Read the latest positive news, breakthroughs, and inspiring stories about smithsonian, curated daily by BrightWire.
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A new exhibition at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum reveals how artists from Goya to Norman Rockwell envisioned human flight before rockets ever left the ground. Their paintings and photographs capture not just technology, but the wonder of reaching beyond Earth.
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Twenty-six Islamic masterpieces from the Louvre are making their U.S. debut at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art this fall. The exhibition celebrates centuries of artistry spanning three continents and reveals surprising stories about cultural identity.
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The Smithsonian's Conservation Biology Institute welcomed three red panda cubs this year, marking a hopeful win for these endangered animals after challenges in previous years. The tiny cubs are already showing personality, from "huff-quacking" complaints to high-pitched whines.
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Scientists are using X-rays, plastic cups, and spools of string to solve why Virginia's Eastern box turtles are disappearing. The creative approach is helping researchers protect these slow-moving reptiles one nest at a time.
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A new 40-minute VR experience brings you to the surface of a diamond planet, inside a supernova explosion, and to the edge of a black hole. Built from real NASA and Smithsonian data, it turns cutting-edge space discoveries into an adventure you can walk through.
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A nearly four-foot model of the Statue of Liberty, crafted by the original sculptor in 1884, takes center stage at the Smithsonian Castle through July 26. The rare artifact joins over 30 historic objects celebrating America's 250th birthday.
At a hidden 3,200-acre campus in Front Royal, Virginia, scientists are literally reversing extinction. Species once vanished from Earth are now thriving and returning to the wild.
Two astronomers stood before the Smithsonian in 1920 to argue about the size of our universe. One of them would be proven spectacularly right, changing everything we know about our cosmic home.
When Alfred Joseph Frueh's wife faced an overwhelming Paris gallery visit, he didn't just offer encouragement. He built her a miniature paper museum that unfolds like a map of love.
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Researchers in Maryland are planting over 33,000 trees in 200 test plots to discover which species combinations create the healthiest, most beneficial forests. This decades-long experiment could transform how we restore forests worldwide.
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A merry-go-round that witnessed a brave Black toddler's first ride at a newly desegregated Maryland park in 1963 is spinning again on the National Mall after a stunning restoration. The same day Sharon Langley made history on this carousel, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech 45 miles away.
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Two groundbreaking space exploration artifacts have found their permanent home at the Smithsonian. The engineering models behind humanity's deepest looks into the universe and closest approach to the sun are now inspiring visitors in Virginia.