Science | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/science-nature/RSS feed for ScienceenWed, 31 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000Parasites Are Everywhere. Why Do So Few Researchers Study Them?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/parasites-are-everywhere-so-why-do-so-few-researchers-study-them-180984753/Aging parasitologists are working hard to inspire more students to enter the fieldWed, 31 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000No, Dinosaurs Did Not Trudge Through Thick Rainforestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/no-dinosaurs-did-not-trudge-through-thick-rainforests-180984730/The first jungles dense with flowering plants only formed after an asteroid impact wiped out the giant creaturesMon, 29 Jul 2024 15:21:03 +0000How Do Animals Change Their Social Habits as They Age?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-do-animals-change-their-social-habits-as-they-age-180984723/In patterns that may sound familiar, long-term studies reveal what elderly deer, sheep and macaques are up to in their twilight yearsFri, 26 Jul 2024 16:00:00 +0000From Sleek Swimsuits to Specialized Running Shoes, These Five Innovations Transformed the Olympicshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/from-sleek-swimsuits-to-specialized-running-shoes-these-five-innovations-have-changed-the-olympics-180984769/Technology has advanced sports including fencing and pole vaultingThu, 25 Jul 2024 14:30:00 +0000How to Sweat Like an Olympianhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-to-sweat-like-an-olympianthis-summer-dont-be-embarrassed-by-those-pit-stains-or-your-drenched-workout-clothes-our-expert-on-the-science-of-sweat-says-perspiration-is-what-makes-humans-faster-higher-and-stronger-180984760/This summer, don’t be embarrassed by those pit stains or your drenched workout clothes. Our expert on the science of sweat says perspiration is what makes humans faster, higher and strongerThu, 25 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000What Will Happen If This Iconic Research Vessel Stops Drilling in the Deep Sea?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-will-happen-if-this-iconic-research-vessel-stops-drilling-in-the-deep-sea-180984752/After a career marked by major discoveries, the JOIDES Resolution is likely on its last official mission to retrieve rock cores from the ocean floorWed, 24 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000How Will Climate Change Hurt Lesser Flamingos?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-will-climate-change-hurt-lesser-flamingos-180984669/Their food supply in East African lakes could collapse as rains increaseTue, 23 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000Why Have So Many Whale Remains Been Found on the Ocean Floor Near Los Angeles?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-have-so-many-whale-remains-been-found-on-the-ocean-floor-near-los-angeles-180984694/Scientists have discovered more whale falls there than in the rest of the world combinedThu, 18 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000Could Citizens of This Indiana Town Have Seen a 500-Pound Turtle?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/could-citizens-of-this-indiana-town-have-seen-a-500-pound-turtle-180984659/Two men said they saw such an animal, dubbed the Beast of Busco, in 1948Wed, 17 Jul 2024 18:49:36 +0000These Alluring Images Capture the Threats of Air Pollution Around the Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-alluring-images-capture-the-threats-of-air-pollution-around-the-world-180984661/Researchers combined long-exposure photography with pollution sensor data to create representations of pollution in India, the United Kingdom and EthiopiaTue, 16 Jul 2024 16:36:52 +0000Has Life on Earth Survived More Than Five Mass Extinctions?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/has-life-on-earth-survived-more-than-five-mass-extinctions-180984594/Scientists aren’t just arguing whether humans are causing a sixth mass extinction event now, but whether many more occurred in the pastFri, 12 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000The Wild Story of What Happened to Pablo Escobar’s Hungry, Hungry Hipposhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/wild-story-what-happened-pablo-escobar-hungry-hungry-hippos-180984676/Ever since the demise of infamous drug kingpin, his pet hippos have flourished, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem and terrorizing local communitiesThu, 11 Jul 2024 11:00:00 +0000Bringing Auckland’s Volcanic Underworld to Lighthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bringing-aucklands-volcanic-underworld-to-light-180984608/Scientists are working to map and protect the city's underground tunnels so they aren’t destroyed during constructionWed, 10 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000View 11 Breathtaking Images From the BigPicture Photography Competitionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/view-11-breathtaking-images-from-the-big-picture-photography-competition-180984657/This 2024 showcase of life on Earth shines a light on some of our planet's most amazing species and placesTue, 09 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000Meet the Taxidermists Who Care for the Animals at Your Favorite Museumshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/without-taxidermists-on-staff-museums-turn-to-outside-help-180984646/Only a few U.S. museums still employ the specialists. The rest rely on a small group of highly skilled contractorsFri, 05 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000The Quest to Resurrect a Lost Ecosystem in Siberiahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-quest-to-resurrect-a-lost-ecosystem-in-siberia-180984559/A father-and-son team of scientists are trying to revive ancient grasslands by reintroducing large grazersWed, 03 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000Did Prehistoric Children Make Figurines Out of Clay?