Smithsonian Magazine

⁣What Triggered the Devastating Floods in Nepal and Tibet, and Are We Due for More in the Future? Here's What Scientists Know So Far Natural hazards researchers suspect that a landslide involving a glacier triggered the event, and they say more could happen because of human-caused climate change https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-triggered-the-devastating-floods-in-nepal-and-tibet-and-are-we-due-for-more-in-the-future-heres-what-scientists-know-so-far-180989426/

⁣See the Digitally Reconstructed Face of an Ancient Man Who Witnessed England’s Greatest Upheaval The so-called “Conquest Man” was buried in England in 1079, just over a decade into the reign of William the Conqueror. Researchers recently analyzed the skeleton’s DNA and teeth to learn more about him https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-digitally-reconstructed-face-of-an-ancient-man-who-witnessed-englands-greatest-upheaval-180989425/

⁣'Odyssey' Translator Emily Wilson Is Starting Over After Calling Christopher Nolan's Blockbuster Film 'Abysmal' Nearly a decade after her acclaimed first translation was released, Wilson is taking a fresh approach to Homer's ancient Greek epic https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/emily-wilson-will-completely-re-translate-homers-odyssey-after-calling-christopher-nolan-blockbuster-film-abysmal-180989423/

⁣A New Museum in Norway Is Bringing Visitors Into the World of Whales—From Life-Size Orcas to Immersive Underwater Exhibits Opening in 2027, The Whale will explore the science, behavior, evolution and cultural history of whales through art, storytelling, sound and architecture https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-museum-in-northern-norway-is-bringing-visitors-into-the-world-of-whales-from-life-size-orcas-to-immersive-underwater-exhibits-180989421/

⁣Thieves Steal 3,000-Year-Old Treasure in a 'Super-Professional' Museum Heist That Took Only Four Minutes Officials were shaken after dozens of ancient artifacts vanished from the local archaeological museum in Villena, Spain. The thieves left only a few pieces from the Bronze Age treasure behind https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thieves-steal-3000-year-old-treasure-in-a-super-professional-museum-heist-that-took-only-four-minutes-180989418/

⁣Would You Eat a Cookie Made From Upcycled Plastic? Scientists Propose a New Way to Deal With Waste and Provide Food in Extreme Environments A team of researchers programmed yeast to turn broken-down plastic and agricultural waste into sweet treats called µBites. They might come in handy during deep-space missions or in disaster zones, although some critics say the food is impractical https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/would-you-eat-a-cookie-made-from-upcycled-plastics-scientists-propose-a-new-way-to-deal-with-waste-and-provide-food-in-extreme-environments-180989413/

⁣Archaeologists in Denmark Discover Rare Fragments of 1,300-Year-Old Clothing Preserved Inside a Viking Age Grave Researchers found the textile traces on a pair of metal brooches. When the accessories corroded, they released metallic salts that inadvertently preserved the fabric for centuries https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-in-denmark-discover-rare-fragments-of-1300-year-old-clothing-preserved-inside-viking-age-grave-180989419/

⁣Meet the Newly Discovered Fuzzy Fish Species Named After Mr. Snuffleupagus From 'Sesame Street' The ghost pipefish's scruffy appearance probably helps it look like floating algae, allowing it to blend in with its environment. Researchers had been on the hunt for this strange creature for years after first spotting one more than two decades ago https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-newly-discovered-fuzzy-fish-species-named-after-mr-snuffleupagus-from-sesame-street-180988774/

⁣For Many Americans, Covid Is Still a Chronic, Disabling Disease. These Scientists Are Working Tirelessly to Bring Them Relief Long Covid saps the strength and vitality of patients, who have little recourse to fight it. A team of specialists—including an afflicted researcher working mostly from her bed—is looking for answers https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/many-americans-covid-still-chronic-disabling-disease-scientists-working-tirelessly-bring-them-relief-180989290/

⁣‘Rocky’ Is the Story of an Underdog, Created by an Underdog, That Has Spawned Box-Office Champions for Half a Century Sylvester Stallone was a struggling actor when he was inspired by a real boxing match to write the film that became a legend. This year, the origin story of the franchise turns 50. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/rocky-story-underdog-created-underdog-spawned-box-office-champions-half-century-180989274/

