Smithsonian Magazine

10/09/2025

In the years leading up to and following Nigeria's declaration of independence from England in 1960, colonialism, civil war and long-sought sovereignty fueled artistic innovation. Now, for the first time, the United Kingdom is spotlighting this cultural period of its former colony.

"Nigerian Modernism," a new exhibition at the Tate Modern, celebrates 50-plus artists spanning more than half a century

10/09/2025

This fall, 69 belongings, including buffalo robes, blankets, moccasins and a doll, made their way home to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The latest episode of our podcast explores the journey of these belongings from their birthplace to a museum and back.

Dozens of personal belongings from the Rosebud Sioux tribe find their way home after spending decades in the Smithsonian collections

10/09/2025

Staff at Jay Peak Resort typically spend September and October mowing and weed-whacking the slopes to get them ready for ski season. This year, however, the resort decided to try a different approach.

Jay Peak Resort in Vermont brought in a team of hungry ungulates to help tame overgrown vegetation on its slopes before the snow flies

10/09/2025

Fred Whipple has long been recognized as a major contributor to our understanding of space and spaceflight—with contributions ranging from determining the makeup of comets to developing the particulate shielding for spacecraft that still bears his name.

How chaff was invented in World War II.

10/09/2025

Scientists have successfully used human skin cells to create fertilizable eggs, a breakthrough that could revolutionize fertility treatment.

The research could open up avenues for fertility treatments after additional refinement and trials, but it also raises ethical concerns

10/09/2025

The title of Édouard Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass in English) sounds innocent enough, but the 1863 painting generated quite the scandal in 19th-century Paris.

"The Luncheon on the Grass" caused a stir when it made its debut in 1863. A century and a half later, students defended the French artist against obscenity charges

10/09/2025

Archaeologists have unearthed troves of artwork from ancient Egypt, from intricately decorated coffins to colorful wall paintings. But how were they made? And who was responsible for creating these masterpieces?

These talented craftspeople specialized in ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, stonemasonry, coffin decorating and other art forms

10/09/2025

The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation is donating 63 Impressionist and modern works — from Cézanne, Manet, Degas, and more — to the Brooklyn Museum, MoMA, and LACMA, giving these iconic pieces new audiences across coasts. Before the works are divided, they’ll be showcased together in a traveling exhibition, ensuring audiences nationwide can experience the collection’s impact before it settles into its new homes. https://bit.ly/48n69QO

📸 Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation / Bruce White

10/09/2025

It’s almost Halloween! 🎃 Which means pumpkin patches are buzzing, gourds are glowing, and it’s carving season… but how do you keep your jack-o’-lantern looking fresh through the spooky season?

A horticulturalist from the New York Botanical Garden shares expert tips to make your pumpkin last longer and stay picture-perfect: https://bit.ly/42zWjHr

📸: Getty Images

10/09/2025

There's a lot left to uncover in the deep depths of the ocean, but last year a research vessel amassed a slew of amazing deep-sea discoveries off the coast of Chile. Using an underwater robot, scientists documented an awe-inspiring collection of oceanic creatures that included crustaceans with incredibly long arms called squat lobsters, sea toads able to ambush prey with their highly evolved senses, rarely seen whiplash squid that sport bulging eyes and brightly colored spiraling corals. How many new species did they find? https://bit.ly/4mYePRk

Let us know what strange creatures you think lurk in the deep in the comments below.

📸 Ocean Portal / David Shale

10/09/2025

The fish were spotted above the former site of the J.C. Boyle Dam. The dam was one of four that had blocked the salmon’s migration between the Klamath Basin and the Pacific Ocean. Each of those dams was deconstructed in the largest dam removal project in United States history, which has restored the river to its natural, free-flowing state.

Why did biologists doubt their salmon sighting? https://bit.ly/3IN12ir



📸: Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington / Flickr

10/09/2025

After a female octopus lays a clutch of eggs, she does what any new parent would: carefully watch over her progeny. She stays with them in her den, protects them from predators and blows water over them to keep them oxygenated. But then things get weird: she stops eating and begins to self-mutilate, tearing off her skin or even eating her own arms. She’s dead before the eggs can hatch.

What's behind this mysterious behavior? https://bit.ly/4h82kBq



📸: Tom Kleindinst, Marine Biological Laboratory