The creatures cruised the world’s oceans with features we often associate with marine mammals, such as coats of blubber and the ability to birth live young

Smithsonian Magazine

16.04.2025

Thousands of Giant Tortoises Anchor a Thriving Ecosystem on Aldabra, a Remote Atoll in the Indian Ocean

The animals graze the vegetation into a picturesque turf, fertilize the soil with their dung and disperse seeds over large distances

Smithsonian Magazine

12.04.2025

A Revealing Look Into the Surprisingly Tricky Sex Lives of Birds

Even among the most durable migratory bird pairings, sexual exclusivity is rarely part of their relationship

Smithsonian Magazine

10.04.2025

You Might Think of Shrimp as Bugs of the Sea. But a Remarkable Discovery Shows the Opposite: Bugs Are Actually Shrimp of the Land

A recent study suggests that insects branched out from crustaceans on the tree of life

Smithsonian Magazine

09.04.2025

The Long, Strange History of Nitrous Oxide, a Popular Drug Users Have Been Inhaling for Hundreds of Years

Galaxy Gas has brought the drug back into the spotlight, and scientists are raising alarms about its health risks

Smithsonian Magazine

05.04.2025

How Do Cancer Cells Migrate to New Tissues and Take Hold?

Scientists are looking for answers about how these confounding trips, known as metastases, occur throughout the human body

Smithsonian Magazine

04.04.2025

Ten Exceptional Ancient Elephants, From Small Swimming Creatures to Shovel-Tusked Beasts

A wide variety of the exotic animals evolved on Earth over the past 60 million years

Smithsonian Magazine

02.04.2025

How a Forgotten Bean Could Save Coffee From Extinction | Smithsonian

One leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new species that could keep our mugs full

Smithsonian Magazine

02.04.2025

From Worlds That Look Like Cotton Candy to Others Covered in Volcanoes, These Are the Strangest and Most Captivating Exoplanets | Smithsonian

Scientists are using an array of instruments to detect other planets, some of which may harbor life—and others that most definitely don’t

Smithsonian Magazine

27.03.2025

How an 18th-Century Female Physicist Broke Boundaries and Inspired the Generations Who Followed | Smithsonian

Cristina Roccati graduated from the University of Bologna when few other Italian women earned degrees, and she taught physics for decades

Smithsonian Magazine

26.03.2025

For Some Women With Serious Physical Ailments, Mental Illness Has Become a Scapegoat Diagnosis | Smithsonian

Patients with difficult-to-diagnose conditions like endometriosis are often sent home with diagnoses like anxiety or bipolar disorder

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

A Century Ago, Pioneering Astrophysicist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Showed Us What Stars Are Made Of | Smithsonian

The trailblazing Harvard scientist, who documented the dominance of hydrogen and helium in stars, is still inspiring researchers today

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

A Brief and Amazing History of Our Search for Life in the Clouds | Smithsonian

By collecting samples after climbing a high peak and firing rockets with special traps into the upper atmosphere, scientists have found microbes living in thin air

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Five Unusual Ways People Used Lead—and Suffered For It | Smithsonian

Cultures throughout history have put lead to use for wacky and often deeply poisonous purposes

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Can a Small Town’s Protections for Albino Squirrels Inspire Other Cities to Guard Wildlife Against Cats? | Smithsonian

Olney, Illinois, has taken steps to protect an iconic mammal from domesticated felines, setting a possible model for other places to follow

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Will the Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry End the Pangolin? | Smithsonian

The creature is being trafficked across Africa and Asia to fuel a steady demand for their scales, an ingredient in unproven remedies

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Huh? Interjections Are Critically Important to Communication | Smithsonian

Utterances like "um," "wow" and "mm-hmm" aren't garbage—they keep conversations flowing

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Astronomers Suspect Colliding Supermassive Black Holes Left the Universe Awash in Gravitational Waves | Smithsonian

Radio telescopes tracking signals from spinning, ultra-dense stars point to ripples in the fabric of space

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

What Did Scientists Learn After Thousands of Penguins Were Slaughtered by Mountain Lions? | Smithsonian

