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In Norway’s highest mountains, experts are scouring perilous terrain for pieces of the past, long stored in mint condition in ice patches. As temperatures rise across the world, glacial archaeologists must find the emerging artifacts before they degrade forever

Researchers are tracing the brain and body’s response to aesthetic expression in search of a scientific value to art

“Baby brain” isn’t the deficit it’s stereotyped to be, research suggests. Neural adaptations during pregnancy can prime soon-to-be-moms to become more attuned to their children and enhance social cognition

Researchers around the planet grew up watching documentaries hosted by the English broadcaster and naturalist, which sparked their love of the natural world. Now, their discoveries become tributes to his legacy

Wolf-dog hybrids are growing far more common in Italy, raising scientists’ concerns for the future of the wolves

Survivors have a heightened risk of developing cardiovascular disease, pain, insomnia, psychosocial distress and new cancers. Many, patient advocates say, are not receiving adequate long-term care

Pesticides, habitat loss and climate change have taken their toll on the beloved insects. But the experts working with them still find hope for their future

Scientists speculate that the wild cats are trying to improve hydration or ease their cubs’ transition to solid food. The finding points to resilience in one of the world’s most endangered felines

Intensifying wildfires across the continent are spewing air pollution, putting human health at risk, particularly Americans living with chronic illnesses

From preserved plants to T. rex, the material found in these Late Cretaceous rocks has resulted in countless breakthroughs for paleontologists

After rounding the moon, viewing a solar eclipse and traveling farther than any human had before, the four astronauts of Artemis 2—the first manned lunar mission in more than five decades—will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere tomorrow. Beyond those milestones, the mission represents a step toward establishing a long-term human presence in space and sets up the moon as a lens for considering the future…

There's More to That A Smithsonian magazine special report Gretchen Kay Stuart is a wildlife photographer who has cultivated a special relationship with the Cascade red fox. She first spotted the rare animal in 2020 on the slope of Mount Rainier in Washington State. “I instantly fell in love,” she recalls. So Stuart started documenting the foxes wherever she could. Sometimes she’s witnessed tragi…

Take a whiff of the air—chances are you’re smelling something this very moment. The human nose can detect more than one trillion scents. If this article were scratch-and-sniff, I’d be able to conjure the smell of old-growth forest and the ocean at daybreak, desert creosote after a rainfall or maybe even the aroma of a rosebush growing on an urban balcony. But as a matter of medium, I can’t bring …

Unusually for a major tourist attraction, the phrase “death trap” features prominently in the signage and the lore at the La Brea Tar Pits, the celebrated fossil site in the heart of Los Angeles. “Death Trap for Meat-Eaters” says the sign at one site, though in truth it’s a death trap for plant-eaters, too. Over the past 60,000 years or so, animals by the millions, including giant ground sloths, …

If Cyrano de Bergerac had been a proboscis monkey, he might not have needed poetry. For this furry primate, found only on the island of Borneo, a prominent nose is an asset. Males with the biggest snouts, up to nearly seven inches long, usually have the largest bodies overall. And, because their noses are an indicator of both status and reproductive fitness, these fellows attract more mates than …

Where rare birds go, camera-toting enthusiasts tend to follow. But sometimes, all it takes to cause a commotion is a relatively common, though little-known, bird with some funky dance moves. On Friday, more than 650 people congregated for a special bird walk in New York City’s Bryant Park, where American woodcocks have been stopping to rest and refuel on their migrations north for breeding. “We h…

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Video Discover the world and all its wonders with these videos on national treasures, historical mysteries, animal facts, scientific explainers, fabulous finds and much more Discover the world and all its wonders with these videos on national treasures, historical mysteries, animal facts, scientific explainers, fabulous finds and much more

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Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, has massive storms that match its size. These storms—some of which can last centuries—unleash powerful bolts of lightning. But understanding the full strength of these strikes has been difficult because of the planet’s hefty clouds. Now, thanks to data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft and a fortuitous lull in some storms, scientists have calculated that…