Smithsonian
937 subscribers
5 photos
4 files
11.1K links
Smithsonian lens on the world
Download Telegram
The 19th-Century Lesbian Landowner Who Set Out to Find a Wife
A new HBO series explores the remarkable life of Anne Lister, based on her voluminous and intimate diaries
Source
Twelve Epic Migratory Journeys Animals Take Every Spring
As temperatures rise and foliage blooms in the north, creatures from insects to whales set out for long treks across the planet
Source
This Transparent Wood Could Be an Energy-Saver in Green Buildings
Researchers in Sweden have developed a material, able to store and release heat, that could potentially be used in windows
Source
A Brief History of Solar Panels
Inventors have been advancing solar technology for more than a century and a half, and improvements in efficiency and aesthetics keep on coming
Source
How an Oil Spill 50 Years Ago Inspired the First Earth Day
Before Earth Day made a name for the environmental movement, a massive oil spill put a spotlight on the dangers of pollution
Source
If Thanos Actually Wiped Out Half of All Life, How Would Earth Fare in the Aftermath?
The aftereffects of such a mass extinction don’t require a supervillain’s intelligence to understand
Source
Could Machine Learning Be the Key to Earthquake Prediction?
Predicting earthquakes might be impossible, but some experts wonder if tools that can analyze enormous amounts of data could crack the seismic code
Source
Fishes Were Julie Packard’s Wishes for Her New Smithsonian Portrait
National Portrait Gallery unveils a painting honoring the renowned ocean conservationist and director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Source
Why We Need a New Civil War Documentary
The success and brilliance of the new PBS series on Reconstruction is a reminder of the missed opportunity facing the nation
Source
There's an Origami Revolution in Industrial Design
Scientists and engineers are finding practical applications for the Japanese art form in space, medicine, robotics, architecture and more
Source
These Drones Can Perch and Dangle Like Birds and Bats
Scientists have designed adaptable landing gear that enables UAVs to "rest" and save power
Source
Brain Implant Device Allows People With Speech Impairments to Communicate With Their Minds
A new brain-computer interface translates neurological signals into complete sentences
Source
Archaeologists Discover Some of the Amazon's Oldest Human Burials
As early as 10,000 years ago, humans created settlements on elevated forest mounds in parts of southwestern Amazonia
Source
How the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Changed American Music
The season finale of Sidedoor tells the story of an indigenous Hawaiian instrument with a familiar sound and unexpected influences
Source
How To Prepare for a Future of Gene-Edited Babies—Because It's Coming
In a new book, futurist Jamie Metzl considers the ethical questions we need to ask in order to navigate the realities of human genetic engineering
Source
Why the 1970s Effort to Decriminalize Marijuana Failed
The explosion of kid-friendly paraphernalia led the federal government to crack down on pot
Source
The Decades-Long Effort to Protect the World's Largest Sheep
In the Gobi Desert, where argali roam, a group of Mongolian researchers work to conserve the wild sheep populations
Source
We're Entering a New Age of Meatless Meat Today. But We've Been Here Before
At the turn of the 20th century, the first mock meat craze swept the nation
Source
These Photographers Venture Into Derelict Buildings in Texas So That We Don't Have To
In a new book, Shane and Jessica Steeves capture some of the state's abandoned churches, schools and hotels
Source