Smithsonian articles

Recent articles from Smithsonian

Positive thinking: funny-looking cells and an air of expectation.(FROM THE EDITOR)(Editorial)
June 1, 2009... INGFEI CHEN, who has been writing about science and medicine for the better part of two decades, likes stories about new ideas and new ways of thinking about old problems. So an article in a scientific journal about what she calls some "funny-looking" cells found in the brains of humans and...

Your kind of town.(YOUR SMITHSONIAN.COM)(Spring Ho)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... MY TOWN OF 6,000 PEOPLE is, as we say, an hour from civilization in any direction. This is a good thing, we think, as it allows us to make our own fun and care for our own neighbors. We do not have a movie theater, but we have one of the best annual festivals (right) and parades in Texas....

Greensburg greens.(YOUR SMITHSONIAN.COM)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... This is an example of the American spirit I thought we had lost (right: Greensburg resident Scott Eller and his energy-efficient new house). Thanks for setting an example of how to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. --Michael Garlick, of Saginaw, Michigan, on the Kansas town's...

Editors' pick.(PHOTO CONTEST)(Photograph)
June 1, 2009... "Within about 30 seconds the cloud was blown away by a gentle west wind." --Anthony Romero, of Camarillo, Calif., on his photograph of a fireman during a training exercise Visit our Web site to submit a photo to our 7th annual contest.

Safety causes rudeness.(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Racers used to treat each other with utmost respect, knowing that missed signals could mean death. Drivers today are no longer shy about bumping competitors out of the way, knowing that injury is not likely. --Janos Wimpffen, of Langley, Washington, on the paradoxical phenomenon called...