Tag: Smithsonian Magazine

^{Type
post

Author
Casey Luskin

Date
August 11, 2026

Categories
Evolution
Origin of Life
Tagged
, __trending, abiotic chemical reactions, amino acids, archaea, bacteria, cellular organism, cofactors, common ancestry, environment, enzymatic metabolism, enzymes, evolutionary biologists, homology, hydrothermal vent, last archaeal common ancestor, Last Bacterial Common Ancestor, Last Universal Common Ancestor, lineages, LUCA, nucleobases, organic molecules, origin of life, Science Advances, Smithsonian Magazine, universal common ancestry}

Enzymes in Bacteria and Archaea Are So Dissimilar There Must Be “Two Origins of Life”

_{Casey Luskin
August 11, 2026

Evolution, Origin of Life

7}

Don’t get distracted by wondering how the extreme heat near a vent (a toasty 750° F or more inside the vent) wouldn’t quickly break down organic molecules. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Date
July 23, 2026

Categories
Neuroscience & Mind
Zoology
Tagged
, adults, Argentina, Ars Technica, Beneath The Waves, Carlyn Kranking, carnivores, Frontiers in Ethology, great white sharks, Gulf of California, Jennifer Ouellette, Jordan Strickler, juveniles, Kathryn Ayres, Masturus lanceolatus, Mexico, Nature (journal), New Zealand, oceans, orcas, Pacific Ocean, prey, rudders, salmon, sea lions, Smithsonian Magazine, stingrays, Strait of Gibraltar, sunfish, wolves, ZME Science}

When Orcas Play — With a Dead Sunfish

_{Science & Culture
July 23, 2026

Neuroscience & Mind, Zoology

3}

While the orcas’ sunfish-exploding behavior is remarkable, it is consistent, after all, with their reputation as the “wolves of the sea.” Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
May 29, 2026

Categories
Human Origins and Anthropology
Paleontology
Tagged
, archaeologists, artifacts, backpacking, cosmos, Darwinian evolution, dentistry, elephants, fossils, geodes, geological features, Griffith University, hand stencil, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, human genome, human mind, human origins, Indonesia, Middle Pleistocene, Moon, Neanderthals, PNAS, religion, Smithsonian Magazine, symbolic thinking, technology, timeline, tools}

It Was Technology, Not the Human Mind, that Advanced

_{Denyse O’Leary
May 29, 2026

Human Origins and Anthropology, Paleontology

4}

At one time, we were encouraged to interpret ancient humans as a long, slow, Darwinian ascent of man. But maybe that didn’t really happen. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Wesley J. Smith

Date
January 7, 2026

Categories
Bioethics
Human Exceptionalism
Zoology
Tagged
, animal rights, anti-capitalism, bees, climate change, geological features, government, habitat loss, human activity, humans, industry, insects, law, lawfare, lawsuits, nature rights, PETA, pollution, Smithsonian Magazine, stingless bees}

In Peru, Bees Are Granted the Right to Life

_{Wesley J. Smith
January 7, 2026

Bioethics, Human Exceptionalism, Zoology

2}

It is not as if nature or animals need to be granted rights in order to be protected robustly. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
David Coppedge

Date
August 19, 2025

Categories
Environment & Climate
Geology
Intelligent Design
Tagged
, archaeology, Biomimetics, California, cryptology, crystallography, Death Valley, design filter, fine-tuning, forensic science, geophysics, geysers, ice, intelligent design, lightning, magnets, optimization, rocks, Smithsonian Magazine, snowflakes, volcanoes}

Is Geomimetics an Intelligent Design Science? Well, Yes and No

_{David Coppedge
August 19, 2025

Environment & Climate, Geology, Intelligent Design

7}

Biomimetics, the imitation of nature’s designs, clearly qualifies as an ID science. What about “geomimetics” — the imitation of geophysics? Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
April 21, 2025

Categories
Intelligent Design
Neuroscience & Mind
Zoology
Tagged
, Baylor College of Medicine, brain, Carl Zimmer, Francis Crick, Margherita Bassi, mouse, neurons, neuroscience, New York Times, PBS, Princeton University, Research, Smithsonian Magazine, The Matrix}

Even a Mouse Brain Reveals Staggering Complexity

_{Denyse O’Leary
April 21, 2025

Intelligent Design, Neuroscience & Mind, Zoology

6}

Mapping a small part of a mouse's brain required 1.6 petabytes of data, which is equivalent to 22 years of nonstop high-definition video. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Date
February 22, 2025

Categories
Human Origins and Anthropology
Paleontology
Tagged
, bones, DNA, females, mammoths, Moscow, Russia, skulls, Smithsonian Magazine, Stone Age, Tibi Puiu, ZME Science}

Mammoth Bone Structure of 24,000 Years Ago Illuminates Stone Age

_{Science & Culture
February 22, 2025

Human Origins and Anthropology, Paleontology

3}

Science journalist Tibi Puiu notes, “It’s one of the most surreal ancient structures ever built — and it’s just one of over 70 found thus far.” Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
February 19, 2025

Categories
Human Exceptionalism
Human Origins and Anthropology
Neuroscience & Mind
Tagged
, animal behavior, apes, awareness, bonobos, cats, Dogs, humans, Johns Hopkins University, Neurologica, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, puppy, Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, Steven Novella, theory of mind, ZME Science}

As a Cudgel Against Human Exceptionalism, Researchers Push for Bonobo “Theory of Mind”

_{Denyse O’Leary
February 19, 2025

Human Exceptionalism, Human Origins and Anthropology, Neuroscience & Mind

6}

Is it true that “recognizing when someone else lacks information” has been thought to be a distinctly human trait? Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Casey Luskin

Date
July 15, 2024

Categories
Human Origins and Anthropology
Paleontology
Tagged
, culture, feathers, humans, intelligence, interbreeding, Neanderthals, paleoanthropologists, Phys.org, population size, Smithsonian Magazine}

Neanderthals Were a Lot More Like Humans than We Realize

_{Casey Luskin
July 15, 2024

Human Origins and Anthropology, Paleontology

5}

There’s still much we don’t know and the evidence is sparse — due in part to the fact that Neanderthals probably had a relatively small overall population size. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Eric Hedin

Date
July 8, 2024

Categories
Evolution
Intelligent Design
Tagged
, evolution, Howard Glicksman, intelligent design, just-so stories, lungs, music, neuroscience, pharynx, singing, Smithsonian Magazine, Steve Laufmann, Your Designed Body}

Evolutionary Model Can’t Account for Singing

_{Eric Hedin
July 8, 2024

Evolution, Intelligent Design

6}

Our fascination with singing and how enamored we can become with hearing quality vocalists reveals something significant about our identity as humans. Read More ›