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2026-07-13 08:00:13 UTC

Kazakhstan's Iron Age 'Golden Man' and Other Elite Scythians of Eurasia Inherited Their High Social Status, Ancient DNA Suggests
Researchers have long wondered whether upper-class members of the ancient nomadic warriors earned their social status through individual achievements or birthright…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kazakhstans-iron-age-golden-man-and-other-elite-scythians-of-eurasia-inherited-their-high-social-status-ancient-dna-suggests-180989089/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-13 08:00:09 UTC

Scientists Just Learned That This Bat Eats Birds Midflight. A Renaissance Painter May Have Known About It Hundreds of Years Ago
Last fall, scientists reported the first known recordings of greater noctule bats hunting and feasting on songbirds during night flights. But a 17th-century artwork by Jan Brueghel the Elder seems to depict the species flying with feathered prey in its mouth…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-learned-that-this-bat-eats-birds-midflight-a-renaissance-painter-may-have-known-about-it-hundreds-of-years-ago-180989096/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-13 08:00:04 UTC

Why Did This Dutch Museum Cover the Floor With an 800-Pound Installation of Creamy Peanut Butter?
"Pindakaasvloer," or "peanut butter floor," highlights the absurd sense of humor that artist Wim T. Schippers captured in his artwork before he died last month…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-this-dutch-museum-cover-the-floor-with-an-800-pound-installation-of-creamy-peanut-butter-180989097/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-12 08:00:15 UTC

The Culprit Behind South Australia's Deadly Algal Bloom Might Be the Most Toxic Species Ever Tested, Scientists Say
Karenia cristata, a rare type of microscopic algae that produces toxins that harm nerve cells, can be lethal at very low concentrations…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-culprit-behind-south-australias-deadly-algal-bloom-might-be-the-most-toxic-species-ever-tested-scientists-say-180989100/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-12 08:00:10 UTC

Roughly 100,000 Years Ago, This Man Got Stabbed in the Face—and Survived. He's Likely One of the First Known Victims of an Attack With a Sharp Weapon
Researchers who investigated the remains of a young adult male found in the Qafzeh cave say the injury healed over time, which means the victim's community may have tended to him…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/roughly-100000-years-ago-this-man-got-stabbed-in-the-face-and-survived-hes-likely-one-of-the-first-known-victims-of-an-attack-by-a-sharp-weapon-180989103/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-12 08:00:05 UTC

Bumblebees Seem to 'Lick Their Lips' After Sweet Treats and Shake Their Heads at Bad Tastes, Hinting at the Insects' Inner Lives
Slow-motion videos suggest that the insects display distinct behaviors when they like or dislike a snack. The findings might offer a new way to study their emotion-like states…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-seem-to-lick-their-lips-after-sweet-treats-and-shake-their-heads-at-bad-tastes-hinting-at-the-insects-inner-lives-180989098/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-11 08:00:14 UTC

In the Latest Brazen Heist, Jewelry and Artworks Worth $5 Million Were Stolen From a Famed French Designer's Museum
A trio of burglars stole 27 pieces, including a dragonfly pendant, from the Lalique Museum in eastern France…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-the-latest-brazen-heist-jewelry-and-artworks-worth-5-million-were-stolen-from-famed-french-designer-lalique-museum-180989105/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-11 08:00:09 UTC

Cases of a Parasitic Infection That Can Cause Diarrhea for Weeks Are Rapidly Rising in the U.S. Here's What to Know
The illness is caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which spreads via food or water contaminated with feces, usually on farms. Health officials are still investigating the source of the multistate outbreak…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cases-of-a-parasitic-infection-that-can-cause-diarrhea-for-weeks-are-rapidly-rising-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-180989108/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-11 08:00:04 UTC

See Artifacts That Archaeologists Discovered in This 1,600-Year-Old Byzantine Christian Town Buried in an Oasis in Egypt
The mud-brick village boasts streets, towers and a large church. Researchers unearthed everyday objects like grain grinders, an oven and some 200 ostraca—ancient receipts and notes written on broken pottery…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-artifacts-that-archaeologists-discovered-in-this-1600-year-old-byzantine-christian-town-buried-in-an-oasis-in-egypt-180989106/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-10 08:00:15 UTC

Could We Mitigate Super El Niños by Artificially Changing the Climate? A New Study Indicates Yes
Researchers used computer models to see what would have happened had scientists caused marine cloud brightening in the face of strong past El Niños…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-we-mitigate-super-el-ninos-by-artificially-changing-the-climate-a-new-study-indicates-yes-180989101/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-10 08:00:11 UTC

