In a new study, scientists Stewart Edie of the Smithsonian, Shan Huang of the University of Birmingham and colleagues drastically expanded the list of bivalve species, such as clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and their relatives, that humans are known to harvest and identified the traits that make these species prime targets for harvesting.
Researchers from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History have identified the oldest decisive evidence of humans’ close evolutionary relatives butchering and likely eating one another.
Along the shores of Africa’s Lake Victoria in Kenya roughly 2.9 million years ago, early human ancestors used some of the oldest stone tools ever found to butcher hippos and pound plant material, according to new research led by scientists with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and Queens College, CUNY, as well as the National Museums of Kenya, Liverpool John Moores University and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Smithsonian researchers have discovered a new extinct species of lizard-like reptile that belongs to the same ancient lineage as New Zealand’s living tuatara.
Marine predation intensifies in warmer waters; could reshape ocean communities as climate changes.
The Smithsonian announced today the launch of Smithsonian Open Access, an initiative that removes Smithsonian copyright restrictions from about 2.8 million of its digital collection images and nearly two centuries of data. This means that people everywhere can now download, transform and share this open access content for any purpose, for free, without further permission from the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian Board of Regents has elected Steve Case as its chair, effective Jan. 28, 2020. He will succeed David M. Rubenstein, who has served as chair since January 2017 and will remain on the board’s executive committee. Case, chairman and CEO of the investment firm Revolution, has been a member of the board since 2011.
With back-to-school season underway, just the sight of this pencil sharpener may bring back memories of school days past. Generations after it was first introduced, this style of sharpener can still be found in schools today.
For the first time in its 47-year history, Smithsonian Gardens is presenting a campus-wide exhibition featuring multiple exhibits across the Smithsonian. “Habitat,” on display through December 2020, includes 14 distinct exhibits in indoor and outdoor garden spaces at various Smithsonian museums, all exploring a central theme: protecting habitats protects life.
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and occurs when one of Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt toward the sun, and the sun reaches its highest position in the sky. The Smithsonian’s fifth Secretary Charles G. Abbot (from 1928–1944) was particularly interested in solar changes. An astrophysicist by trade, Abbot studied solar radiation at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
The Smithsonian’s Sidedoor has returned with new episodes and a new host. Now in its fourth season, the podcast invites listeners to step behind the curtain into a fascinating world of Smithsonian stories.
The Smithsonian will celebrate the first Saturday of summer—“Solstice Saturday”—with free parties, programs and performances June 22. In addition to programs for adults and children throughout the day, most Smithsonian museums will be open until midnight. Visitors who stay late can hear live music, enjoy dance parties and explore museum exhibitions.
The Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents announced today it elected Lonnie G. Bunch III, director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, as the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian, effective June 16. Bunch is the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in September 2016. Bunch’s election is unprecedented for the Smithsonian: He will be the first African American to lead the Smithsonian, and the first historian elected Secretary.
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will present “In Mid-Sentence,” a selection of photographs from the museum’s collection that, when seen together, showcase the camera’s ability to capture people in dialogue. Featuring more than 25 images of people in the midst of public speeches, intimate confessions, shared jokes, political confrontations and other forms of verbal exchange, the exhibition will explore the power of visual communication.
The Smithsonian Latino Center’s first gallery space, the Molina Family Latino Gallery, will be dedicated to celebrating the U.S. Latino experience and open at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2021. The gallery, designed by Museum Environments/Branded Environments LLC, will feature 4,500 square feet of bilingual stories for all audiences.
The Smithsonian has announced specific plans for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative, Because of Her Story. The initiative strives to be the nation’s most comprehensive undertaking to document, research, collect, display and share the rich, complete and compelling story of women in America. It will greatly increase the Smithsonian’s research and programming related to women in the U.S., past and present.
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, welcomed a new fawn to its herd of endangered Eld’s deer Oct. 26. The fawn is doing well and her mother, Ampika, is very attentive and has been nursing and caring for the fawn since her birth. Female Eld’s deer usually live in small groups, or in pairs with their fawns, and are more commonly found in larger herds during the breeding season.
