Our Planet

Sand dunes in the Rig-e Jenn in the Dasht-e Kavir

Casting Light on Iranian Deserts

Closely watched by their guides and military escort, harried biologists survey the wild things that survive there

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When Magma's On the Move

In California's Long Valley, the earth trembles every day where a volcano once exploded

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When the Earth Froze

The rocks tell us that at least twice, the earth has frozen over from the poles to the equator

Durians Smell Awful — But the Taste Is Heavenly

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The Vast Influence of the Wee Microbe

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Uncovering the Secrets of Forest Canopies

Dancing Rocks

Mysteriously moving stones in Death Valley leave whimsical trails. How do they do that?

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New Light on Diversity

Holes in the canopy mean opportunity for new trees, but only if they are already waiting in the wings

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Tasty Brazil Nuts Stun Harvesters and Scientists

A Smithsonian biologist tracks the protein-rich nuts to understand their role in the Amazonian forest

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We're Scraping Bottom

As vessels around the world drag nets and dredges across the seabed, they slowly destroy the biome

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Stormy Weather - Live!

Everyone talks about the weather the people at the Weather Channel live it 24 hours a day

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Our Love Affair with Lawns

Americans take lawn care very seriously, spending billions to keep their perfectly clipped grass green and absolutely weed free

Equinox seen from the astronomic calendar of Pizzo Vento at Fondachelli Fantina, Sicily

Calendar

It took two millennia to get the one we now use; we owe a lot to the sun and moon, to Caesar, Pope Gregory and, oh yes, the Earl of Chesterfield

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Forget Y2K!

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Salt of the Earth

We can't live without it. Salt runs through our language, our history, and our veins

National Museum of Natural History

Expanding a Mission

The National Museum of Natural History aims to become a hub for science education

Rafinesque Constantine Samuel 1783-1840

An "Odd Fish" Who Swam Against the Tide

The pioneering naturalist Constantine Rafinesque did just about everything, and he always did it his way

Dominique Voynet, 2008

Coming to Terms

Our names for people who respect the environment should be as varied as the ways we see it

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Let it Snow

Ski resorts have snowmaking down to a science – now sometimes the real stuff gets in the way

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The Sargasso Sea

Out in the Atlantic, strange creatures make their home among seaweed in a floating lens of warm water

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