Science | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/science-nature/RSS feed for ScienceenFri, 06 Nov 2026 12:30:00 +0000Fossil Footprints in Brazil Hint at a Cougar-Size Mammal That Walked Among Dinosaurs. It's Another Sign That Some Early Beasts Grew to Impressive Sizes After Allhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fossil-footprints-in-brazil-hint-at-a-cougar-size-mammal-that-walked-among-dinosaurs-its-another-sign-that-some-early-beasts-grew-to-impressive-sizes-after-all-180989815/Don’t think of all Mesozoic mammals as meek and tiny—alongside the terrible lizards, some were giants in their own rightFri, 06 Nov 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fossil-footprints-in-brazil-hint-at-a-cougar-size-mammal-that-walked-among-dinosaurs-its-another-sign-that-some-early-beasts-grew-to-impressive-sizes-after-all-180989815/Hear, Hear to Long Ears: These 15 Furry Photos of Adorable Rabbits and Hares Will Have You Leaping for Leporidaehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/hear-hear-to-long-ears-these-15-furry-photos-of-adorable-rabbits-and-hares-will-have-you-leaping-for-leporidae-180989824/The images from Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest show the mammalian species and their twitching noses at their cutestFri, 06 Nov 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/hear-hear-to-long-ears-these-15-furry-photos-of-adorable-rabbits-and-hares-will-have-you-leaping-for-leporidae-180989824/The Four-Color Theorem Has Haunted Mathematicians for Decades. It Just Got a Rare New Proof, but Some Still Long for a Simpler Solutionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-four-color-theorem-has-haunted-mathematicians-for-decades-it-just-got-a-rare-new-proof-but-some-still-long-for-a-simpler-solution-180989799/The famous problem asks whether a map can be filled in with only four colors such that the same color never borders itself. It has been solved with the help of computers, but some experts suggest an elusive, short answer is out thereWed, 04 Nov 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-four-color-theorem-has-haunted-mathematicians-for-decades-it-just-got-a-rare-new-proof-but-some-still-long-for-a-simpler-solution-180989799/The Bloody Palette of the Animal Kingdom Goes Far Beyond Red. These Creatures Have Blood That Runs a Chilling Blue, Bright Green or Milky Whitehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-bloody-palette-of-the-animal-kingdom-goes-far-beyond-red-these-creatures-have-blood-that-runs-a-chilling-blue-bright-green-or-milky-white-180989752/The hemoglobin in humans’ blood is not the standard for all critters—and one group of Antarctic fish are the only vertebrates to not have red blood cells at allFri, 30 Oct 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-bloody-palette-of-the-animal-kingdom-goes-far-beyond-red-these-creatures-have-blood-that-runs-a-chilling-blue-bright-green-or-milky-white-180989752/The World's Newest Carnivorous Plant Is a Red Sundew That 'Death Hugs' Its Insect Prey. Its Survival Depends on a Rare and Disappearing Florida Habitathttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-worlds-newest-carnivorous-plant-is-a-red-sundew-that-death-hugs-its-insect-prey-its-survival-depends-on-a-rare-and-disappearing-florida-habitat-180989758/Confined to hidden sinkhole lakes in the Panhandle, the Florida threadleaf sundew is both a discovery and a warning bell for a vanishing ecosystem that’s long been ignoredThu, 29 Oct 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-worlds-newest-carnivorous-plant-is-a-red-sundew-that-death-hugs-its-insect-prey-its-survival-depends-on-a-rare-and-disappearing-florida-habitat-180989758/Ben Franklin Wasn’t Serious When He Implied the Wild Turkey Would Be a ‘Respectable’ National Symbol … but He Wasn’t Wrong, Eitherhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ben-franklin-wasnt-serious-when-implied-wild-turkey-respectable-national-symbol-wasnt-wrong-180989642/The birds strutted around North America for hundreds of thousands of years before hunters decimated their population. Credit its recovery to resourcefulness, a stubborn disposition and a little helpWed, 28 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ben-franklin-wasnt-serious-when-implied-wild-turkey-respectable-national-symbol-wasnt-wrong-180989642/An Italian Farmer Found Some Unknown Seeds in His Attic and, With Nothing to Lose, Planted Them. The Result Was Almost Biblicalhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/italian-farmer-found-unknown-seeds-attic-with-nothing-lose-planted-them-result-biblical-180989644/When a seven-eared stem emerged from the ground, it seemed like a miracle. What Claudio Grossi had unearthed was an ancient grain that proved to be an answer to some modern problemsTue, 27 Oct 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/italian-farmer-found-unknown-seeds-attic-with-nothing-lose-planted-them-result-biblical-180989644/Bats Thrive in a Messy, Noisy World. These Four Discoveries Reveal How They Can Listen and Chatter Through the Dinhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bats-thrive-in-a-messy-noisy-world-these-four-discoveries-reveal-how-they-can-listen-and-chatter-through-the-din-180989750/From eavesdropping to echolocation tricks, science is giving us an inside look into how various bat species weaponize soundTue, 27 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bats-thrive-in-a-messy-noisy-world-these-four-discoveries-reveal-how-they-can-listen-and-chatter-through-the-din-180989750/Bison Used to Roam Eastern Europe Before They Neared Extinction. Now Researchers in Poland Want to Create a Suitable Home Where They Can Thrivehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bison-used-roam-eastern-europe-before-neared-extinction-now-researchers-poland-create-suitable-home-where-can-thrive-180989640/Once nearly extinct, wisent adapted to life in the Bialowieza Forest. Human intervention kept them from disappearing, and now humans are trying to return them to their true habitatTue, 27 Oct 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bison-used-roam-eastern-europe-before-neared-extinction-now-researchers-poland-create-suitable-home-where-can-thrive-180989640/Green Sea Turtles Are Making a Remarkable Comeback on the Remote Aldabra Atoll and Around the World. But Their Recovery Is Far From Completehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/green-sea-turtles-are-making-a-remarkable-comeback-on-the-remote-aldabra-atoll-and-around-the-world-but-their-recovery-is-far-from-complete-180989710/One year after the species was reclassified from “endangered” to “least concern,” green turtles in the western Indian Ocean exemplify that return—and the subtleties a global designation can missWed, 21 Oct 2026 19:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/green-sea-turtles-are-making-a-remarkable-comeback-on-the-remote-aldabra-atoll-and-around-the-world-but-their-recovery-is-far-from-complete-180989710/The Race for Hydrogen Fuel Has Taken These Scientists to the Arctic Seafloor. But Can They Unlock Its Secrets Before It's Too Late?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-race-for-hydrogen-fuel-has-taken-these-scientists-to-the-arctic-seafloor-but-can-they-unlock-its-secrets-before-its-too-late-180989707/On challenging expeditions, researchers have collected deep-sea bacteria that naturally produce hydrogen, exploring and documenting an ancient ecosystem that may soon be altered foreverTue, 20 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-race-for-hydrogen-fuel-has-taken-these-scientists-to-the-arctic-seafloor-but-can-they-unlock-its-secrets-before-its-too-late-180989707/Dam 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/