⁣NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launches to Find Exoplanets and Unravel Mysteries of Dark Matter and Dark Energy The new observatory will complete three surveys of the universe in five years, although it's designed to function at least twice as long. Its data could change scientists' basic understanding of the cosmos https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-launches-to-find-exoplanets-and-unravel-mysteries-of-dark-matter-and-dark-energy-180989268/

⁣Forests Didn't Fare Well During an Ancient Global Warming Event, Offering a 'Cautionary' Tale About Today's Climate Change An intense global warming event 56 million years ago caused a forest in modern-day Wyoming to lose around 60 percent of its canopy cover, and it took more than 100,000 years to bounce back, a study suggests https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/forests-didnt-fare-well-during-an-ancient-global-warming-event-offering-a-cautionary-tale-about-todays-climate-change-180989353/

⁣Deep Inside a Spanish Cave, Roman Women May Have Worshipped a Mysterious Goddess Best known for its Paleolithic art, Valencia’s Cova de les Dones also contains a Roman sanctuary where researchers say women appear to have played an active role in the worship of a female deity https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-inside-spanish-cave-roman-women-may-have-worshipped-mysterious-goddess-180989414/

⁣Historical Pollution, Not Current Industrial Emissions, Damaged the World's Largest and Oldest Collection of Ancient Rock Art, Study Suggests Researchers say that past exposure to sulfur dioxide is likely to blame for the increased porosity of the Murujuga rock art created by the Ngarda-Ngarli people tens of thousands of years ago https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/historical-pollution-not-current-industrial-emissions-damaged-worlds-largest-oldest-collection-ancient-rock-art-180989416/

⁣This Star Orbits Our Galaxy's Heart at a Record-Breaking Speed—and Could Help Uncover Secrets About the Behemoth Black Hole There The speedster travels at up to 56 million miles per hour, or about 8 percent the speed of light. It also gets very close to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-star-orbits-our-galaxys-heart-at-a-record-breaking-speed-and-could-help-uncover-secrets-about-the-behemoth-black-hole-there-180989393/

⁣A Landlord Found a Peculiar Print Hanging in a Vacant Apartment. It Turned Out to Be an Original Picasso That Had Been Missing for Eight Years When "Torero" vanished from a Milwaukee art gallery in 2018, the owners didn't know whether they'd ever see it again. The man who found the etching turned it over to the police earlier this month https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-landlord-found-a-peculiar-print-hanging-in-a-vacant-apartment-it-turned-out-to-be-an-original-picasso-print-that-had-been-missing-for-eight-years-180989417/

⁣When Fruit Is Scarce, These Monkeys Hunt Animals. The Behavior May Offer Clues About the Origins of Humans' Meat-Eating Habits The bearded capuchins of northeastern Brazil typically eat plant-based foods, but they turn to small vertebrates when those sources are limited. Our ancestors may have done the same, eventually allowing predatory behaviors to be more frequently passed on in our lineage https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-fruit-is-scarce-these-monkeys-hunt-animals-the-behavior-may-offer-clues-about-the-origins-of-humans-meat-eating-habits-180989412/

⁣These Enchanting and Colorful Photos of Seashells and the Mollusks That Create Them Will Have You Marveling at the Natural World Before they become sandy souvenirs, the baubles in the bubbles of the shoreline serve as a veritable fortress for creatures like clams, mussels and conchs https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/enchanting-colorful-photos-seashells-mollusks-who-create-them-have-you-marveling-at-natural-world-180989291/

⁣These 15 Photos of India, Saturated With Vibrant Color, Are Like Witnessing the Country Through a Kaleidoscope Whether they signify spiritual connection or creative license, the bright, bold hues of the subcontinent often mean more than meets the eye https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/these-15-photos-saturated-with-vibrant-color-are-like-seeing-india-through-a-kaleidoscope-180989375/

⁣Snails Can Make Their Slime Sticky, Slippery, Foamy or Hard Depending on Their Needs. Here's How They Tweak Their Multipurpose Mucus The critters can alter the proportions of calcium and collagen in the versatile substance, which changes the protein structure. The different textures can help snails glide, climb or protect themselves https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/snails-can-make-their-slime-sticky-slippery-foamy-or-hard-depending-on-their-needs-heres-how-they-tweak-their-multipurpose-mucus-180989361/