a-pliosaur-180989243/Uncovered in part by amateur fossil hunters in Australia, the fossil preserves a unique look at prehistoric predatory dynamicsFri, 31 Jul 2026 18:40:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rare-fossil-reveals-a-three-tier-food-chain-frozen-in-time-a-pterosaur-eaten-by-an-ichthyosaur-eaten-by-a-pliosaur-180989243/The Iconic Watts Towers in Los Angeles Will Get a $22 Million Campus Expansion Ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympicshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-iconic-watts-towers-in-los-angeles-will-get-a-22-million-campus-expansion-ahead-of-the-2028-summer-olympics-180989240/Five acres of green space will surround the 17-structure landmark, a folk art masterpiece that an Italian immigrant built over the course of three decadesFri, 31 Jul 2026 18:05:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-iconic-watts-towers-in-los-angeles-will-get-a-22-million-campus-expansion-ahead-of-the-2028-summer-olympics-180989240/Archaeologists Discover Two Thumbnail-Size Bird Sculptures Carved From Mammoth Ivory 40,000 Years Agohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-two-thumbnail-sized-bird-sculptures-carved-from-mammoth-ivory-40000-years-ago-180989239/Measuring less than an inch long, the figurines were buried beneath Germany's Hohle Fels Cave, where some of the world's oldest known figurative artworks have been foundFri, 31 Jul 2026 18:01:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-two-thumbnail-sized-bird-sculptures-carved-from-mammoth-ivory-40000-years-ago-180989239/Ice Age Humans Mostly Killed Female Woolly Mammoths, Suggests Ancient DNAhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ice-age-humans-mostly-killed-female-woolly-mammoths-suggests-ancient-dna-180989241/After analyzing more than 500 mammoth bones, researchers found that ancient humans disproportionately hunted female mammoths for reasons still unknownFri, 31 Jul 2026 17:41:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ice-age-humans-mostly-killed-female-woolly-mammoths-suggests-ancient-dna-180989241/Antarctic Interior Hits Minus 119.4 Degrees Fahrenheit, Earth's Lowest Recorded Temperature in More Than a Decadehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/antarctic-interior-hits-119-4-degrees-fahrenheit-earths-lowest-recorded-temperature-in-more-than-a-decade-180989231/The record-setting cold at the Concordia research station comes just weeks after another part of the southernmost continent experienced the opposite extreme, with winter temperatures climbing to unprecedented highsFri, 31 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/antarctic-interior-hits-119-4-degrees-fahrenheit-earths-lowest-recorded-temperature-in-more-than-a-decade-180989231/Mysterious Shapes Hidden Beneath the Amazon Canopy Reveal a Sprawling Ancient Civilization Much Bigger Than Researchers Expectedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-shapes-hidden-beneath-the-amazon-canopy-reveal-a-sprawling-ancient-civilization-much-bigger-than-researchers-expected-180989236/Scientists recently discovered hundreds of monumental, geometric earthworks known as "geoglyphs" in northern Brazil from the Aquiry civilizationFri, 31 Jul 2026 13:47:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mysterious-shapes-hidden-beneath-the-amazon-canopy-reveal-a-sprawling-ancient-civilization-much-bigger-than-researchers-expected-180989236/Audio Engineers Restored Hidden Notes and Revealed Lost Instruments in This New Treasure Trove of Songs by the Pioneering 'Mother of the Blues'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/audio-engineers-restored-hidden-notes-and-revealed-lost-instruments-in-this-new-treasure-trove-of-songs-by-the-pioneering-mother-of-the-blues-180989228/The 118-track collection is the most complete set ever compiled of recordings by American blues icon Ma RaineyThu, 30 Jul 2026 20:14:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/audio-engineers-restored-hidden-notes-and-revealed-lost-instruments-in-this-new-treasure-trove-of-songs-by-the-pioneering-mother-of-the-blues-180989228/A Strange, Never-Before-Seen Cancer Seems to Be Spreading Among Catfish in a New England Lakehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-strange-never-before-seen-cancer-seems-to-be-spreading-among-catfish-in-a-new-england-lake-180989195/More