Country Music Legend Dolly Parton's Autobiographical Musical Exploring Her Journey From East Tennessee Will Hit Broadway This Winter
"Dolly: A True Original Musical" premiered last year in Nashville in Parton's home state…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/country-music-legend-dolly-partons-autobiographical-musical-exploring-her-journey-from-east-tennessee-will-hit-broadway-this-winter-180989099/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-10 08:00:04 UTC

Are Moose Colorado Natives or Introduced Outsiders? New Research Suggests That the Animals Have Lived in the State for Centuries
Officials say moose weren't established in the state until they were brought there in the late 1970s. But historical documentation and archaeological evidence indicate that they resided there long before that…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-moose-colorado-natives-or-introduced-outsiders-new-research-suggests-that-the-animals-have-lived-in-the-state-for-centuries-180989091/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-09 08:00:19 UTC

'Like an Explosion in a Glass Factory': Frank Gehry's Seven-Ton 'Icehenge' Desk That Once Graced a Skyscraper Lobby Is Up for Auction
Designed for the Inland Steel Building in Chicago, the desk is made from more than a dozen blocks of jagged, green-tinted glass…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/like-an-explosion-in-a-glass-factory-frank-gehrys-seven-ton-icehenge-desk-that-once-graced-a-skyscraper-is-up-for-auction-180989087/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-09 08:00:14 UTC

The City of Boston Discovered One of the Oldest Known Gravestones of a Free Black American, Who Shared a Name With the Massachusetts Capital
Also known as Sebastian, he died in 1729 and is buried alongside Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Paul Revere. His life tells a story of slavery and freedom in the North before the American Revolution…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-city-of-boston-discovered-one-of-the-oldest-known-gravestones-of-a-free-black-american-who-shared-a-name-with-the-massachusetts-capital-180989088/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-09 08:00:06 UTC

New Images Reveal That This Asteroid Is Actually Two Conjoined Space Rocks. They Form a Peanut-Shaped Object Called a 'Contact Binary'
A flyby conducted by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa2 uncovered the asteroid's strange shape. Data gathered by the probe will also help defend the planet against potentially threatening space rocks…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-images-reveal-that-this-asteroid-is-actually-two-conjoined-space-rocks-that-form-a-peanut-shaped-object-called-a-contact-binary-180989090/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-08 08:00:18 UTC

A Pair of 2,000-Year-Old Gold Rings, One Engraved With Indian Script, Was Discovered in an Iron Age Burial Ground in Thailand
The engraving seems to reference an "auspicious" zodiac sign in Indian or Vedic astrology…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-pair-of-2000-year-old-gold-rings-one-engraved-with-indian-script-was-discovered-in-an-iron-age-burial-ground-in-thailand-180989081/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-08 08:00:11 UTC

Tall Trees Were Thought to Be More Vulnerable to Drought. But These Towering Plants in Southeast Asia Have Adapted to Move Water Efficiently
A new study found that enormous dipterocarp trees have special adaptations to transport water up to their highest limbs, challenging the assumption that they would more easily succumb to dry conditions…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tall-trees-were-thought-to-be-more-vulnerable-to-drought-but-these-towering-plants-in-southeast-asia-have-adapted-to-move-water-efficiently-180989075/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-08 08:00:04 UTC

Strange Spheres Washed Ashore on an Australian Beach. Authorities Say They're Probably 'Space Balls'—Empty Fuel Vessels From a Rocket
The shiny objects—each roughly twice the size of a basketball—began to appear on July 3. Authorities initially worried that they were hazardous but have since determined that they're likely safe bits of space junk…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/strange-spheres-washed-ashore-on-an-australian-beach-authorities-say-theyre-probably-space-balls-empty-fuel-vessels-from-a-rocket-180989082/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-07 08:00:14 UTC

Early Flowering Plants May Have Relied on Dinosaurs to Eat Their Fleshy Fruits and Spread Their Seeds
According to fossils preserved by volcanic ash, the plants, known as angiosperms, began producing relatively large, blueberry-size fruits millions of years earlier than previously thought…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-flowering-plants-may-have-relied-on-dinosaurs-to-eat-their-fleshy-fruits-and-spread-their-seeds-180989076/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-07 08:00:10 UTC

See the Space Shuttle 'Endeavour' in a Unique Vertical Display Before Its New Exhibition Launches at the California Science Center
This November, visitors to the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Los Angeles will get to see the "ready-to-launch" "Endeavour" complete with rocket boosters and a fuel tank…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-space-shuttle-endeavour-in-a-unique-vertical-display-before-its-new-exhibition-launches-at-the-california-science-center-180989073/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-07 08:00:05 UTC

These 11 Wildlife Images From the Ocean Conservancy’s Photography Contest Showcase the Wonder of Earth’s Waters
Seals, penguins and fish are featured in the nonprofit’s annual competition to inspire care for the world’s oceans…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-11-wildlife-images-from-the-ocean-conservancys-photography-contest-showcase-the-wonder-of-earths-waters-180989069/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-06 08:00:13 UTC

