Smithsonian Magazine56m
Ancient Romans Breathed in Enough Lead to Lower Their IQs, Study Finds. Did That Toxin Contribute to the Empire’s Fall?
Using Arctic ice core samples, researchers estimate silver mining and smelting released enough lead during the Pax Romana to ...
Smithsonian Magazine2h
A Quarry Worker Felt Strange Bumps While Digging. They Turned Out to Be the Largest Dinosaur Trackway in the U.K.
The five sets of tracks represent four-legged sauropods and a three-toed carnivore that might have crossed paths on a ...
Smithsonian Magazine2h
See the Sprawling Secret Passageway Built for Florence’s Elite 450 Years Ago
The 2,500-foot-long Vasari Corridor impressed guests of the Medicis and other leaders that followed (including Benito ...
Smithsonian Magazine3h
See How Basquiat’s Travels to the Swiss Alps Influenced His Artistic Development
A new exhibition in Switzerland examines the New York City artist's lesser-known fascination with pine trees and snowy ...
Smithsonian Magazine8h
Marlon Brando Wanted to Build a ‘University of the Sea.’ These Scientists Are Bringing the Late Actor’s Vision to Life
On Tetiaroa, a vibrant coral atoll dotted with sandy islets, archaeologists, marine biologists and cultural practitioners are ...
Smithsonian Magazine9h
The Roots of U.S. Work Culture—and Why the American Dream Is So Difficult to Achieve Today
A new book examines the evolution of the American workplace, interrogating the idea that hard work is enough to ensure ...
Smithsonian Magazine23h
A Brief History of the Goodyear Blimp, Which Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary This Year
The tire company's iconic "lighter-than-air" craft debuted in 1925 and began providing aerial coverage of events across the country in 1955 ...
Smithsonian Magazine11h
On This Day in 1785, Two Men Braved Death When They Flew Across the English Channel in a Balloon
Jean-Pierre Blanchard and John Jeffries' harrowing journey was the first aerial crossing between France and Britain ...
Smithsonian Magazine22h
Archaeologists Unearth Early Medieval Sword Engraved With Mysterious Runes in a Cemetery in England
Dating to the fifth and sixth centuries C.E., the burials held a trove of grave goods—but the team was particularly impressed ...
Smithsonian Magazine1d
Alcohol Consumption Raises the Risk of Seven Cancers, Says U.S. Surgeon General in a New Health Advisory
The "Nation's Doctor" has called for a cancer warning label on alcoholic beverages and suggests the recommended limits for ...
Smithsonian Magazine1d
Seven Ways to Explore Alaska’s Endangered Glacial World
With the state’s glaciers retreating at alarming rates, there is no time like now to trek, climb, paddle and fly to see them ...
Smithsonian Magazine1d
The Death-Defying Attempt to Circumnavigate the World in a Canoe
In 1901, the Canadian mariner John Voss set sail from British Columbia in a modified dugout canoe. He was headed for ...