than a decade ago, fishers and biologists noticed jet-black tumors on the skin of brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog. Genetic testing hints that they are caused by the first contagious cancer ever documented in fishThu, 30 Jul 2026 18:40:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-strange-never-before-seen-cancer-seems-to-be-spreading-among-catfish-in-a-new-england-lake-180989195/Dangerous 'Fire Clouds' Are Making France's Wildfires Even More Destructivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dangerous-fire-clouds-are-making-frances-wildfires-even-more-destructive-180989234/It's the first time the phenomenon, which is fairly common in North America, has been observed in FranceThu, 30 Jul 2026 18:14:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dangerous-fire-clouds-are-making-frances-wildfires-even-more-destructive-180989234/Want to Spend Some Alone Time With Stonehenge? This August, Lucky Visitors Get the Chance to Enter the Stone Circle Before the Site Opens to Touristshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/want-to-spend-some-alone-time-with-stonehenge-this-august-lucky-visitors-get-the-chance-to-enter-the-stone-circle-before-the-site-opens-to-tourists-180989229/Almost every day next month, management of the prehistoric landmark in England will draw a winning ticket and offer a unique experience to a visitor before the daily bustle beginsThu, 30 Jul 2026 18:02:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/want-to-spend-some-alone-time-with-stonehenge-this-august-lucky-visitors-get-the-chance-to-enter-the-stone-circle-before-the-site-opens-to-tourists-180989229/A Man Unearthed a Mysterious Metal Object Sticking Straight Up From the Ground. It Turned Out to Be a 2,700-Year-Old Swordhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-unearthed-a-mysterious-metal-object-sticking-straight-up-from-the-ground-it-turned-out-to-be-a-2700-year-old-sword-180989232/Marcin Wiśniewski found the weapon while metal detecting in a forest near the Polish city of Gdańsk. Experts told him that it likely dates to between 900 and 700 B.C.E.Thu, 30 Jul 2026 17:01:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-unearthed-a-mysterious-metal-object-sticking-straight-up-from-the-ground-it-turned-out-to-be-a-2700-year-old-sword-180989232/Long-Term Exposure to Road Traffic Noise Might Increase Your Risk of Developing Parkinson's Disease, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-term-exposure-to-road-traffic-noise-might-increase-your-risk-of-developing-parkinsons-disease-new-research-suggests-180989216/A study that examined 3.1 million adults in Denmark across 18 years found a modest but consistent correlation. The findings hint that disruptive environmental sounds are a credible risk factor for the brain disorderThu, 30 Jul 2026 15:30:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-term-exposure-to-road-traffic-noise-might-increase-your-risk-of-developing-parkinsons-disease-new-research-suggests-180989216/The Dino-Killing Asteroid Strike May Have Transformed Our Planet Into a Hellish Inferno, Charbroiling Most Creatures Within Hourshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-dino-killing-asteroid-strike-may-have-transformed-our-planet-into-a-hellish-inferno-charbroiling-most-creatures-within-hours-180989226/Based on computer simulations and geologic evidence, scientists propose that the deadly event may have caused global wildfires and trapped heat in the atmosphere, roasting any animal that couldn't take cover fast enoughThu, 30 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-dino-killing-asteroid-strike-may-have-transformed-our-planet-into-a-hellish-inferno-charbroiling-most-creatures-within-hours-180989226/Australia’s Most Notorious Shipwreck Tells a Story of Murder, Slavery, Mutiny—and, Now, ‘Surprisingly Sophisticated’ Trade in the 17th Centuryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australias-most-notorious-shipwreck-tells-a-story-of-murder-slavery-mutiny-and-now-surprisingly-sophisticated-trade-in-the-17th-century-180989227/When the Dutch East India Company’s flagship "Batavia" sank in 1629, it went down with large, carved sandstone blocks in its hold. The stones are now shedding light on trade at the dawn