Smithsonian Magazine

Can Apes Play Pretend? What Scientists Learned From Having Imaginary ‘Tea Parties’ With Kanzi the Bonobo

The study focused on Kanzi, a language-trained bonobo who died in March 2025 at the age of 44. Ape Initiative.
Smithsonian Magazine

Construction Workers Digging in Northern England Stumble Upon a 2,200-Pound Cannon That May Be More Than 300 Years Old

Crews unearthed the artifact while working on a restoration project at Queen's Gardens, a public park that was once the largest dock in the United Kingdom ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Giant Tortoises Vanished From the Galápagos’ Floreana Island More Than 150 Years Ago. Now, Conservationists Have Brought Them Back

On February 20, 158 captive-bred creatures were released onto the island. The return of these young tortoises, ages 8 to 13, ...
Smithsonian Magazine

The Oldest State Park in America Is About to Expand

Niagara Falls State Park in western New York is absorbing two neighboring parks, which will add more than 150 acres and new ...
Smithsonian Magazine

See the First Known Footage of an Elusive Southern Sleeper Shark Swimming in Antarctica’s Near-Freezing Waters

Screenshot from the footage of a sleeper shark seen in Antarctica's waters. Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre. Sharks are ancient creatures—even older than land dinosaurs— ...
Smithsonian Magazine

The Nazis Stole This Rare Jewish Prayer Book Decorated With Dragons, Unicorns and Intricate Floral Patterns. It Just Sold for $6.4 Million at Auction

A scribe created the volume, now known as the Rothschild Vienna Mahzor, in Vienna 600 years ago. It was recently returned to ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Wide Horizons

Smithsonian internships empower the next generation of changemakers.
Smithsonian Magazine

This Austrian Diplomat Resigned When the Nazis Annexed His Country. To Make Ends Meet, His Wife Turned to Dressmaking—and Captivated the American Public

Gretchen Prochnik was known around Washington, D.C. for her stylish looks. She capitalized on this interest to launch a successful business after Austria "ceased to exist" in 1938 ...