Smithson was one of the first researchers to systematically categorize calamine—or zinc as it was later called. In 1832, three years after Smithson’s death, French mineralogist François Sulpice ...

A new analysis from researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History reveals that nearly half of the genus Heliconia, a group of tropical plants popular for their bright, ...

Roxie Laybourne, a Smithsonian bird expert, invented the science of using feathers to solve bird-related mysteries. On the Sidedoor podcast episode "The Feather Detective," we revisit some of Roxie's ...