of global capitalismThu, 30 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/australias-most-notorious-shipwreck-tells-a-story-of-murder-slavery-mutiny-and-now-surprisingly-sophisticated-trade-in-the-17th-century-180989227/This Pacific Island Disappeared Under Rising Seas. A New Sculpture Marking the Spot Will Morph Into a Home for Seabirds, Coral and Marine Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-pacific-island-disappeared-under-rising-seas-a-new-sculpture-marking-the-spot-will-morph-into-a-home-for-seabirds-coral-and-marine-life-180989223/"The Solomon Siren" remembers Kale Island, submerged a decade ago in the Solomon IslandsWed, 29 Jul 2026 19:53:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-pacific-island-disappeared-under-rising-seas-a-new-sculpture-marking-the-spot-will-morph-into-a-home-for-seabirds-coral-and-marine-life-180989223/See the New Frank Gehry Building Rising From the Shore of the Persian Gulf in Abu Dhabi to House a Global Art Collectionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-new-frank-gehry-building-rising-from-the-shore-of-the-persian-gulf-in-abu-dhabi-to-house-a-global-art-collection-180989224/Officials just announced a December opening for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the long-awaited fourth installment in the Guggenheim Foundation's lineup of art museumsWed, 29 Jul 2026 18:20:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-new-frank-gehry-building-rising-from-the-shore-of-the-persian-gulf-in-abu-dhabi-to-house-a-global-art-collection-180989224/A Metal Detectorist Discovered Tiny Tiles in a Farmer's Field. A Spectacular Ancient Roman Mosaic Was Buried Beneath the Surfacehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-discovered-tiny-tiles-in-a-farmers-field-a-spectacular-ancient-roman-mosaic-was-buried-beneath-the-surface-180989222/The polychrome mosaic once decorated a small room in a lavish villa complex. Researchers, students and volunteers have been working together to excavate the rare site in southwestern EnglandWed, 29 Jul 2026 17:27:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-metal-detectorist-discovered-tiny-tiles-in-a-farmers-field-a-spectacular-ancient-roman-mosaic-was-buried-beneath-the-surface-180989222/How Did Some Reptiles Lose Their Limbs to Become Snakes? An 80-Million-Year-Old Fossil Helps Uncover the Winding Evolutionary Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-some-reptiles-lose-their-limbs-to-become-snakes-an-80-million-year-old-fossil-helps-uncover-the-winding-evolutionary-history-180989203/Researchers have long suspected that the first of these slithering creatures lived in water, on land or underground. New research hints that more than one environment might be correctWed, 29 Jul 2026 17:20:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-some-reptiles-lose-their-limbs-to-become-snakes-an-80-million-year-old-fossil-helps-uncover-the-winding-evolutionary-history-180989203/Heading to a National Park? Watch Out for Elk. They Attack People Way More Often Than Bears Do, According to a New Studyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heading-to-a-national-park-watch-out-for-elk-they-attack-people-way-more-often-than-bears-do-according-to-a-new-study-180989191/While many people worry about grizzlies, an analysis of almost 3,000 encounters with aggressive wildlife in Canadian national parks and historical sites found that the huge ungulates were responsible for more than half of themWed, 29 Jul 2026 15:08:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heading-to-a-national-park-watch-out-for-elk-they-attack-people-way-more-often-than-bears-do-according-to-a-new-study-180989191/A Premature Baby Giraffe Born Via C-Section Is Fighting for Her Life at a Zoo in Kansashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-premature-baby-giraffe-born-via-c-section-is-fighting-for-her-life-at-a-zoo-in-kansas-180989214/According to officials with the Tanganyika Wildlife Park, no known giraffe calf has ever survived the procedure. The youngster, who was recently named Milani, was born on July 11, likely three to seven weeks earlyWed, 29 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-premature-baby-giraffe-born-via-c-section-is-fighting-for-her-life-at-a-zoo-in-kansas-180989214/A Man Picking Berries in the Forest