Archivo: Smithsonian Magazine
Komodo Dragons Have Skin That Looks Like Chain Mail
CT scans show layered bone covers the adult reptile’s body, likely to protect them when fighting for mates and food
A Star Orbiting in the Extreme Gravity of a Black Hole Validates General Relativity
The star S0-2 gets so close to the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy that it can be used to test our fundamental understanding of gravity
Discovery of Raptor-Like Dinosaur Adds a New Wrinkle to the Origin of Birds
A small, 150 million-year-old dinosaur unearthed in Wyoming ran on the ground, but it may have been closely related to some of the first fliers
LightSail 2 Launches to Space to Soar on the Power of Sunshine
The Planetary Society’s second solar sail will attempt to use sunlight to fly through space
Record-Breaking Heat in Alaska Wreaks Havoc on Communities and Ecosystems
Abnormally high temperatures have led to unsafe travel conditions, uncertain ecological futures and even multiple deaths
Reimagining the Megalodon, the World’s Most Terrifying Sea Creature
The ancient beast of the oceans comes to life in a new display at the National Museum of Natural History
Particles From Cold War Nuclear Bomb Tests Found in Deepest Parts of the Ocean
Crustaceans in the Mariana Trench and other underwater canyons feed on food from the surface laced with carbon-14 from Cold War bomb tests
Yes, Giant Technicolor Squirrels Actually Roam the Forests of Southern India
The colorful creatures can measure up to three feet long from head to tail and weigh in at around four pounds
One of the ‘Rarest Butterflies Ever’ May Have Been a Moth All Along
A species description from more than two centuries ago has fooled scientists until now
How Ether Went From a Recreational ‘Frolic’ Drug to the First Surgery Anesthetic
Before ether was used as an anesthetic in surgery, doctors relied on less effective techniques for pain relief, such as hypnosis