The thriving bird colonies likely grew over several decades because local shepherds had temporarily eliminated pumas

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Nine New Tardigrade Species Discovered Thanks to the Efforts of Danish Schoolchildren | Smithsonian

The budding scientists collected the tiny water bears in a massive citizen science project that involved almost 30,000 participants

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Studying This Slow-Moving Alaskan Landslide May Help Avert Future Disaster | Smithsonian

If the landslide at the Barry Arm fjord collapses, its falling ice and rock could generate a devastating 650-foot-high tsunami

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Inside the Herculean Effort to Study and Save the World's Smallest Sea Turtle | Smithsonian

After years of steady gains, a decades-long conservation program dedicated to the Kemp's ridley hits rough seas

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

See Stunning Illustrations of Prehistoric Life From One of the Most Renowned Paleoartists in the World | Smithsonian

A new book highlights the beautiful work of Jay Matternes, an accomplished artist who drew everything from mammoths to early humans

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

The Truth About the Sex Lives of Dinosaurs | Smithsonian

Fossils are providing more and more clues about how dinosaurs attracted one another and reproduced, which contributed to their remarkable ability to populate much of the Earth

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Here’s How the Los Angeles Wildfires Are Affecting Animals, From Fish to Snakes to Birds | Smithsonian

While scientists were able to save and move some creatures in the aftermath, researchers are worried about the prospects for other species

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

The Swarm of People Intent on Saving Our Bees | Smithsonian

An army of experts and citizen scientists devoted to documenting and protecting the country’s native bees is telling us a lot about the hidden lives of these insects

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

How a Fragile Insect Living 100 Million Years Ago Becomes a Fossil | Smithsonian

A bug, a dinosaur and a tree intersect, creating the perfect conditions for resin to capture a moment in time

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

The Search to Find the Remains of Homo Erectus in a Vanishing Landscape | Smithsonian

A paleontologist journeys through Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago in search of our earliest ancestors, and uncovers how environmental devastation has erased much of the region’s history

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

See 15 Stunning Photos of Superb Owls to Kick Off This Year's Super Bowl Weekend | Smithsonian

These snapshots of the majestic bird in flight and in trees will leave your soul soaring

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

The Six Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made by Exploring Uranus | Smithsonian

Its bland exterior belies a dynamic world full of surprises

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Tiny Antarctic Krill Benefit the Planet in Big Ways, but Face a Barrage of Threats | Smithsonian

The bountiful creatures sequester carbon and are a vital food source for marine predators, but their future is uncertain

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Only 50 Rice's Whales Are Left. Can We Do Enough to Protect Them Before It's Too Late? | Smithsonian

In 2021, researchers identified a new whale species and are now scrambling to save their natural habitat

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Can Researchers Find Remedies for the Problems Created by High-Altitude Pregnancies? | Smithsonian

In people not adapted to life at altitude, the sparse oxygen can impair fetal growth, causing issues that can last a lifetime

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

See Fantastic Frogs in 15 Fun Photographs | Smithsonian

Hop through these images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

This Intrepid Team of Bee Lovers Are Doing Everything They Can to Save Rare Native Species From Extinction | Smithsonian

Iridescent sweat bees, hairy-faced mining bees, tiny Perdita minima the size of a gnat. Thanks to swarms of apiary enthusiasts, native species are finally getting the buzz they deserve

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Why Does Laughter Have Such a Strange Power Over Us? | Smithsonian

An anthropologist explores why the phenomenon has the ability to delight, disturb and disrupt

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

Why Auroras Are Suddenly Everywhere All at Once | Smithsonian

Auroras have long mystified humanity. Now that we know what they are and why they happen, we can better predict how best to experience them

Smithsonian Magazine

25.03.2025

What Happens to a Tree That Dies in a Forest? | Smithsonian

Rotting logs turn out to be vital to forest biodiversity and recycling organic matter

Smithsonian Magazine

01.02.2025

See 15 Adorable Photos of Playful, Picture-Perfect Penguins | Smithsonian

These images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest show just why penguins have waddled into our hearts

home›Smithsonian Magazine›Science & Technology

Smithsonian Magazine - Science & Technology

Why Does This Endangered Butterfly Thrive After Hurricanes?

