Smithsonian Magazine

How a Mesoamerican insect once created the globe’s most coveted color

The MIT graduate speaks to how he ended up studying the stars for the Catholic Church.

Drill deep into the mysteries of our home planet, from the surface all the way down to the core

Scientists are sitting on top of the world after this monumental discovery and are eager to keep exploring the universe

Emily Temple-Wood’s Women Scientist project is writing female researchers back into the conversation

More than a mile below the surface, our planet supports diverse creatures that could give us clues about life across the solar system

The trouble with the maligned crop isn’t its popularity, but where it’s planted

The high-flying microbes can travel across the globe, spreading disease or even changing climates.

Ancient volcanic rocks may have preserved tiny samples of the planet’s original moisture