Ultimately, the gel-first hypothesis does not claim to provide a definitive answer to the origin of life. Rather, it offers a conceptual framework—one that integrates soft-matter physics, systems ...

Using gold flakes, salt water, and light, scientists have made the universe’s invisible binding forces visible in color. The ...

Humans develop sharp vision during early fetal development thanks to an interplay between a vitamin A derivative and thyroid hormones in the retina, Johns Hopkins University scientists have found. The ...

And so, ships had cats, and so did traders’ caravans, and some of these felines stepped out nimbly at ports and settled on different continents. Domestic cats around the world today, in fact, can be ...

A “disappearing” star in the Andromeda galaxy is the closest and best candidate for a newborn black hole that astronomers have ever seen ...

The carbon filament used in Edison’s 1897 light bulb experiments generated the precise amount of heat needed to produce ...

Scientists have uncovered incredible truths about the universe, yet some mysteries still refuse to show us an explanation.

Surprisingly, a toxic compound found on Mars could help bacteria produce brick-like substances that could be used to assemble habitats on the Red Planet.

From scrapped EVs to Formula 1 tech and battery ambitions, Ford's 2026 roadmap is full of sharp turns. Not all of them point where you'd expect.

Some days invite big ideas, and others call for light curiosity. If you need a quick lift, this collection is made for ...

From the Smithsonian magazine archives, some of our favorite reader questions about our nation's founding upon its 250th birthday. Q: Did Benjamin Franklin really fly a kite in a thunderstorm? Thanks ...

New experiments suggest that RNA, one of the most fundamental molecules of life, could have developed naturally on the early Earth. Researchers simulated 4.3 billion years ago, combining ribose, ...