Smithsonian Magazine

Smithsonian is a magazine that focuses on science and nature, produced by the Smithsonian Institution based in Washington, D.C. While it is linked to this prestigious organization, it operates independently in terms of editorial content. The magazine launched its first issue in 1970. The Smithsonian also hosts various events, including the American Ingenuity Awards, Future Con, and Museum Day.

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#9066

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#2002

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Feeding Flamingos Create Underwater Tornado-Like Vortices to Capture Their Prey, Study Finds

1 day ago | smithsonianmag.com | Sara Hashemi

Rather than passively filter-feeding, the birds use their heads, beaks and feet to generate motion in the water that funnels invertebrates into their mouths Flamingos have a natural ability to filter out food, like shrimp and worms, from the surrounding water, even in the most food-poor environments. Now, a new study published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals how the birds use the power of physics to nab their elusive prey.
This Is the Best Way to Drop an Egg Without Breaking It, According to Scientists

2 days ago | smithsonianmag.com | Sara Hashemi

Experiments challenge the commonly held idea that dropping an egg vertically will help prevent it from cracking in a classic school assignment The egg drop challenge is a common fixture in STEM classes. Students are tasked with designing a cushion around an egg that prevents it from cracking when dropped from a height. Conventional wisdom suggests that positioning the egg vertically will increase the chance of keeping its shell intact.
These Colorful Birds Form Long-Term 'Friendships' by Helping Out With Babysitting, Study Suggests

5 days ago | smithsonianmag.com | Margherita Bassi

While scientists have observed animals assisting their relatives, a new study reveals that many superb starlings also form supportive relationships with non-relatives that can last for years Superb starlings—medium-sized, often brilliantly colored birds in eastern Africa—work together to raise their flock’s young. And according to a new study, they reciprocally help each other out in friendship-like relationships.
The New Pope Is Calling Himself Leo-Just Like 13 Other Pontiffs Who Came Before Him. Who Are They?

5 days ago | smithsonianmag.com | Ellen Wexler

When Robert Prevost was elected pope this week, he chose one of the most popular papal names. The lives of the Pope Leos who preceded him may offer insight into his approach to the papacy About two weeks after Pope Francis died at age 88 on April 21, the conclave to elect his successor began inside the Sistine Chapel. The 133 cardinals gathered inside reached their decision after two days of deliberations.
200 Snakebites Later, One Man's Blood May Hold the Key to a Universal Antivenom

5 days ago | smithsonianmag.com | Lillian Ali

Over two decades, Tim Friede has injected himself with snake venom hundreds of times, and subjected himself to more than 200 bites. Now, scientists are working on an antivenom derived from his antibodies After enduring some 200 snakebites and hundreds more venom injections, one man’s blood may be the key to a universal antivenom. Over about two decades, Tim Friede has allowed venomous snakes to bite him hundreds of times, including Egyptian cobras, black mambas and diamondbacks.
Welcome to the Weird and Wondrous World of Sea Cucumbers

5 days ago | smithsonianmag.com | Katarina Zimmer

These spiny or slimy ocean creatures display an astonishing diversity of appearances, behaviors and lifestyles—and many are increasingly threatened Few animals seem less animal-like than sea cucumbers. The long, slender beings often appear motionless like the vegetable they resemble as they bask on the seafloor. They lack a brain, eyes or obvious features apart from a mouth and anus. Neither are sea cucumbers especially appealing to human senses.
Watch for Cicadas: Billions From Brood XIV Will Soon Emerge After 17 Years Underground

6 days ago | smithsonianmag.com | Sara Hashemi

The insects from this group were last seen in 2008 and will appear across the eastern U.S. for a brief, dramatic frenzy of mating and dying The cicadas are coming. Billions of the insects from Brood XIV are emerging from Tennessee to Georgia to Massachusetts this spring after spending the last 17 years hiding underground as nymphs. You might remember last year’s dual cicada emergence, but this one involves a different brood.
Scientists Stumbled Upon an Active Volcanic Eruption in a Mid-Ocean Ridge for the First Time Ever

6 days ago | smithsonianmag.com | Sara Hashemi

From a research submersible, scientists saw hardened lava, dead tube worms and orange flashes from an eruption in the East Pacific Rise For the first time, scientists have witnessed an active seafloor volcanic eruption along a mid-ocean ridge. The team, exploring underwater from the research submersible Alvin, caught the rare sighting while on an expedition off Costa Rica to study the Tica hydrothermal vent.
Astrophysicists Track Down the Mysterious Cosmic Origins of Gold and Other Heavy Metals in Our Galaxy

1 week ago | smithsonianmag.com | Margherita Bassi

Researchers suggest powerful bursts from magnetars—collapsed stars with strong magnetic fields—may have contributed up to 10 percent of all elements heavier than iron in the Milky Way Industries such as technology, medicine and agriculture rely on naturally dense elements known as heavy metals. But despite these materials’ importance in our lives, their cosmic origins largely remain a mystery.
See the Imaginative Illustrations on the Endpapers of Children's Books Like 'The World of Pooh' and 'Blueberries for Sal'

1 week ago | smithsonianmag.com | Lillian Ali

A new exhibition celebrates the often-overlooked endpapers of more than 50 works of children’s literature ranging from the mid-20th century to the present day If you look inside the front and back of the nearest hardcover book, you’ll probably see colored or decorative endpapers holding the pages to the covers. More than structural necessities, these endpapers serve as prime real estate for maps, engravings and illustrations, particularly in children’s books.