Mars Rover Spots Complex Carbon on the Red Planet, Marking Yet Another Detection of a Building Block of Life
Along with other recent discoveries, the new finding from Perseverance boosts the case that Mars once hosted conditions that could support living things—but it isn’t a definitive sign of ancient organisms…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-rover-spots-complex-carbon-on-the-red-planet-marking-yet-another-detection-of-a-building-block-of-life-180989043/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-06 08:00:09 UTC

These Male Fruit Flies Have Sperm That Are Nearly as Long as Their Bodies. Here's How the Cells Don't Become a Tangled Mess
Males of the species Drosophila melanogaster pack thousands of almost two-millimeter-long sperm cells into significantly smaller storage organs. A new study reveals how they move in an orderly manner…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-male-fruit-flies-have-sperm-that-are-nearly-as-long-as-their-bodies-heres-how-the-cells-dont-become-a-tangled-mess-180989054/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-06 08:00:04 UTC

This Ancient Monolith That Archaeologists Unearthed in Mexico May Depict People Receiving ‘Divine Liquid’ in a Ritual
The stela was found with a large, decorated platform and remnants of offerings in the state of Veracruz…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-monolith-archaeologists-unearthed-in-mexico-may-depict-people-receiving-divine-liquid-in-a-ritual-180989049/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-05 08:00:14 UTC

As France Prepares to Light Up the Statue of Liberty for America's 250th, Peek Into the History of the Symbol of Trans-Atlantic Friendship
Here’s how three French idealists—an abolitionist, a sculptor and the engineer behind the Eiffel Tower—brought the representation of freedom to life…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/as-france-prepares-to-light-up-the-statue-of-liberty-for-americas-250th-peek-into-the-history-of-the-symbol-of-translatlantic-friendship-180989047/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-05 08:00:10 UTC

After Decades of Debate, Scientists Say These Fossils Belong to the Largest Known Scorpion, Which Lived 415 Million Years Ago
Researchers have wondered whether Praearcturus gigas was a giant crustacean called an isopod or some other creature. A new analysis of museum specimens suggests that it was a scorpion that stretched more than three feet long…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-decades-of-debate-scientists-say-these-fossils-belong-to-the-largest-known-scorpion-which-lived-415-million-years-ago-180989022/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-05 08:00:05 UTC

Earth Might Be Home to 20 Million Insect Species—More Than Three Times as Many as Previously Thought, a Study Suggests
Recent estimates have come to the consensus that our planet hosts roughly six million species. But new research reveals that those counts may be drastically underestimated…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earth-might-be-home-to-20-million-insect-speciesmore-than-three-times-as-many-as-previously-thought-a-study-suggests-180989062/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-04 08:00:14 UTC

An Archival Discovery Became a Treasure Map Leading a Diver to a 17th-Century Shipwreck Carrying Coins and Gold Jewelry
See artifacts recovered thanks to a clue about the last resting place of a lost captain from an East India Company ship that went down near the Isles of Scilly…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-archival-discovery-became-a-treasure-map-leading-a-diver-to-a-17th-century-shipwreck-carrying-coins-and-gold-jewelry-180989063/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-04 08:00:10 UTC

The Oldest Black Church in the U.S., the Wright Brothers' Home and a New York Hospital Are Among the American Heritage Sites in Urgent Need of Preservation
For its “Irreplaceable America” list in honor of the 250th birthday of the U.S., the World Monuments Fund chose endangered historic sites of innovation, creativity and spirituality to publicize and support…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/oldest-black-church-wright-brothers-homes-new-york-hospital-american-heritage-treasures-in-urgent-need-of-preservation-180989058/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-04 08:00:05 UTC

Puzzled by Mark Rothko's Captivating Color Field Paintings? Look to the Renaissance Masters Who Inspired Him
During trips to Europe, the American painter developed a fascination with how 15th- and 16th-century artists and architects had designed their work to evoke specific feelings…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/puzzled-by-mark-rothkos-captivating-color-field-paintings-look-to-the-renaissance-masters-who-inspired-him-180989068/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-03 08:00:13 UTC

3D Printing Gives New Life to an Ancient Game Board Discovered at a Roman Fort Near Hadrian's Wall in England
Soldiers and civilians alike enjoyed strategy game Ludus Latrunculorum in the Roman Empire, especially in Roman Britain…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/3d-printing-gives-new-life-to-an-ancient-game-board-discovered-at-a-roman-fort-near-hadrians-wall-in-england-180989064/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-03 08:00:09 UTC