From Massive Eyes to Shark-Like Tails, Seven Amazing Adaptations That Helped Prehistoric Reptiles Thrive at Sea

Thousands of Giant Tortoises Anchor a Thriving Ecosystem on Aldabra, a Remote Atoll in the Indian Ocean

A Revealing Look Into the Surprisingly Tricky Sex Lives of Birds

You Might Think of Shrimp as Bugs of the Sea. But a Remarkable Discovery Shows the Opposite: Bugs Are Actually Shrimp of the Land

The Long, Strange History of Nitrous Oxide, a Popular Drug Users Have Been Inhaling for Hundreds of Years

How Do Cancer Cells Migrate to New Tissues and Take Hold?

Ten Exceptional Ancient Elephants, From Small Swimming Creatures to Shovel-Tusked Beasts

How a Forgotten Bean Could Save Coffee From Extinction | Smithsonian

From Worlds That Look Like Cotton Candy to Others Covered in Volcanoes, These Are the Strangest and Most Captivating Exoplanets | Smithsonian

How an 18th-Century Female Physicist Broke Boundaries and Inspired the Generations Who Followed | Smithsonian

For Some Women With Serious Physical Ailments, Mental Illness Has Become a Scapegoat Diagnosis | Smithsonian

A Century Ago, Pioneering Astrophysicist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Showed Us What Stars Are Made Of | Smithsonian

A Brief and Amazing History of Our Search for Life in the Clouds | Smithsonian

Five Unusual Ways People Used Lead—and Suffered For It | Smithsonian

Can a Small Town’s Protections for Albino Squirrels Inspire Other Cities to Guard Wildlife Against Cats? | Smithsonian

Will the Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry End the Pangolin? | Smithsonian

Huh? Interjections Are Critically Important to Communication | Smithsonian

Astronomers Suspect Colliding Supermassive Black Holes Left the Universe Awash in Gravitational Waves | Smithsonian

What Did Scientists Learn After Thousands of Penguins Were Slaughtered by Mountain Lions? | Smithsonian

Nine New Tardigrade Species Discovered Thanks to the Efforts of Danish Schoolchildren | Smithsonian

Studying This Slow-Moving Alaskan Landslide May Help Avert Future Disaster | Smithsonian

Inside the Herculean Effort to Study and Save the World's Smallest Sea Turtle | Smithsonian

See Stunning Illustrations of Prehistoric Life From One of the Most Renowned Paleoartists in the World | Smithsonian

The Truth About the Sex Lives of Dinosaurs | Smithsonian

Here’s How the Los Angeles Wildfires Are Affecting Animals, From Fish to Snakes to Birds | Smithsonian

The Swarm of People Intent on Saving Our Bees | Smithsonian

How a Fragile Insect Living 100 Million Years Ago Becomes a Fossil | Smithsonian

The Search to Find the Remains of Homo Erectus in a Vanishing Landscape | Smithsonian

See 15 Stunning Photos of Superb Owls to Kick Off This Year's Super Bowl Weekend | Smithsonian

The Six Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made by Exploring Uranus | Smithsonian

Tiny Antarctic Krill Benefit the Planet in Big Ways, but Face a Barrage of Threats | Smithsonian

Only 50 Rice's Whales Are Left. Can We Do Enough to Protect Them Before It's Too Late? | Smithsonian

Can Researchers Find Remedies for the Problems Created by High-Altitude Pregnancies? | Smithsonian

See Fantastic Frogs in 15 Fun Photographs | Smithsonian

This Intrepid Team of Bee Lovers Are Doing Everything They Can to Save Rare Native Species From Extinction | Smithsonian

Why Does Laughter Have Such a Strange Power Over Us? | Smithsonian

Why Auroras Are Suddenly Everywhere All at Once | Smithsonian

What Happens to a Tree That Dies in a Forest? | Smithsonian

See 15 Adorable Photos of Playful, Picture-Perfect Penguins | Smithsonian

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