Thirteen Discoveries Made About Human Evolution in 2023

Smithsonian paleoanthropologists reveal some of the year’s most fascinating findings about human origins

An Exclusive Look at James Turrell's Visionary Artwork in the Arizona Desert

In the American Southwest, the famed light-bending artist is putting the final touches on Roden Crater, his ambitious, mind-boggling masterpiece

How a Railroad Engineer From Nebraska Invented the World's First Ski Chairlift

The device was part of an elaborate plan on behalf of Union Pacific to boost passenger rail travel in the American West

A Brief History of Peanut Butter

The bizarre sanitarium staple that became a spreadable obsession

How the Mathematical Conundrum Called the ‘Knapsack Problem’ Is All Around Us

A litany of issues in business, finance, container ship loading and aircraft loading derive from this one simple dilemma

The Untold Story of the Secret Mission to Seize Nazi Map Data

How a covert U.S. Army intelligence unit canvassed war-torn Europe, capturing intelligence with incalculable strategic value

Danny Thompson’s Blazing Nitromethane-Fueled Pursuit of Racing Glory

An American tale of speed demons, murder and a son's attempt to complete his father's unfinished legacy

Record-Breaking Heat in Alaska Wreaks Havoc on Communities and Ecosystems

Abnormally high temperatures have led to unsafe travel conditions, uncertain ecological futures and even multiple deaths

How Origami Is Revolutionizing Industrial Design

Scientists and engineers are finding practical applications for the Japanese art form in space, medicine, robotics, architecture and more

This Japanese Shrine Has Been Torn Down And Rebuilt Every 20 Years for the Past Millennium

In addition to reinvigorating spiritual and community bonds, the tradition keeps Japanese artisan skills alive

The World is Running Out of Sand

The little-known exploitation of this seemingly infinite resource could wreak political and environmental havoc

Google Earth Leads to Discovery of 400 Stone "Gates" in Saudi Arabia

Amateur researchers first came across the rock structures in 2004. Four years later, after seeing them again on Google Earth, they decided to investigate

America’s Long-Overdue Opioid Revolution Is Finally Here

Thanks to advances in neuroscience, researchers are beginning to disentangle powerful pain relief from addiction, overdose and death

Why Black Lung Disease Is Deadlier Than Ever Before

As President Trump prepares to send miners back to work, a near-obsolete illness is once again ravaging coal country

Teller Reveals His Secrets

The smaller, quieter half of the magician duo Penn & Teller writes about how magicians manipulate the human mind

America's Long-Overdue Opioid Revolution Is Finally Here

Thanks to advances in neuroscience, researchers are beginning to disentangle powerful pain relief from addiction, overdose and death

America's Long-Overdue Opioid Revolution Is Finally Here

Thanks to advances in neuroscience, researchers are beginning to disentangle powerful pain relief from addiction, overdose and death

For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II

In 1978, Soviet geologists prospecting in the wilds of Siberia discovered a family of six, lost in the taiga

How You Wound Up Playing The Oregon Trail in Computer Class

From the 1970s to 1990s, the government-owned Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium dominated the educational software market with more than 300 games

The Fight for the "Right to Repair"

Manufacturers have made it increasingly difficult for individuals or independent repair people to fix electronics. A growing movement is fighting back

The Surprising History of the Infographic

As the 2016 election approaches, we’re hearing a lot about “red states” and “blue states.” That idiom has become so ingrained that we’ve almost forgotten where…

If he toured Mounichia harbor today, Xerxes the Great, ruler of the Persian Empire , might scoff at the pleasure yachts and fisherman that can primarily be…

A Brief History of Bog Butter

Turf cutters in Ireland regularly find chunks of butter deep in the nation's peat bogs. What is the stuff doing there?

For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II

In 1978, Soviet geologists prospecting in the wilds of Siberia discovered a family of six, lost in the taiga

The Pros to Being a Psychopath | Science & Nature | Smithsonian Magazine

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Why Are Finland's Schools Successful?

The country's achievements in education have other nations, especially the United States, doing their homework