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Medical procedures used to be a scream-filled endurance test until doctors at this Boston institution learned to tame the pain of patients

Wide-ranging research suggests that as temperatures increase, some creatures pick fights while others struggle to learn. The findings hint at consequences that may ripple through ecosystems

Aldo Leopold’s writing reconsidered the place of humans in the natural world and challenged people to be less a conqueror of the land and more a citizen of it

The Kepler telescope changed how we saw the sky. It’s just one of the devices we’ve sent out beyond the reach of humans to search our solar system

Pinning down the most titanic of the large sauropod dinosaurs is not an easy task, since the odds were generally against the biggest ones being buried and preserved

Ever since a 2018 blaze destroyed priceless artifacts and scientifically important specimens, museum staff have devoted themselves to reopening its doors to the public

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 …

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 …