Institution-wide Initiative To Feature 365 Days of Music
he Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is hosting a three-day free public program to celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), with an after-hours event, performances, family activities and Mexico’s premier indigenous music ensemble, Pasatono. The Day of the Dead is a festival celebrated from midnight Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 by people in Mexico, parts of Central and South America and in many Latino communities across the U.S. as a way to honor family and friends that have passed away. This celebration originates from the indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica, including the Mexica (Aztec) and Maya.
The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) welcomed a litter of three cheetah cubs Sept. 22.
Pepón Osorio created “El Chandelier” for a performance piece that explored the life of a Puerto Rican woman living in New York.
Ian Fleming borrowed the name of a real-life American ornithologist for his fictional British spy.
The Smithsonian’s podcast “Sidedoor” returns Aug. 8 with an episode that takes listeners inside one of the most exclusive places in all of Washington, D.C.: the National Gem Collection vault.
Today the Smithsonian released its third installment of Second Opinion: “The State of the Arts in 21st-Century America,” which examines the importance, impact and future of the arts in America. Launched in 2017, Second Opinion is a digital platform that convenes thought leaders to explore some of the critical issues facing our nation and the world.
The dwarf lantern shark (Etmopterus perryi) is the smallest shark, and it can fit in a human hand.
This stamp, featuring the 1993 movie Jurassic Park’s iconic Tyrannosaurus rex, was released by the U.S. Postal Service in 2000 as part of a souvenir sheet “Celebrate The Century: 1990s.” Legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan illustrated the stamp. He is known for his more than 150 movie posters, including all the films in the Indiana Jones, Back to the Future and Star Wars film series.
Echoing Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, James Joyce’s novel Ulysses follows the exploits of Dubliner Leopold Bloom during the course of a single day, June 16, 1904. Not long after the book’s publication in 1922, June 16 was rechristened Bloomsday, and it’s still celebrated in Dublin and around the world with readings of Ulysses, academic conferences, musical and theatrical performances, costume contests, pub crawls and more.
The Smithsonian will celebrate the first Saturday of summer— “Solstice Saturday”—with free parties, programs and performances June 23. In addition to programs for adults and children, most Smithsonian museums will be open until midnight. Visitors who stay late can hear live music, drink champagne and explore museum exhibitions.
Marvel Comics’ Captain America rarely leaps into action without his virtually indestructible red, white and blue shield, whether in the pages of comic books or on the big screen. This shield was made in 2013 and used by actor Chris Evans from 2013 to 2015 in the Captain America films. It is now in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. It is not currently on display.
The Smithsonian invites the public to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May through a series of vibrant performances, lectures, family activities and exhibitions at its museums.
Jazz violinist Emma “Ginger” Smock was born in Chicago in 1920. She moved to Los Angeles after her parents’ deaths and was raised by her aunt and uncle, and she soon displayed precocious musical talent. Smock spent the early 1940s performing light concert music before becoming a protégé of veteran jazz violinist Stuff Smith in 1943.
This spring, visitors to some Smithsonian museums may find themselves greeted by a 4-foot-tall, wide-eyed robot named Pepper. Six Smithsonian museums have deployed the humanoid Pepper robots in an experimental program to test how robot technology can enhance visitor experiences and educational offerings.
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery recognizes the life of Barbara Bush with a photograph by Diana Walker taken in 1989. The portrait will be installed this morning in the museum’s In Memoriam space, on the first floor, and will be on view through Sunday, April 29.
The dog days of summer would be a bit cooler for puppies if they could be unleashed to fly around the neighborhood. “Winged Dog,” pictured here, is one of many fanciful creatures created by Stephan W. Polaha (1891–1977) that often mashed up different figures and concepts. For this piece, Polaha added wings to man's best friend.
