Smithsonian Stories

Stories that spark curiosity from the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex.

Kali Holder headshot with protective glasses on.
Meet a Scientist

Gaining Lessons on Life from an Animal Death

A veterinary pathologist approaches the job with humor and compassion. 
black and white image of leeches
Smithsonian Story

Discovering the World’s Creepy-Crawlies

Finding and describing the world’s bugs and worms.
Allen Collins holds up a small container with a tiny jellyfish.
Meet a Scientist

Exploring the Diversity of Jellyfish

Painful stings don’t stop this scientist from describing new jellyfish species.
Carlos Jaramillo stands in front of a bridge over the Panama Canal on a cloudy day.
Meet a Scientist

A Fossil Community in the Tropics

A scientist in Panama builds a paleontological community from scratch.
An illustrated document in black and white that says 'WIDE AWAKE CLUB' and whose central image shows crowds and troops before th
Smithsonian Story

Disinformation and the Civil War

What can the media environment of the past tell us about today?
Tim Rose sits on the edge of a large hole in the ground.
Meet a Scientist

Geology Can Be More than Just Rocks

Meet a geologist who analyzes everything from flea fossils to asteroids in support of all science.
engraving of Congress
Smithsonian Story

American Revolutionaries and Patriotism

When modern Americans call themselves patriots, they are evoking a sentiment that is 250 years old.
Black and white photo of a balloon ascending
Smithsonian Story

Shaping Innovation in the United States

Learn how the Smithsonian has supported our nation’s historic scientific innovations.
Gonzalo Gonzalez Abad stands in front of a telescope at Harvard.
Meet a Scientist

A Physicist on a Social Mission

Gonzalo Gonzalez Abad works with the TEMPO space probe to measure pollution across the United States.
Two teak mid-century modern chairs sit on a black background.
Smithsonian Story

Do Debates Matter?

Bobbleheads, Magic 8 Balls, chairs, and other artifacts help us understand the past and present. 
A small black circle surrounded by fiery red and orange colors.
Smithsonian Story

Distant "Little Red Dots" Are a Mystery to Scientists

Smithsonian astrophysicists are working understand what these far away objects are.
A metal craft with two solar pans on the sides shown against the Sun.
Smithsonian Story

Solar Probes Help Researchers Understand What Gives Solar Wind Its Energy

The source of solar wind's energy hasn't been known—until now.
Carly Muletz Wolz holds a net in a muddy river.
Meet a Scientist

Studying Small Microbes Answers Big Questions

From a cheetah stomachache to soil quality in the tropics, microbiologist Carly Muletz Wolz finds big answers by looking at tiny microbes.
Obama at the DNC with vertical signs
Smithsonian Story

Smithsonian Curators at the Democratic National Convention

Smithsonian curators encounter ‘Coconut farmers for Harris,’ influencers, vertical signs, and more.
woman with American flag purse surrounded by red and blue balloons
Smithsonian Story

Historians Diving for Balloons and Hoping for Hot Dish

Find out what Smithsonian curators will be doing at the Democratic National Convention.
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Smithsonian Story

Could Dinosaurs Still Exist?

One group of dinosaurs is still around. To find them, just go outside and look up.
Two swift foxes sit in the middle of green grass.
Smithsonian Story

Four Facts about Grasslands

Learn about the grasses that cover around 40 percent of the Earth’s landmass.
A woman in a green shirt crouches amidst tall green grass surrounded by silver instruments.
Meet a Scientist

A Glimpse into the Future via a Marsh

Experiments on marshes of the Chesapeake Bay help us understand the impacts of a warmer future. 
A collage of square images showing various brightly colored stars, nebulas and galaxies in space.
Smithsonian Story

Ten Amazing New Images of Space

Never-before-seen images offer new ways of understanding our universe.
A crowd of people with tall pillars in red, white and blue with state names on them.
Smithsonian Story

Collecting at Political Conventions

The Smithsonian’s campaign collection dates back to George Washington and helps to provide context to a moment.
John Grant sits at his desk looking at a computer screen.
Meet a Scientist

Was There Life on Mars?

A scientist at the National Air and Space Museum is on the hunt for evidence that life could have existed on Mars. 
A sea turtle swimming in clear water.
Smithsonian Story

Science Knowledge Seeds Solutions

Smithsonian research informs policies and regulations that protect the environment.
A blond woman stands with her hands up in front of an array.
Meet a Scientist

Education Unlocks the Universe

A first generation college student reaches for the stars at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Logan Kistler stands in the snow with his dog.
Meet a Scientist

Do We Really Want to Bring Back Dinosaurs?

We hate to break it to you, but a real-world Jurassic Park will never happen. 

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