Smithsonian institution on the conversation

May 29, 2025 Elic Weitzel, _Smithsonian Institution_ A new archaeological study finds early evidence of white-tailed deer declines in the 17th century, likely driven by the commodification

of deerskins under colonial capitalism. May 20, 2025 Bethanee Bemis, _Smithsonian Institution_ Disney parks have become stops on a secular pilgrimage made by presidents and ordinary citizens

alike, places to understand what it means to be an American. May 13, 2025 Mary Magnuson, _The Conversation_ Missions that return asteroid samples bring home more than just very expensive

dust. These samples can provide valuable insights for scientists and commercial interests. May 8, 2025 Lily Bentley, _The University of Queensland_; Autumn-Lynn Harrison, _Smithsonian

Institution_, and Daniel Dunn, _The University of Queensland_ The map combines findings from more than 1,300 studies and is an important tool for conservation. April 29, 2025 Logan S. James,

_The University of Texas at Austin_; Rachel Page, _Smithsonian Institution_, and Ximena Bernal, _Purdue University_ By listening to a frog call, adult bats can tell which prey are palatable

and which are poisonous. Young bats must acquire this ability over time. April 11, 2025 Briana Pobiner, _Smithsonian Institution_; Sabrina Curran, _Ohio University_, and Virgil Drãgușin,

_Academia Română_ Researchers reexamining fossils identified telltale marks made by human ancestors cutting meat from bones. The discovery pushes back the date hominins started living in

Europe by 200,000 years. March 27, 2025 Bradley J. Cardinale, _Penn State_; Emmett Duffy, _Smithsonian Institution_, and Rod Schoonover, _Georgetown University_ Overfishing, disease and

environmental crimes cause social and political instability, economic strife and strained international relations. March 25, 2025 Reneé S. Anderson, _Smithsonian Institution_ Mae Reeves was

the creative and business force behind Mae’s Millinery, a pioneering boutique near the corner of 60th and Market streets in Philadelphia. March 24, 2025 Frank A. Blazich Jr., _Smithsonian

Institution_ Trump wants Ukraine to repay the US for the military aid it sent Kyiv. Once upon a time, the US was more generous: It rebuilt Western Europe after World War II. March 20, 2025

Natalia Przelomska, _Smithsonian Institution_ and Logan Kistler, _Smithsonian Institution_ Research that combined archaeology, history and ecology provides a nuanced understanding of the

past that could help conservationists better plan for the future. April 24, 2025 Arthur Daemmrich, _Arizona State University_ and Eric S. Hintz, _Smithsonian Institution_ Technological

advances that lead to fairer, more accurate calls are often seen as triumphs. But new technology doesn’t mean perfect precision – nor does it necessarily create a better fan experience.

February 6, 2025 Alexandra M. Lord, _Smithsonian Institution_ With the devastating 1918 pandemic in mind, US health officials saw an outbreak in Asia and swung into action. What happened

offers lessons for today. February 3, 2025 Kate McMahon, _Smithsonian Institution_ Portraits of enslaved people from the 19th century are unusual. But a Connecticut artist named William H.

Townsend decided to draw the rebels as they stood trial, leaving behind an invaluable record. January 29, 2025 Timothy J McCoy, _Smithsonian Institution_ and Sara Russell, _Natural History

Museum_ New findings reveal that a NASA mission traveled to an asteroid that may have once been covered in salty lakes containing organic molecules. January 15, 2025 Patrick Megonigal,

_Smithsonian Institution_ Em casos de emergência, despejar água do mar em incêndios pode ser a melhor opção. Mas a água do mar pode ter efeitos de longo prazo sobre equipamentos e

ecossistemas, como mostra um novo experimento costeiro. January 14, 2025 Claire Jerry, _Smithsonian Institution_ Inaugural addresses that newly minted presidents have given over the past 250

years have aimed to do several key things, including unify the country and establish the speaker’s qualifications for the job. January 13, 2025 Patrick Megonigal, _Smithsonian Institution_

In emergencies, dumping ocean water on fires may be the best option. But seawater can have long-term effects on equipment and ecosystems, as a novel coastal experiment shows. December 20,

2024 Nick Lehr, _The Conversation_ Disaster recovery isn’t just about repairing bridges, roads and homes. Conservationists from the Smithsonian were on the ground in North Carolina helping

families piece their lives back together. December 20, 2024 Ellen Welti, _Smithsonian Institution_ Rising carbon dioxide levels in the air are making plants grow larger and faster, but

diluting their nutritional content. This could threaten the health of herbivores worldwide. November 28, 2024 Anna K. Behrensmeyer, _Smithsonian Institution_; Kevin Hatala, _Chatham

University_, and Purity Kiura, _National Museums of Kenya_ Ancient fossil footprints are the first evidence of two different hominin species − Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei − living

in the same place at the same time.