How NASA Captured Asteroid Dust to Find the Origins of Life
The sample of the space rock Bennu that OSIRIS-REx collected could unlock an ancient existential mystery
Healing the Wounds of the Vietnam War
Two perspectives on the 20th-century conflict look back, five decades after the fighting stopped, to discuss what was lost and what is remembered today
How the Osage Changed Martin Scorsese’s Mind
“Killers of the Flower Moon” sets a new standard in its nuanced portrait of Osage life. Decades of prior films about Native Americans didn't even try
A Brief History of Banned Books in America
Attempts to restrict what kids in school can read are on the rise. But American book banning started with the Puritans, 140 years before the United States
Are Wild Animals Really Just Like Us?
A summer of news reports about orca, otter and bird “attacks” has the public wondering if trying to understand animal behavior in human terms is misguided
The Remarkable Story of WWII’s 6888th Battalion, as Told by the Women Who Were There
Learn about the accomplishments of the Black Americans who served their country abroad, even as they faced discrimination at home
The Nectar of the Gods Is Coming to a Bar Near You
How mead, one of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverages, could become the drink of the future
Deep-Sea Tourism or Deep-Sea Science?
Two chroniclers of explorers, including one who profiled OceanGate’s Stockton Rush, reflect on what visiting the depths of the ocean can—and can’t—teach us
Hear What’s Happening to the Colorado River From a Photojournalist Who Has Spent His Entire Life Alongside It
In the latest episode of “There’s More to That,” learn about the Western waterway that affects the lives of everyone in the United States
Why the Ken Doll Will Never Truly Emerge From Barbie’s Shadow
The blockbuster film sparks a podcast discussion about why Ken can’t possibly be (k)enough
Oppenheimer Has a Long History On Screen, Including the Time the Nuclear Physicist Played Himself
“There’s More to That” host Chris Klimek talks with a journalist about earlier depictions of the Manhattan Project scientist
Celebrating 75 Years of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
The vast, eclectic public archive of American music—and other sounds—is featured on a new episode of the Sidedoor podcast
A Brief History of Long Movies
At the Cannes Film Festival this weekend, "Killers of the Flower Moon" will become the latest movie to ask just how much time we ought to give it
A New Neil Armstrong Film Makes One Giant Leap for Kindness
Smithsonian podcasts deliver doses of optimism this month, featuring Bill Nye and a story of a warm welcome from the astronaut’s family
What Centuries-Old Indian Court Paintings Tell Us About Climate Change
This month’s Smithsonian podcasts include a deep dive into India’s monsoon weather patterns and discussion of animals in flight
Smithsonian Curator Reveals New Details on an Egg From Sigourney Weaver’s Iconic ‘Alien’ Franchise
Get the inside scoop on the iconic prop, now on view in the exhibition “Entertainment Nation”
Japanese American Artists Recall the Trauma of Wartime Incarceration
Smithsonian podcasts explore the legacy of Executive Order 9066 and the camera that almost didn’t make it to the Juno spacecraft launch
What a Comb Can Tell Us About the History of the Written Word
A curious new find yields clues to the origins of the alphabet
Explore the Founding of 'Ms.' Magazine and the Making of a Space Telescope Photograph in This Month’s Featured Podcasts
“AirSpace” speaks to astronomer Shauna Edson and “Portraits” drops in on activist and author Gloria Steinhem
The Etymology of Unobtanium
The much-mocked wonder-rock from the 2009 blockbuster 'Avatar' doesn’t have an atomic number, but engineers have used the actual word for decades
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