Smithsonian Magazine

New, Rare Dove Hatchlings Are a ‘Source of Hope’ for the Extinct-in-the-Wild Birds and a Step Forward in the Ambitious Project to Save Them

The Socorro dove has not been recorded in the wild since 1972, but that could change within only a few years, ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Music From Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, Plus Dozens of Other ‘Audio Treasures,’ Added to National Recording Registry

The 25 newest additions to the national playlist at the Library of Congress have been deemed "worthy of preservation for all ...
Smithsonian Magazine

A Man Spotted Strange-Looking Rocks Near a Pond in Thailand. They Turned Out to Be the Bones of a Massive New Dinosaur Species

Paleontologists have dubbed the long-necked, plant-eating creature "Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis." It's the 14th named dinosaur ...
Smithsonian Magazine

A ‘Magical’ Mirror the Powerful Queen of a British Tribe May Have Used Was Discovered in an Enormous Iron Age Hoard, Now on Display

Visitors to the Yorkshire Museum can see artifacts from the Melsonby Hoard, dating to the first century C.E., that rewrite ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Does the Experience of Beauty Show Up in the Brain? With Electrodes and a Museum Collection of Artifacts, These Neuroscientists Aim to Find Out

Researchers are tracing the brain and body’s response to aesthetic expression in search of a scientific value to art ...
Smithsonian Magazine

The National Museum of American History Is Displaying 250 Objects to Commemorate the Country’s Big Birthday. Here’s the Story Behind Ten of the Artifa…

Featuring iconic and everyday items, including a Revolutionary War gunboat and a first-generation iPod, “In Pursuit of Life, ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Neanderthals Got Cavities, Too—and New Research Suggests They Drilled Into Their Teeth to Treat Them, Just Like Modern Dentists

Researchers unearthed a 59,000-year-old Neanderthal molar that shows signs of dental surgery, a discovery that pushes back ...
Smithsonian Magazine

A Deadly Outbreak of Hantavirus Has Stranded a Cruise Ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Here’s What to Know About the Rare Contagion

Three people have died in association with the vessel, and health officials have identified a total of two confirmed cases ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Is the Unconscious Mind Aware of Its Surroundings? New Research Suggests Anesthetized Brains Can Process Overheard Words

Seven participants had electrodes temporarily implanted in a brain structure important for learning. While anesthetized, ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Could Building a Dam Across the Bering Strait Save the Planet From Some Effects of Climate Change?

A preliminary study suggests that blocking off the waterway between Russia and Alaska could help the survival of a key system ...
Smithsonian Magazine

No Joke, Ahead of His 100th Birthday, Mel Brooks Donates His Hilarious Archive to the National Comedy Center

Thousands of notes, storyboards, early scripts and photographs belonging to the “2,000-year-old man” and EGOT winner will ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Fetuses Can ‘Catch’ Yawns From Their Mothers While Still in the Womb, New Research Suggests

Yawning is considered a social behavior. While fetuses were known to yawn, scientists weren't sure if it was a self-contained ...