Smithsonian Magazine

06/11/2026

Some bumblebees can spontaneously solve problems, a discovery that further underscores the colorful creatures’ sophisticated cognitive abilities.

In a series of experiments, the fuzzy pollinators figured out how to use a ball as a tool to access a sugary treat. The study further highlights that the critters are quite clever despite their tiny brains

06/10/2026

Researchers recovered environmental DNA from ancient ground squirrel p**p.

Up to 700,000 years ago, ground squirrels in modern-day Canada collected tons of helpful genetic information on their bygone environment through their diet

06/10/2026

When David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" premiered to an audience of 36 million Americans in 1990, it became perhaps the strangest mainstream hit to ever air on television. Today you can visit a number of sites from the show, including the Double R Diner, which was filmed at Twede’s Cafe.

What iconic filming location would you like to visit? Let us know in the comments below, then check out this "on the screen" spot and more on our map of 250 places to celebrate America: https://bit.ly/3SdVtxF

📸: Simona Flamigni / Getty Images

06/10/2026

Danish toymaker Lego is launching a new 12,060-piece set of a 3D model of the landmark. The kit, which will be released in November, incorporates many of the church’s most iconic architectural features.

Pioneering architect Antoni Gaudí’s plans for the basilica were ambitious and complex, drawing on creative geometric forms and ancient inspiration, which is one reason why it remains unfinished after 144 years

06/10/2026

At a press conference on June 9, NASA announced the crew of its upcoming Artemis 3 mission to low-Earth orbit.

The mission, expected to launch next year, will practice meeting and docking with lunar landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin

06/10/2026

Nearly 2,000 sheets of Leonardo da Vinci’s manuscripts and drawings have been reconstructed in a new online archive, marking the first time since the late 16th century that this set of works from the man considered one of history’s most famous inventors can be read in full and in order.

A new tool developed by Museo Galileo researchers has restored 50 pages from fragments excised centuries ago

06/10/2026

“The Pathhead brooch is a miniature masterpiece of craftworking and the details are exquisite,” says Fraser Hunter, principal curator of prehistory and Roman archaeology at National Museums Scotland. “Fancy Roman pieces like this were unusual, even at the time, and were used to show off in local society.”

The "miniature masterpiece" will go on display during an upcoming exhibition focused on the legacy Rome left in the highlands the empire dubbed Caledonia

06/10/2026

Follow along as we retrace the route one journalist laid out in “The Fashionable Tour,” from New York City to Niagara Falls, when memories of the fight for independence were still fresh.

Follow along as we retrace the route one journalist laid out in “The Fashionable Tour,” from New York City to Niagara Falls, when memories of the fight for independence were still fresh

06/10/2026

Gladys West had an “insatiable thirst for knowledge.” She used computers, radars and satellites to make calculations that led to the GPS technology that allows us to pinpoint any spot on the globe.

Gladys West had an “insatiable thirst for knowledge.” She used computers, radars and satellites to make calculations that led to the GPS technology that allows us to pinpoint any spot on the globe

06/10/2026

In a poignant pattern, many of the most important contributions to suffrage were enacted—or inspired—by mothers.

In a poignant pattern, many of the most important contributions to suffrage were enacted—or inspired—by mothers