Description: When curators at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History looked at seven radiometers in storage, they learned the instruments had been at the Smithsonian for nearly one hundred fifty years.
Description: James Smithson: The Man Behind the InstitutionWhile the institution named after James Smithson enjoys worldwide renown, we know little about the man who left $508,318 to the people of the United States to found such an institution.An English scientist who conducted research in chemistry, mineralogy, and geology, Smithson lived and traveled in several European countries. His