Animals

Male Bowerbirds in Australian Cities Are Turning Human Trash Into Treasure to Impress Potential Mates

Male bowerbirds in Australian cities are ingeniously using human-made objects like colored glass and wire as decorations to attract mates, a behavior also observed in rural birds.

Read Full Story Smithsonian Magazine

Male Bowerbirds in Australian Cities Are Turning Human Trash Into Treasure to Impress Potential Mates

Latest Discoveries

The most uplifting news from around the globe.

Science

Astronomers Discovered a 'Cosmic Fossil' in the Making—the Most Chemically Primitive Galaxy Seen Yet—by Peering Back to the Edge of Time

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope discovered the most chemically primitive galaxy seen yet, peering 13 billion years into the past to understand the universe's earliest stars.

Science

Stages of Star Formation

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured a stunning image revealing every stage of star formation in the Orion Molecular Clouds, offering new insights into the cosmos.

Environment

In search of the ‘rare and beautiful’ in an Ivorian rainforest

A herpetologist explores an ancient animal path in Côte d’Ivoire's Taï National Park, seeking its rare and beautiful inhabitants, highlighting the wonder of nature.

Arts

What Natural History Objects Represent Your State? You Can Find Out in This New Exhibition of More Than 600 Specimens and Artifacts

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a new exhibition showcasing over 600 fascinating specimens and artifacts from across the nation.

“

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”

— William James

”

🧩

Daily Games

Three fresh puzzles every day. Build your streak and share your results.

☀

🔤

🔍

✏️

Play Today's Puzzles

A Radiant Thought

💡

Sleep as Medicine

One extra hour of sleep improves decision-making by 25%. Your best ideas are often one good night's rest away.

💡

The Helper's High

Volunteering for just 2 hours per week is associated with a 44% reduction in mortality risk. Helping others literally extends your life.

Wake up to Radiance.

Get a curated dose of the world's best news delivered to your inbox every morning.

One email each morning. Unsubscribe anytime.

Male Bowerbirds in Australian Cities Are Turning Human Trash Into Treasure to Impress Potential Mates

Latest Discoveries

Astronomers Discovered a 'Cosmic Fossil' in the Making—the Most Chemically Primitive Galaxy Seen Yet—by Peering Back to the Edge of Time

Stages of Star Formation

In search of the ‘rare and beautiful’ in an Ivorian rainforest

What Natural History Objects Represent Your State? You Can Find Out in This New Exhibition of More Than 600 Specimens and Artifacts

Daily Games

A Radiant Thought

Sleep as Medicine

The Helper's High

Wake up to Radiance.

More Stories

Nearly All Plants Depend on Tiny Underground Fungi. The Microbes' Vast Global Networks Were Just Mapped for the First Time

Vanilla, fake eggs and nausea: How Australian scientists Australia are training foxes to avoid turtle nests

Hubble Glimpses Merging Galaxy Clusters

Stunning Video of the Southern Lights Dancing Across the Earth Captured by a NASA Astronaut–WATCH

Could cosmic memory explain dark matter, dark energy, and black holes?

New walking shark discovered in Papua New Guinea

This ultrasonic espresso method uses 75 percent less energy and tastes just as good

Europe removed a record 602 river barriers last year

NASA Announces Public-Private Partnership to Advance Mars Science

Sweden’s Breathtaking New Train Ride to Oslo Passes By Best of Country’s Landscape

Search for Hidden Cosmic Companions in Sun’s Backyard

NASA’s Fermi Mission Uncovers Possible Sibling Supernova Remnants

Scientists Are Using Nanomaterials to Heal Stubborn Wounds That Resist Antibiotic Treatment

Japanese Fans Cleaned the Stadium After World Cup Match While the Players Cleaned Locker Room

Hubble Sees Swarm of Galaxies

Humans may have hidden regenerative powers

This 'Practice-Changing' Gene Test Could Tell Doctors Which Patients With Breast Cancer Can Skip Chemo, Clinical Trial Suggests

To See the Magnificence and Majesty of Machu Picchu Without the Hike, Check Out These Amazing Images

Diana Beltrán Herrera’s Embroidered Paper Sculptures Mimic Plants and Wildlife

Why road trips are good for you, according to science

‘A Little Hero’ Saves Her Friend from Both Drowning AND a Seizure

Five Advances That Helped Turn a Night Out at the Movies Into the All-Enveloping Experience It Has Become

Sea turtle hunters become their protectors in Cabo Verde

Scientists discover spider that disguises itself as a parasitic fungus

On the brink of extinction, the vaquita gets a digital lifeline

Knee Pain Suffered by Millions Can Be Eased Using New Non-Surgical Procedure