Surprising Science Blog
What’s Inside a 2,000-Year-Old, Shipwreck-Preserved Roman Pill?
Ancient Roman pills, preserved in sealed tin containers on the seafloor, may have been used as eye medicine
3:01 PM ET
| By Joseph Stromberg
Surprising Science Blog
Determined Fish Climb Waterfalls With Special Sucker Mouths
One goby species in Hawaii uses its suction-cup mouth for both feeding and scaling walls, presenting an evolutionary chicken-or-egg conundrum
10:21 AM ET
| By Rachel Nuwer
Science & Nature
How the Tree Frog Has Redefined Our View of Biology
The world’s most charismatic amphibian is upending the conventional wisdom about evolution
January 2013 Issue
| By Helen Fields
Off the Road Blog
From the Slums of Lima to the Peaks of the Andes
After unpacking and assembling his bicycle at the airport terminal, the author heads north on the Pan-American Highway toward the mountain town of Canta
10:17 AM ET
| By Alastair Bland
Innovations Blog
When Machines See
Giving computers vision, through pattern recognition algorithms, could one day make them better than doctors at spotting tumors and other health problems.
9:42 AM ET
| By Randy Rieland
History & Archaeology
Document Deep Dive: Emancipation Proclamation
When freeing the slaves 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln traded in his famous lyricism for a dry, legal tone. Harold Holzer explains why
December 19, 2012
| By Megan Gambino
Off the Road Blog
A Short Bike Ride in the Peruvian Andes
The author kicks off 2013 with a 1,100-mile cycling journey through the Andes from Lima, Peru, to Ecuador's lofty capital of Quito
January 03, 2013
| By Alastair Bland
Food and Think Blog
Don’t Wait til Mardi Gras for Your King Cake, Celebrate Tres Reyes This Weekend
The New Orleans classic has its roots in the roscon de reyes, a Spanish treat for the 12th day of Christmas
January 03, 2013
| By Derek Workman
Science & Nature
Photos of the World’s Oldest Living Things
Among the organisms documented by photographer Rachel Sussman are 80,000-year-old aspen trees and 600,000-year-old bacteria
January 2013 Issue
| By Joseph Stromberg
Surprising Science Blog
Bonobos Offer Banana Bribes for Friendship
Chimpanzees will sooner kill than share food, but bonobos will sacrifice some of their own goods for the pleasure of interacting with strangers
January 02, 2013
| By Rachel Nuwer
Paleofuture Blog
George Jetson Gets A Check-Up
Medical diagnostics in the paleofuture
January 02, 2013
| By Matt Novak
Arts & Culture
What Turned Jaron Lanier Against the Web?
The digital pioneer and visionary behind virtual reality has turned against the very culture he helped create
January 2013 Issue
| By Ron Rosenbaum
Surprising Science Blog
A 2.1 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Reveals Water on Mars
Chemical analysis shows that the meteorite, discovered in Morocco, contains ten times as much water as any Martian rock previously studied
January 03, 2013
| By Joseph Stromberg
Our Bloggers
Click on the arrows to see all of our blogs.
- Previous
- Next
Advertisement
AT THE SMITHSONIAN
Scenes and Sightings from the Museums
- Around the Mall
- Visitor's Guide
Events January 8-10: Get Sketchy, Raise Your Voice and Play Ball
This week, draw your way through the collection, join a chorale, and hear from NBA Commissioner Davi...
By Leah Binkovitz
Favorites From the Cooper-Hewitt’s New Online Collection
The museum's clothing and textiles are unwrapped for view as never before
By Emily Spivack
Events January 4-7: Talk Back to Historic Figures, Weave the Mayan Way and Unplug with Musicians
A professor and gentleman from the 19th century will take your questions, a Mayan weaver will craft ...
By Beth Py-Lieberman
Advertisement