Description: In 2019, the Smithsonian faced the repercussions of the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown, but the institution is no stranger to the dreaded furlough.
Description: Ouch — the Society of Women Engineers has a collection of rejection letters sent to women attempting to gain entry to engineering programs. [via Atlantic]A new discovery of 300,000 year old remains of Homo sapiens shows that our species evolved in multiple locations on the African continent. [via NY Times]iNaturalist.org is launching an app that will help you identify plants
Description: Archives are often used by genealogists to create their family histories. Often it's a tedious process that can involve many repositories throughout the country or even the world, but the final product can be fascinating. Take, for instance, Melbourne ("Mel") Romaine Carriker's Vista Nieve: The Remarkable True Adventures of an Early Twentieth Century Naturalist and His Family
Description: Vicarious research is one of the great joys of the reference desk at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. From our front-row (well, only-row) seat outside the reading room, we catch tantalizing glimpses of our patrons’ manifold research topics.The reference team fields thousands of questions per year.
Description: You don’t have to go to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia to learn about ice dancing. Check out the Smithsonian ice dancers who used the sport as a great way to unwind and stay warm in the winter.