in Poland Might Have Stumbled Upon the Wreckage of an Allied Airplane From World War IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-picking-berries-in-the-forest-in-poland-might-have-stumbled-upon-the-wreckage-of-an-allied-airplane-from-world-war-ii-180989219/Experts are still investigating but note that an earlier discovery nearby identified part of the wing of a British Lancaster bomberWed, 29 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-picking-berries-in-the-forest-in-poland-might-have-stumbled-upon-the-wreckage-of-an-allied-airplane-from-world-war-ii-180989219/In This Bee Species, Why Do Some Daughters Leave Home While Others Stay 'Bee-hind' to Help Mom?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-this-bee-species-why-do-some-of-daughters-leave-home-while-others-stay-bee-hind-to-help-mom-180989218/Biologists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute investigated a flexible social bee species, which helps shed light on the evolution of more complex organizational structures among other insectsTue, 28 Jul 2026 23:05:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-this-bee-species-why-do-some-of-daughters-leave-home-while-others-stay-bee-hind-to-help-mom-180989218/This Alligator-Rich Swamp in the American South Just Joined the UNESCO World Heritage List, Along With the Home of the Greek Godshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-alligator-rich-swamp-in-the-american-south-just-joined-the-unesco-world-heritage-list-along-with-the-homes-of-the-greek-gods-180989213/The 25 new locations, determined to bear "outstanding universal value" for the world, also include the D-Day landing site in Normandy, FranceTue, 28 Jul 2026 21:05:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-alligator-rich-swamp-in-the-american-south-just-joined-the-unesco-world-heritage-list-along-with-the-homes-of-the-greek-gods-180989213/Keep an Eye Out for Two Stellar Meteor Showers Peaking This Week, the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornidshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/keep-eye-out-two-stellar-meteor-showers-peak-this-week-southern-delta-aquariids-alpha-capricornids-180989215/A nearly full moon may obscure the fireballs falling from the remains of two comets that passed through Earth's orbitTue, 28 Jul 2026 20:32:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/keep-eye-out-two-stellar-meteor-showers-peak-this-week-southern-delta-aquariids-alpha-capricornids-180989215/This Medieval Byzantine Shipwreck Boasts More Gold Treasures Than Any Other Vessel Found Beneath the Mediterraneanhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-byzantine-shipwreck-boasts-more-gold-treasures-than-any-other-vessel-found-beneath-the-mediterranean-180989217/The vessel sank in the Adriatic Sea in the seventh or eighth century C.E. Its cargo included a gold signet ring likely associated with the emperor Heraclius and gold belts encrusted with rubies, emeralds and pearlsTue, 28 Jul 2026 20:07:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-byzantine-shipwreck-boasts-more-gold-treasures-than-any-other-vessel-found-beneath-the-mediterranean-180989217/TSA Officers Found Five Cannonballs Stolen From a Civil War Fort in a Checked Suitcase at an Alabama Airporthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tsa-officers-found-five-cannonballs-stolen-from-a-civil-war-fort-in-a-checked-suitcase-at-an-alabama-airport-180989212/The inert artifacts gave security officers in Gulf Shores a good scare. Investigators say the weapons came from Fort Morgan, which guards Mobile BayTue, 28 Jul 2026 19:42:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tsa-officers-found-five-cannonballs-stolen-from-a-civil-war-fort-in-a-checked-suitcase-at-an-alabama-airport-180989212/See a Rare Ceiling Fresco From Pompeii That Archaeologists Are Carefully Reassembling, Piece by Piece, Like an Ancient Puzzlehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-rare-ceiling-fresco-from-pompeii-that-archaeologists-are-carefully-reassembling-piece-by-piece-like-an-ancient-puzzle-180989209/Located in the banquet hall of a home with an adjoining bakery, the fresco shows the mythological romance of Dionysus, the god of revelry and wine, and Ariadne, the Cretan princessTue, 28 Jul 2026 