Smithsoniamag

Ornithologists and conservationists say humans can take key steps to make urban environments less hazardous for our avian friends

Only two robotic missions have made it to the Swift Planet, but they were crucial for upending many false assumptions of that sun-scorched w...

Diet played a key role in the evolution of the vast beetle family tree

A study that looks back more than 100 years shows that where the animals have thrived, underwater forests have, too

Nature enthusiasts work with researchers to figure out how creatures respond to the celestial phenomenon

The environmental icon’s latest series, “Mammals,” showcases the threats humanity has created for our relatives

The red-cockaded woodpecker has lost nearly all of its habitat in the southeastern United States, but an Air Force range in Florida is part...

Two perspectives on the astronomical phenomenon that has fascinated humans for as long as we’ve been watching the skies

Psychedelic hedgehogs, purple pineapples, living strawberries—these tiny creatures show off their big personalities off the Australian coast

Despite being the smallest country in Southeast Asia, the city-state is now home to the largest population of the straw-headed bulbul

The world's smallest bear plays a crucial role in repairing its tropical habitat in Southeast Asia

Before the toromiro disappeared from the island, at least two men grabbed seeds from the last remaining plant and brought them home

Archaeological discoveries add 500 years to the history of Corinth's main harbor

While whales moved from living on land to an existence immersed in water, pinnipeds embraced an amphibious lifestyle

After centuries of neglect, botanists are using new techniques to understand roots

As the world warms, trees in such forests will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That's where assisted migration comes in

Communities may have thought the celestial events were messages from the gods, a reason to abandon a settlement or a cue to end a war

The human hand is an incredible tool—and a deadly threat

Bug out with 15 shots of insects and arachnids of all shapes and sizes from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

For one of them, the story ended with a mission to bring science to the public

The "Messier marathon" prompts space hobbyists to spot 110 celestial objects in one night, and the best time to try it is in March

Bones in Spain suggest a mercury-rich mineral used for art and hallucinogenic trips poisoned a community 5,000 years ago

Documenting episodes of the phenomenon thousands of years ago may help us predict damaging solar storms in the future

An anthropologist explains why we experience many objects, from tennis rackets to cars, as extensions of our bodies

Indigenous communities from Alaska to Greenland are harnessing information to make their own decisions