Smithsonian Magazine
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A New Recreation Shows How Ancient Romans Lifted Wild Animals Into the Colosseum
It is the 1st century AD and 50,000 screaming ancient Romans are crammed into the tight seats of the Colosseum, then officially called the “Flavian Amphitheater.” As the din of […]
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X-Rays Reveal Why Old Chocolate Turns White
The white bloom marring the face of a chocolate bar hidden away for a bit too long, thankfully, doesn’t mean the candy can’t be consumed. But it does seem to change […]
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Researchers Come Closer to Making Everyone a Universal Blood Donor
The approach uses an enzyme to snip off the parts of blood cells that can prove problematic.
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Building a Bionic Pancreas
A device that tracks blood sugar and automatically administers insulin and glucagon could take some pressure off Type 1 diabetes patients and their parents
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Like Tiny Scientists, Babies Learn Best By Focusing on Surprising Objects
Lab tests suggest that infants learn more about the world around them when they encounter and investigate unexpected phenomena
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A Tired Brain Could Actually Be More Creative
The wandering thoughts brought on by fatigue can lead to insight
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The Rules of Wrinkling, From Brain Folds to Pumpkin Ridges
Creases, ridges, folds and “delaminated buckles” are all different forms of wrinkling.
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‘The Stars and Sun Are Everywhere’: 50 Years of Spacewalks
Fifty years ago today, Russian Cosmonaut Alexey Leonov did something no human had ever done before. He jumped out of a spacecraft and into space. “The silence struck me,” he […]
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Our Brains Hate Waiting So We Sped Up Everything Else
Sidewalk rage, road rage and anger at slow-loading web pages are all part of our evolutionary inheritance