https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/science-nature/RSS feed for ScienceenFri, 15 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/does-the-experience-of-beauty-show-up-in-the-brain-with-electrodes-and-a-museum-collection-of-artifacts-these-neuroscientists-aim-to-find-out-180988737/Researchers are tracing the brain and body’s response to aesthetic expression in search of a scientific value to artFri, 15 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/does-the-experience-of-beauty-show-up-in-the-brain-with-electrodes-and-a-museum-collection-of-artifacts-these-neuroscientists-aim-to-find-out-180988737/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pregnancy-changes-mothers-brains-these-recent-discoveries-are-showing-us-how-180988713/“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 cognitionSat, 09 May 2026 00:23:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pregnancy-changes-mothers-brains-these-recent-discoveries-are-showing-us-how-180988713/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/david-attenborough-has-inspired-countless-scientists-to-mark-his-100th-birthday-here-are-ten-living-things-theyve-named-after-him-180988693/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 legacyThu, 07 May 2026 20:07:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/david-attenborough-has-inspired-countless-scientists-to-mark-his-100th-birthday-here-are-ten-living-things-theyve-named-after-him-180988693/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/nearly-half-of-italys-wolves-are-part-dog-now-thanks-to-hybridization-is-that-a-threat-to-the-species-180988682/Wolf-dog hybrids are growing far more common in Italy, raising scientists’ concerns for the future of the wolvesWed, 06 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/nearly-half-of-italys-wolves-are-part-dog-now-thanks-to-hybridization-is-that-a-threat-to-the-species-180988682/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/cancer-survivors-are-living-longer-but-still-have-complex-needs-thats-why-doctors-and-advocates-want-post-treatment-care-plans-180988629/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 careWed, 29 Apr 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/cancer-survivors-are-living-longer-but-still-have-complex-needs-thats-why-doctors-and-advocates-want-post-treatment-care-plans-180988629/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/butterflies-are-in-dramatic-decline-across-north-america-a-close-look-at-the-western-monarch-shows-why-180988582/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 futureFri, 24 Apr 2026 15:42:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/butterflies-are-in-dramatic-decline-across-north-america-a-close-look-at-the-western-monarch-shows-why-180988582/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/camera-traps-reveal-iberian-lynxes-soaking-their-prey-a-first-ever-discovery-among-carnivores-180988591/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 felinesThu, 23 Apr 2026 13:00:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/camera-traps-reveal-iberian-lynxes-soaking-their-prey-a-first-ever-discovery-among-carnivores-180988591/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-humans-mastered-fire-now-burning-fossil-fuels-and-blazing-landscapes-threaten-to-undo-the-world-180988531/Intensifying wildfires across the continent are spewing air pollution, putting human health at risk, particularly Americans living with chronic illnessesThu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-humans-mastered-fire-now-burning-fossil-fuels-and-blazing-landscapes-threaten-to-undo-the-world-180988531/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-hell-creek-formation-is-north-americas-legendary-boneyard-see-the-top-five-discoveries-found-in-the-iconic-fossil-bed-180988545/From preserved plants to T. rex, the material found in these Late Cretaceous rocks has resulted in countless breakthroughs for paleontologistsWed, 15 Apr 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-hell-creek-formation-is-north-americas-legendary-boneyard-see-the-top-five-discoveries-found-in-the-iconic-fossil-bed-180988545/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-lies-beyond-artemis-2-these-other-missions-are-setting-their-sights-on-the-moon-this-yearand-on-a-future-with-humans-in-space-180988517/As the historic lunar flyby comes to a close, space companies and nations around the world are also shooting for the moon. Upcoming landings aim to change the landscape of space explorationThu, 09 Apr 2026 14:02:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-lies-beyond-artemis-2-these-other-missions-are-setting-their-sights-on-the-moon-this-yearand-on-a-future-with-humans-in-space-180988517/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-photographers-glimpse-into-the-dwindling-world-of-the-cascade-red-fox-180988516/Gretchen Kay Stuart has chronicled the work of a small team of biologists who are trying to keep a little known and breathtakingly beautiful endangered species from disappearingThu, 09 Apr 2026 10:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-photographers-glimpse-into-the-dwindling-world-of-the-cascade-red-fox-180988516/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/earths-smells-are-disappearing-because-of-climate-change-and-its-a-vast-cultural-loss-180988496/A triple threat of pollution, extinction and warming temperatures is altering the way the planet smells. Scientists are only beginning to understand the stakes for humansWed, 08 Apr 2026 12:57:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/earths-smells-are-disappearing-because-of-climate-change-and-its-a-vast-cultural-loss-180988496/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/la-brea-tar-pits-sucking-visitors-millennia-paleontologits-still-finding-out-what-lies-within-ooze-180988404/In Los Angeles, scientists are delighted to decode one of the richest fossil records on EarthTue, 07 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/la-brea-tar-pits-sucking-visitors-millennia-paleontologits-still-finding-out-what-lies-within-ooze-180988404/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/endangered-proboscis-monkey-easily-identifiable-by-one-physical-trait-supersized-schnoz-180988420/When you see this primate's nose, you know you're in Borneo, where efforts are underway to restore its habitatMon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/endangered-proboscis-monkey-easily-identifiable-by-one-physical-trait-supersized-schnoz-180988420/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/purple-martins-rely-on-human-landlords-to-provide-nest-boxes-each-spring-can-that-dynamic-last-180988478/The large swallows have nested alongside human settlements for centuries. Now, the birds' breeding success depends on caretakers who are beginning to age out of the roleFri, 03 Apr 2026 12:33:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/purple-martins-rely-on-human-landlords-to-provide-nest-boxes-each-spring-can-that-dynamic-last-180988478/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/spectators-flocked-to-the-artemis-2-launch-to-witness-history-being-made-one-awed-viewer-called-it-the-best-thing-ever-180988474/Wednesday evening, a human mission to the moon lifted off for the first time in more than 50 years. These 13 photographs capture what it was like to experience the momentThu, 02 Apr 2026 16:38:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/spectators-flocked-to-the-artemis-2-launch-to-witness-history-being-made-one-awed-viewer-called-it-the-best-thing-ever-180988474/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/cascade-red-foxes-notoriously-reclusive-how-photographer-captured-stunning-images-endangered-species-180988419/Even the scientists who study the animals rarely see them except on camera. But Gretchen Kay Stuart spent a season documenting them up closeTue, 31 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/cascade-red-foxes-notoriously-reclusive-how-photographer-captured-stunning-images-endangered-species-180988419/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/was-spinosaurus-really-a-hell-heron-digging-into-the-star-of-netflixs-the-dinosaurs-180988440/With an incredible sail and heavy bones that might have acted as ballast, Spinosaurus seems primed for snatching fish. The creature has long captivated the public, from its early mysteries to the recent discovery of a new speciesMon, 30 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/was-spinosaurus-really-a-hell-heron-digging-into-the-star-of-netflixs-the-dinosaurs-180988440/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fish-traps-have-been-banned-on-the-columbia-river-for-nearly-a-century-could-bringing-them-back-help-save-salmon-180988439/A new experiment is testing the commercial success of fish traps in Washington and Oregon. Even as some conservationists embrace the technique, its return has reopened old wounds among local fishersFri, 27 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fish-traps-have-been-banned-on-the-columbia-river-for-nearly-a-century-could-bringing-them-back-help-save-salmon-180988439/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-a-small-winter-flower-has-attracted-droves-of-admirersand-offers-a-symbol-of-resilience-180988423/The snowdrop, or Galanthus, blooms when the world is still frozen. Gardeners enamored with the plant gather each year in Pennsylvania to celebrate its subtleties and enduranceWed, 25 Mar 2026 14:05:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-a-small-winter-flower-has-attracted-droves-of-admirersand-offers-a-symbol-of-resilience-180988423/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/alien-life-could-look-nothing-like-what-we-expect-heres-how-microbes-beyond-earth-might-live-without-liquid-water-180988384/Like the lead character of “Project Hail Mary,” some scientists are proposing ways that life might exist beyond a star’s “habitable zone,” often considered the gold standard of potential livabilityFri, 20 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/alien-life-could-look-nothing-like-what-we-expect-heres-how-microbes-beyond-earth-might-live-without-liquid-water-180988384/