Smithsonian Magazine

Stunningly Well-Preserved Neanderthal Skull Suggests the Species’ Large Noses Weren’t Adapted for the Cold

A new study analyzes the nasal cavity of the "Altamura Man," a Neanderthal who died between 130,000 and 172,000 years ago ...
Smithsonian Magazine

This Shrub Thrives in Death Valley’s Scorching Temperatures. Where Do Its Heat-Tolerant Superpowers Come From?

Tidestromia oblongifolia thrives in high heat—and scientists think it may hold the key to making food crops more resilient ...
Smithsonian Magazine

This ‘Feisty’ Asian Elephant at the National Zoo Is Pregnant. She May Birth the First Calf Born There in Nearly 25 Years

With fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants estimated to be remaining in the wild, the Smithsonian’s announcement gives hope to ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Birds Are Beeping and Booping like R2-D2. Their Mimicked Sounds Are Helping Unlock the Secrets of Avian Communication

The iconic beeps and boops of that lovable cylindrical droid R2-D2 came from the genius of Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Join Us For a Musical Month at the National Museum of American History

Come visit us this month for music and enjoy our festive decorations.
Smithsonian Magazine

Archaeologists Find Evidence of a Bronze Age City in Kazakhstan

Surveyed for the first time since its discovery two decades ago, the settlement "breaks from all the things that we thought we knew about Central Asia up to this point," a study author says ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Moss Spores Survived Nine Months Outside the International Space Station. Then, They Grew Normally on Earth

While lunar gardens are still out of reach, the study sheds more light on terrestrial biology that may not be limited to our planet's surface ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Indigenous Peoples

Scientists identified traces of the drug in the brain tissue of two individuals buried in the crypt of a hospital in Milan New DNA analysis adds to growing research indicating the famous Pacific ...