Science | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/science-nature/RSS feed for ScienceenFri, 16 Oct 2026 17:15:00 +0000Dam Removals Are Bringing Fish Back Across the Northeastern United States, Striking Down One Tiny Barrier at a Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dam-removals-are-bringing-fish-back-across-the-northeastern-united-states-striking-down-one-tiny-barrier-at-a-time-180989679/While the demolition of big dams in the West gets more attention, many of these often-obsolete obstructions are also coming out of northeastern streams and rivers—and herring are returning in drovesFri, 16 Oct 2026 17:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dam-removals-are-bringing-fish-back-across-the-northeastern-united-states-striking-down-one-tiny-barrier-at-a-time-180989679/Five Discoveries That Changed Our Understanding of T. Rex Forever, From Warm Blood to Lipshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-discoveries-that-changed-our-understanding-of-t-rex-forever-from-warm-blood-to-lips-180989634/Paleontologists are still unraveling the secrets of the world’s most famous dinosaur, such as its outward appearance or the way that it hunted. With each new finding, our view of the “tyrant lizard king” has gotten a little clearer—and sometimes has radically shiftedWed, 07 Oct 2026 17:15:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-discoveries-that-changed-our-understanding-of-t-rex-forever-from-warm-blood-to-lips-180989634/Ancient Pottery Reveals the Earliest Known Traces of Chocolate East of the Mississippi, Painting a Picture of Connection in the Americashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-pottery-reveals-the-earliest-known-traces-of-chocolate-east-of-the-mississippi-painting-a-picture-of-connection-in-the-americas-180989559/A new archaeological discovery suggests that people in present-day Georgia have feasted with cacao for 1,000 yearsFri, 02 Oct 2026 18:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-pottery-reveals-the-earliest-known-traces-of-chocolate-east-of-the-mississippi-painting-a-picture-of-connection-in-the-americas-180989559/These 15 Adorable Photos of Pandas Will Make You Want to Visit the Zoo Immediatelyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-15-adorable-photos-of-pandas-will-make-you-want-to-visit-the-zoo-immediately-180989606/Members of the fluffy and adorable but vulnerable species are often cared for in zoos and breeding centers around the world, and these snapshots may make you jealous of the caretakers’ jobsFri, 02 Oct 2026 15:21:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-15-adorable-photos-of-pandas-will-make-you-want-to-visit-the-zoo-immediately-180989606/Is More Protein Always Better? Despite the Craze Around the Nutrient, Research-Backed Evidence About Its Benefits Is Complicatedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/is-more-protein-always-better-despite-the-craze-around-the-nutrient-research-backed-evidence-about-its-benefits-is-complicated-180989584/It can be difficult to see through the array of flashy, protein-packed products and determine whether you need more of it—and which foods to consume to get it. We asked health experts about the benefits and drawbacks of chasing proteinWed, 30 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/is-more-protein-always-better-despite-the-craze-around-the-nutrient-research-backed-evidence-about-its-benefits-is-complicated-180989584/Archaeologists Are Reconstructing the 'Invisible' Technologies of the Stone Age, From Rope to Thread and Twinehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/archaeologists-are-reconstructing-the-invisible-technologies-of-the-stone-age-from-rope-to-thread-and-twine-180989534/Largely missing from the archaeological record, fiber innovations played a huge role in the lives of early humans. Researchers are weaving together new insights from the traces they left behindMon, 21 Sep 2026 18:24:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/archaeologists-are-reconstructing-the-invisible-technologies-of-the-stone-age-from-rope-to-thread-and-twine-180989534/Five Ways the World of the Dinosaurs Looked Different From Ours, Beyond the Presence of the 'Terrible Lizards'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-ways-the-world-of-the-dinosaurs-looked-different-from-ours-beyond-the-presence-of-the-terrible-lizards-180989521/Earth has changed dramatically since the Age of Dinosaurs, from its climate to geography and animal lifeFri, 18 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-ways-the-world-of-the-dinosaurs-looked-different-from-ours-beyond-the-presence-of-the-terrible-lizards-180989521/Some Fish in the Great Lakes Might Be More Than 400 Years Old, a Study Suggests, Outliving Around 15 Generations of Humanshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/some-fish-in-the-great-lakes-might-be-more-than-400-years-old-a-study-suggests-outliving-around-15-generations-of-humans-180989500/Lake sturgeon may be among the longest-living vertebrates, second only to Greenland sharks, according to recent research. However, scientists note that follow-up work is necessary to clarify the species’ life spanWed, 16 Sep 2026 13:43:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/some-fish-in-the-great-lakes-might-be-more-than-400-years-old-a-study-suggests-outliving-around-15-generations-of-humans-180989500/Peptides Are All the Rage, Promising Miracle Cures and Makeovers Delivered by Injection. How Did We Get Here?