14:19:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-rare-ceiling-fresco-from-pompeii-that-archaeologists-are-carefully-reassembling-piece-by-piece-like-an-ancient-puzzle-180989209/An Endangered Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Named Pancake Makes a Triumphant Return to the Ocean After Months of Rehabilitationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-endangered-kemps-ridley-sea-turtle-named-pancake-makes-a-triumphant-return-to-the-ocean-after-months-of-rehabilitation-180989205/The cold-stunned turtle was rescued last fall on Cape Cod and has since made a full recovery. The reptile, whose sex remains unknown, is estimated to be between 2 and 5 years old and weighed 11 pounds at the time of releaseTue, 28 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-endangered-kemps-ridley-sea-turtle-named-pancake-makes-a-triumphant-return-to-the-ocean-after-months-of-rehabilitation-180989205/How Does a Bilingual Speaker's Brain Process Two Languages? New Research Suggests That Both Rely on the Same Neural Wiringhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-does-a-bilingual-speakers-brain-process-two-languages-new-research-suggests-that-both-rely-on-the-same-neural-wiring-180989202/Scientists have long wondered whether different neural mechanisms govern each language within a bilingual speaker’s brain. A recent study of people who speak both English and Spanish hints at a single "grammatical engine"Mon, 27 Jul 2026 20:29:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-does-a-bilingual-speakers-brain-process-two-languages-new-research-suggests-that-both-rely-on-the-same-neural-wiring-180989202/French Customs Detained This Marc Chagall Etching for Two Decades After an Attempted Border Crossing. Now It's Headed for Public Displayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/french-customs-detained-this-marc-chagall-etching-for-two-decades-after-an-attempted-border-crossing-now-its-headed-for-public-display-180989204/An acrobat perches on a violin in the absurd scene, which draws on the Russian artist's favored motifsMon, 27 Jul 2026 19:08:59 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/french-customs-detained-this-marc-chagall-etching-for-two-decades-after-an-attempted-border-crossing-now-its-headed-for-public-display-180989204/Art Sleuths Discovered a Lost and ‘Enormously Important’ Portrait of an Elite Indian Woman by This Pioneering Scottish Painterhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/art-sleuths-discovered-a-long-lost-and-enormously-important-portrait-of-an-elite-indian-woman-by-this-pioneering-scottish-painter-180989201/Katherine Read was one of the most fashionable portrait creators in London before she moved to India. She found success portraying women and childrenMon, 27 Jul 2026 17:33:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/art-sleuths-discovered-a-long-lost-and-enormously-important-portrait-of-an-elite-indian-woman-by-this-pioneering-scottish-painter-180989201/A.I. Disproves a Decades-Old Mathematical Idea, the 'Biggest Conjecture' That the Tech Has Played a Role in Yethttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-disproves-a-decades-old-mathematical-idea-the-biggest-conjecture-that-the-tech-has-played-a-role-in-yet-180989189/A mathematician announced that he used one of Anthropic's A.I. models to find a counterexample to a problem called the Jacobian conjecture. While experts consider it a milestone, the work raises questions about the future of mathematical researchMon, 27 Jul 2026 17:12:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-disproves-a-decades-old-mathematical-idea-the-biggest-conjecture-that-the-tech-has-played-a-role-in-yet-180989189/Chimpanzees and Bonobos Use Hugs, Kisses and Friendly Pats to Keep the Peace, Just Like Humans, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chimpanzees-and-bonobos-use-hugs-kisses-and-pats-to-keep-the-peace-just-like-humans-a-new-study-suggests-180989192/Since all three ape species diverged from a common ancestor that lived roughly six million to eight million years ago, the findings hint that friendly touching to diffuse tension has deep evolutionary originsMon, 27 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chimpanzees-and-bonobos-use-hugs-kisses-and-pats-to-keep-the-peace-just-like-humans-a-new-study-suggests-180989192/