Scientists Say They've Made Cells That Feed, Grow and Reproduce, Bringing Them One Step Closer to Building Life From Scratch
The human-made cells show many hallmarks of life, but they can't make all their necessary internal structures or divide for that many generations…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-theyve-made-cells-that-feed-grow-and-reproduce-bringing-them-one-step-closer-to-building-life-from-scratch-180989070/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-03 08:00:04 UTC

An A.I.-Generated Alexander Hamilton Chats About Economics at the Museum of American Finance, Opening This Weekend in Boston
The museum, which started in New York and hasn't had a permanent exhibition space in several years, depicts the history and influence of U.S. financial institutions…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-ai-generated-alexander-hamilton-chats-about-economics-at-the-museum-of-american-finance-opening-this-weekend-in-boston-180989071/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-02 08:00:13 UTC

Vintage ‘READ’ Posters Adorning Libraries and Classrooms for Decades Go on Auction as the American Library Association Turns 150
Taylor Swift, Serena Williams and famous fictional characters lent their iconic faces to encourage people to pick up a book…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/vintage-read-posters-adorning-libraries-and-classrooms-for-decades-go-on-auction-as-the-american-library-association-turns-150-180989057/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-02 08:00:08 UTC

'The Greatest Cosmic Movie Ever Made': The World's Largest Digital Camera Begins a Historic, Decade-Long Survey of the Night Sky
After a year of testing, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has started capturing data as part of the much-anticipated Legacy Survey of Space and Time…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-greatest-cosmic-movie-ever-made-the-worlds-largest-digital-camera-begins-a-historic-decade-long-survey-of-the-night-sky-180989059/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-02 08:00:04 UTC

Alexander Hamilton's First National Bank Revolutionized the U.S. Economy. After Sitting Shuttered for Years, the Philadelphia Landmark Reopened as a Museum
A controversial idea right after the American Revolution, the First Bank of the United States proved prescient. Visitors can now check out its historic home after a $43 million makeover…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/alexander-hamiltons-first-national-bank-revolutionized-the-us-economy-after-sitting-shuttered-for-years-the-philadelphia-landmark-reopened-as-a-museum-180989056/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-01 11:25:24 UTC

Why Did Neanderthals Go Extinct? Inbreeding Probably Wasn't to Blame for Their Demise in Northwestern Europe, a Study Suggests
In contrast to those who resided in Siberia, Neanderthals who lived in what's now Belgium and France shortly before the species vanished seem to have been genetically diverse and healthy…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-neanderthals-go-extinct-inbreeding-probably-wasnt-to-blame-for-their-demise-in-northwestern-europe-a-study-suggests-180989032/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-01 11:25:19 UTC

As the Ocean Warms, a 'Cold Blob' in the Atlantic Has Puzzled Scientists. It Might Be a Warning Sign About a Key Current System
A patch of water south of Greenland and Iceland has cooled by nearly 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900. A new study suggests that it shows a crucial system of ocean currents is weakening, which could alter Earth's climate…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/as-the-ocean-warms-a-cold-blob-in-the-atlantic-has-puzzled-scientists-it-might-be-a-warning-sign-about-a-key-current-system-180988991/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-07-01 11:25:14 UTC

Sold for Just £5,588, This Amber Pendant Turned Out to Be a Rare Tudor-Era Portrait of Elizabeth I. Now, It's Going on Auction for £100,000
A master craftsman carved the likeness around 1600, possibly as a commission from the English monarch herself. A parrot on the back of the heart-shaped object symbolizes Elizabeth's status as a "virgin queen"…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sold-for-just-5588-this-amber-pendant-turned-out-to-be-a-rare-tudor-era-portrait-of-elizabeth-i-now-its-going-on-auction-for-100000-180989048/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-06-12 14:16:32 UTC

Two sloth bear cubs born at the National Zoo — the first there in more than a decade.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-national-zoos-adorable-one-month-old-sloth-bear-cubs-the-first-born-there-in-more-than-a-decade-180987957/

2026-06-12 14:01:59 UTC

See Visions of the Past and Future in This New York City Exhibition on the Renaissance Roots of Tarot Cards
The Morgan Library & Museum traces the history of beautifully illustrated tarot cards from their origins as a card game to modern occult fascination…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-visions-of-the-past-and-future-in-this-new-york-city-exhibition-on-the-renaissance-roots-of-tarot-cards-180988940/
via Smithsonian Magazine

2026-06-12 14:01:55 UTC

Mule Deer Are Already Using California's First Wildlife Crossing—and It's Not Even Finished Yet
Construction on the $20 million bridge in Siskiyou County began last year and is expected to be complete by this fall, with miles of eight-foot-high fencing along the highway to help funnel animals toward it…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mule-deer-are-already-using-californias-first-wildlife-crossing-and-its-not-even-finished-yet-180988933/
via Smithsonian Magazine