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/peptides-are-all-the-rage-promising-miracle-cures-and-makeovers-delivered-by-injection-how-did-we-get-here-180989454/Experts say the peptide craze is part of a broader phenomenon, as patients look beyond the regulated health system to address problems that doctors have struggled to treatWed, 09 Sep 2026 18:28:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/peptides-are-all-the-rage-promising-miracle-cures-and-makeovers-delivered-by-injection-how-did-we-get-here-180989454/Spain’s White-Headed Ducks Have a Signature Color Right in the Name. And That Isn’t Even Their Most Remarkable Huehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/spain-white-headed-ducks-signature-color-right-name-that-isnt-even-most-remarkable-hue-180989289/The first thing you’re likely to notice is the blue bill. But beyond appearances, the duck has an exciting story to tell about conservation and recoveryWed, 02 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/spain-white-headed-ducks-signature-color-right-name-that-isnt-even-most-remarkable-hue-180989289/Reptiles Make a Surprising Amount of Noise. Here's What Those Sounds Might Mean, From Pops to Hoots to Bellowshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/reptiles-make-a-surprising-amount-of-noise-heres-what-those-sounds-might-mean-from-pops-to-hoots-to-bellows-180989422/Scientists are realizing that turtles, lizards and crocodilians communicate vocally more than they once thoughtWed, 02 Sep 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/reptiles-make-a-surprising-amount-of-noise-heres-what-those-sounds-might-mean-from-pops-to-hoots-to-bellows-180989422/These Enchanting and Colorful Photos of Seashells and the Mollusks That Create Them Will Have You Marveling at the Natural Worldhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/enchanting-colorful-photos-seashells-mollusks-who-create-them-have-you-marveling-at-natural-world-180989291/Before they become sandy souvenirs, the baubles in the bubbles of the shoreline serve as a veritable fortress for creatures like clams, mussels and conchsFri, 28 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/enchanting-colorful-photos-seashells-mollusks-who-create-them-have-you-marveling-at-natural-world-180989291/Tennis Matches Are Heating Up, Literally. Here’s How the Court Became a Living Laboratory for Managing Extreme Temperatureshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/tennis-matches-are-heating-up-literally-heres-how-the-court-became-a-living-laboratory-for-managing-extreme-temperatures-180989399/The sport’s hard-court surfaces can reach some 30 degrees hotter than the surrounding air. With elite players suffering heat illness on the world stage, athletes are following personalized cooling plansThu, 27 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/tennis-matches-are-heating-up-literally-heres-how-the-court-became-a-living-laboratory-for-managing-extreme-temperatures-180989399/Africa's Wild Dogs Are the Most Hated Carnivores on the Continent. Here's Why Some Conservationists Are Saving Them Anywayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/africa-wild-dogs-most-hated-carnivores-continent-heres-why-conservationists-saving-them-anyway-180989287/Meet the team that closely monitors the playful canines, which need help to form diverse packs and stop their numbers from dwindlingTue, 25 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/africa-wild-dogs-most-hated-carnivores-continent-heres-why-conservationists-saving-them-anyway-180989287/Once the Solar System's Ninth Planet, Pluto Was Reclassified 20 Years Ago. Here's Why Planetary Scientists and the Public Alike Love the Small, Icy Bodyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/once-the-solar-systems-ninth-planet-pluto-was-reclassified-20-years-ago-heres-why-planetary-scientists-and-the-public-alike-love-the-small-icy-body-180989383/Pluto is now the most well known of the outer worlds beyond Neptune—and the darling of the solar systemMon, 24 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/once-the-solar-systems-ninth-planet-pluto-was-reclassified-20-years-ago-heres-why-planetary-scientists-and-the-public-alike-love-the-small-icy-body-180989383/