In this untitled painting from his series titled “Zulu” (meaning “sky” or “heavens”), Gavin Jantjes (b. 1948, South Africa) depicted a Khoisan myth about the Milky Way.
June 1967 marked the beginning of the “Summer of Love” in San Francisco. The city’s zeitgeist was defined by its psychedelic art and music, and the Monterrey Pop Festival embodied that. Legendary performances by Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and The Who established them in the pantheon of rock stardom. Artist Bonnie MacLean’s poster for The Who’s Monterrey Pop appearance captured the city’s colorful spirit and created buzz for the British group’s gig at the Fillmore, a stop on their first trip to the West Coast of the United States.
"Sidedoor," the Smithsonian's podcast, returns today to begin its second season. The podcast transports audiences behind the scenes with stories that can't always be told through a museum exhibit.
The National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., will host family-friendly activities throughout the summer to meet every staycationer’s needs. The popular “Innovations in Flight Family Day and Aviation Display” will return June 17. Visitors will learn about science behind the total solar eclipse that will cross the United States later this summer at Your Eclipse family day July 15. Movies, story times and Smithsonian TechQuest round out the summer activities and ensure there is something for every age group.
Inspired by a rock concert, artist Debra Baxter created her “Devil Horns Crystal Brass Knuckles” series. The hand gesture known as devil horns, or rock horns, gained popularity at 1970s heavy-metal concerts as a staple of audience appreciation.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival will host a series of programs exploring American identity and creativity. “Circus Arts” will take visitors behind the scenes to explore the cultural and artistic expressions of the ever-evolving circus. The “On the Move” program will bring together hip-hop artists, muralists and poetry slam performers, among others, to explore immigration and migration from new and diverse perspectives.
For the first time in nearly 140 years, three paintings by the legendary but mysterious Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro (1753–1806) have been reunited at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery—the only location to show all three original pieces in its exhibition “Inventing Utamaro: A Japanese Masterpiece Rediscovered.”
John Davis, the Alice Pratt Brown Professor of Art at Smith College and executive director of the Terra Foundation for American Art’s Global Academic Programs and Terra Foundation Europe, has been named Under Secretary for Museums and Research/Provost at the Smithsonian. He will be the first person to hold this position created by Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton to lead and promote multidisciplinary activities across the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian invites the public to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month throughout May with a series of performances, lectures, exhibitions, family activities and tours at various museums around the Smithsonian. All programs are free unless otherwise indicated.
Many people mistakenly think that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day, which is celebrated Sept. 16. Cinco de Mayo actually celebrates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla May 5, 1862.
This summer, the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden will commemorate the 10th anniversary of Yoko Ono’s celebratory installation “Wish Tree for Washington, D.C.,” an interactive artwork in which museum visitors tie their handwritten wishes to the tree’s branches, with a complementary series of Ono’s iconic installations and performances.
The Panamanian golden frog is critically endangered and may be functionally extinct in the wild. Scientists at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are working to save the Panamanian golden frog and other amphibians. With the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and partners, they’re breeding and maintaining a healthy and viable population of some of the world’s most endangered frogs.
The Smithsonian’s Earth Optimism Summit will bring together more than 150 scientists, thought leaders, philanthropists, conservationists and civic leaders to talk about what is working in conservation and how to scale up and replicate it.
Orchids make up 10 percent of the world's plant species; more than 50 percent of native orchids in North America are listed as threatened or endangered in some part of their home range. Botanist Dennis Whigham and his colleagues at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, Md., are doing their part to conserve these beautiful flowers by studying the interactions between orchids and fungi.
Whales from both poles migrate long distances to breed in tropical waters. Smithsonian scientist Hector M. Guzman and Fernando Félix at the Salinas Whale Museum in Ecuador tagged 47 humpbacks with satellite transmitters to understand how the humpbacks’ Southeastern Pacific population moves within breeding areas.
Smithsonian Gardens celebrates National Garden Month with the launch of its first mobile app “Community of Gardens,” which brings stories of gardening in the United States to life.
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