Science | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/science-nature/RSS feed for ScienceenFri, 10 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000How an Ancient Practice Aids Marine Conservationhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/rahui-and-the-art-of-marine-conservation-180983179/In French Polynesia, the art of rahui puts everyone in charge of protecting the seaFri, 10 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000When Did Humans Arrive in the Americas? Lice Help Answer That Head-Scratcherhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/lice-genetics-help-show-when-humans-migrated-to-the-americas-180983217/A new analysis of the annoying critters shows when groups from Asia and Europe hitched rides on human hair and skin to arrive on our continentWed, 08 Nov 2023 19:00:00 +0000Ancient Whales Were the Biggest and Smallest of Their Kind to Ever Roam the Oceanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-first-whales-to-rule-the-seas-were-giganticand-tiny-180983202/New discoveries show how whale diversity exploded after the dinosaurs disappearedTue, 07 Nov 2023 16:00:00 +0000While Some Chimps Go Low, Others Go High to Avoid a Dangerous Fighthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/when-conflicts-could-arise-these-chimps-go-high-180983181/Primate groups climb to elevation to scout out rivals and steer clear of clashesThu, 02 Nov 2023 18:00:00 +0000How and Why Do Violent Tornadoes Form?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-and-why-do-violent-tornadoes-form-180983140/Scientists hope new technology and computing power will help them understand destructive twistersWed, 01 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000Galápagos Giant Tortoises Are Ecosystem Engineershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/galapagos-giant-tortoises-are-ecosystem-engineers-180983101/A decades-long project shows how the reptiles are changing the island of EspañolaMon, 30 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000Archaeologists Find the First Red Paint Made From Plantshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-worlds-oldest-known-organic-paint-was-red-180983132/Hunter-gatherers cooked up the alluring pigment in the Eastern Mediterranean 15,000 years agoWed, 25 Oct 2023 18:00:00 +0000How Scientists Tracked the Movements of a 17,000-Year-Old Woolly Mammothhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/scientists-tracked-movements-17000-year-old-woolly-mammoth-180983064/Isotopes tell the epic tale of one ancient mammal’s odyssey across AlaskaTue, 24 Oct 2023 11:30:00 +0000Why Australians Are Growing to Appreciate These Giant, Threatened Batshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/australians-growing-appreciate-giant-threatened-bats-180983050/Once seen as a menace, the gray-headed flying fox brings new life after recent devastating wildfiresMon, 23 Oct 2023 13:00:00 +0000Atlantic Hurricanes Are Getting More Dangerous, More Quicklyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/atlantic-hurricanes-are-more-likely-to-power-up-quickly-180983104/If such changes are in response to climate change, the future may feature more sudden, daunting stormsThu, 19 Oct 2023 15:12:49 +0000The Seven Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made by Exploring Marshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-seven-most-amazing-discoveries-weve-made-by-exploring-mars-180983078/Scientists have learned a lot since they started sending crafts and rovers to our red neighborWed, 18 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000Did Ancient Egyptians Know Meteorites Came From Space?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/do-hieroglyphic-texts-reveal-that-ancient-egyptians-knew-meteorites-came-from-the-sky-180983039/Hieroglyphic texts suggest they understood the rocks, which contained valuable iron, did not originate on EarthTue, 17 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000Two Million Years Ago, This Homo Erectus Lived the High Lifehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/two-million-years-ago-homo-erectus-likely-lived-in-cool-high-altitude-environments-180983073/Dating of a child's fossilized jaw and teeth suggest our relatives lived at altitude earlier than once thoughtFri, 13 Oct 2023 17:50:58 +0000During the Age of Dinosaurs, Some Birds Sported Toothy Grinshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/during-the-age-of-dinosaurs-some-birds-sported-toothy-grins-180983034/The often overlooked animals thrived for millions of yearsThu, 12 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000This Fluffy Little Anteater May Be a New Specieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-fluffy-little-anteater-may-be-a-new-species-180983020/The animals eke out a living in a pocket of mangroves on Brazil’s Atlantic coastTue, 10 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000North America's Oldest Known Footprints Point to Earlier Human Arrival to the Continenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/oldest-fossil-human-footprints-in-north-america-are-23000-years-old-study-reaffirms-180983018/New dating methods have added more evidence that these fossils date to 23,000 years ago, pushing back migration to the Americas by thousands of yearsThu, 05 Oct 2023 18:00:00 +0000A Look Inside Wildlife Crime Scene Investigatorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/wildlife-crime-scene-investigator-dna-trafficking-180982969/Scientists are using the latest in DNA fingerprinting to combat the multibillion-dollar business of trafficking plants and animalsWed, 04 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000How This Small Nonprofit Helped Save California’s Elephant Sealshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-this-small-nonprofit-helped-save-californias-elephant-seals-180982991/Volunteers with Friends of the Elephant Seal educate tourists to prevent conflicts, inspire awe and keep the marine mammals safeTue, 03 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000One Million Years Ago, Our Human Relatives May Have Challenged Giant Hyenas for Carcasseshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/one-million-years-ago-our-human-relatives-may-have-challenged-giant-hyenas-for-carcasses-180982979/Groups of hominins might have successfully scavenged large kills, new modeling findsThu, 28 Sep 2023 15:04:53 +0000Where Did South Africa's Missing Sharks Go?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/where-did-south-africas-missing-sharks-go-180982947/After a spate of orca attacks spooked the fish, they have now been foundWed, 27 Sep 2023 15:28:41 +0000Four Unusual and Amazing Ways That Insects Team Uphttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/four-unusual-and-amazing-ways-that-insects-team-up-180982911/The invertebrates create elaborate structures to escape danger and shimmer in synchronized performances to confuse predatorsTue, 26 Sep 2023 13:27:47 +0000What Would Signal Life on Another Planet?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-would-signal-life-on-another-planet-180982926/Astronomers have long debated what kind of chemistry might serve as a bona fide alien biosignatureFri, 22 Sep 2023 12:00:00 +0000Celebrate World Gorilla Day With 15 Primate Pictureshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/celebrate-world-gorilla-day-with-15-primate-pictures-180982929/These highlights from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest feature our close “cousins”Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:00:00 +0000Are Wild Animals Really Just Like Us?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/are-wild-animals-really-just-like-us-180982939/A summer of news reports about orca, otter and bird “attacks” has the public wondering if trying to understand animal behavior in human terms is misguidedThu, 21 Sep 2023 11:00:00 +0000Four Amazing Impacts of This A.I.-Powered Bird Migration Trackerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/four-amazing-impacts-of-this-ai-powered-bird-migration-tracker-180982932/A reimagined tool called BirdCast is helping birders, scientists and even farmersWed, 20 Sep 2023 18:39:20 +0000How Pterosaurs Might Inform the Next Generation of Flighthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-pterosaurs-might-inform-the-next-generation-of-flight-180982880/After paleontologists cracked the secrets of the ancient flying reptiles, researchers are thinking about how to harness their methodsTue, 19 Sep 2023 12:00:00 +0000