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/did-prehistoric-children-make-figurines-out-of-clay-180984534/Fingerprints and scratch marks found in artifacts in the Czech Republic suggest youngsters of the Upper Paleolithic used the soil like Play-Doh, according to a pending new studyTue, 02 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000These Supercorals Are Causing Problemshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-supercorals-are-causing-problems-180984606/As rice coral spreads it reduces biodiversityThu, 27 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000Galveston’s Texas-Size Plan to Stop the Next Big Stormhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/galveston-texas-plan-stop-next-big-storm-hurricane-ike-180984487/In the wake of Hurricane Ike, engineers have been crafting a $34 billion plan to protect the city. Will it work when the next disaster arrives?Thu, 27 Jun 2024 11:00:00 +0000Keeping the Spirit of Maine’s Wild Blueberry Harvest Alivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/keeping-spirit-maines-wild-blueberry-harvest-alive-180984493/In the far reaches of New England, an unusual convergence of farmworkers renews an ancient and increasingly threatened agricultural practiceWed, 26 Jun 2024 13:00:00 +0000Five Amazing Dolphin Behaviors, Explainedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-amazing-dolphin-behaviors-explained-180984516/From calling each other by name to using tools, these social creatures are a lot like usWed, 26 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000These Cute, Fuzzy Bumblebees Are Precision-Engineered Pollinatorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-cute-fuzzy-bumblebees-precision-engineered-pollinators-180984491/As numbers of these key pollinators decline, conservationists are eyeing new federal protections for one vulnerable speciesTue, 25 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000Pablo Escobar’s Abandoned Hippos Are Wreaking Havoc in the Colombian Junglehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pablo-escobar-abandoned-hippos-wreaking-havoc-colombian-jungle-180984494/Decades ago, the drug baron smuggled the beasts into South America for his private menagerie. They’ve been multiplying ever since. Now officials are taking extreme measures to counter the problemMon, 24 Jun 2024 10:00:00 +0000When Do Stingrays Strike?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/when-do-stingrays-strike-180984553/A California researcher and his team simulate stepping on round rays to learn more about their behaviorFri, 21 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000This Revolutionary New Observatory Will Locate Threatening Asteroids and Millions of Galaxieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-revolutionary-new-observatory-will-locate-threatening-asteroids-and-millions-of-galaxies-180984514/Beginning next year, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will use the world’s largest digital camera to give us a whole new view of the universeThu, 20 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000Can Technology Help Us More Accurately Diagnose Mental Illnesses?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-technology-help-us-more-accurately-diagnose-mental-illnesses-180984513/A new wave of tools promises to offer quicker, more objective assessments to help patients and cliniciansMon, 17 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000Is This the First Recorded Footage of a Colossal Squid Living Freely?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/is-this-the-first-recorded-footage-of-a-colossal-squid-living-freely-180984482/The only sightings of the animals so far have come from corpses or creatures dragged up from the depthsFri, 14 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000A Poisonous Diet Gives These Animals Their Own Toxic Defensehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-poisonous-diet-gives-these-animals-their-own-toxic-defense-180984435/From monarchs to sea slugs, various creatures consume chemicals that keep predators at bayWed, 12 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000These Innovative Landers Will Examine Coral Reefs in the Gulf of Mexicohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-innovative-landers-will-examine-coral-reefs-in-the-gulf-of-mexico-180984436/Scientists plan to use what they learn to help restore communities harmed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spillMon, 10 Jun 2024 13:25:13 +0000Do These Fossilized Teeth Belong to the World’s Smallest Great Ape?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/do-these-fossilized-teeth-belong-to-the-worlds-smallest-great-ape-180984489/Researchers say two teeth and a kneecap belong to a previously unknown species that lived in what is now GermanyFri, 07 Jun 2024 18:00:00 +0000Missed the Auroras in May? Here’s How to See Them Next Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/missed-the-auroras-in-may-heres-how-to-see-them-next-time-180984480/Three veteran aurora chasers and a NASA scientist share everything you need to know to check these dazzling displays off your bucket listThu, 06 Jun 2024 18:47:07 +0000How Do We Know When to Pee?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-do-we-know-when-to-pee-180984448/The basic urge is surprisingly complex and can go awry as we ageWed, 05 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000How a Trove of Whaling Logbooks Will Help Scientists Understand Our Changing Climatehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-a-trove-of-whaling-logbooks-will-help-scientists-understand-our-changing-climate-180984424/Researchers are examining more than 4,200 New England documents to turn descriptions of the wind into dataMon, 03 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000