Smithsonian Magazine

Researchers studied DNA from more than 1,000 modern-day Polynesians and found that Native Hawaiians and Easter Islanders were most closely related. The findings help trace the epic settlement of the Polynesian islands while also revealing genetic vulnerabilities among their communities. bit.ly/3WsOV0k

A new computer simulation built by researchers at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, and other institutions is shedding light on a cloudy chapter of the early cosmos bit.ly/47ZPv8p

What is it about the grotesque, the extreme and the unusual that incites such a strong following? bit.ly/4eQnd4b

Most dengue infections cause mild flu-like symptoms or no symptoms at all. But at least one person has died from this year’s outbreak in Florida, where health experts worry the disease will become more common in the future. bit.ly/3WGtHfB

In 1999, Peter Hughes stumbled upon the brass combination lock on Margam Beach in Wales. Only one of 1,296 possible combinations would open the device. How did researchers finally crack the code? bit.ly/4kU54pA

While emissions from gas and oil declined this year, those from coal increased, according to a new report. bit.ly/48RLcfE

Scholars have long assumed that the original, handwritten final draft had been discarded amid the day’s chaos. But six decades later, the manuscript has resurfaced from a drawer of one of King’s former aides. bit.ly/3X1ggHa

Brandie Smith, who leads the @NationalZoo, has seen more of pandas’ private lives than most people ever will. With “In the Company of Pandas,” she explores the world of the lovable black-and-white bears. bit.ly/4zO3ASK

Recently obtained by the Library of Congress, the 1760 letter offers positive news about the health of four-year-old Martha Parke Custis, known as Patsy, the stepdaughter of George Washington. bit.ly/3WFMTKp

The new dwarf planet candidate, called 2026 ED138, orbits on a plane tiled nearly 25 degrees compared to our solar system's main planets, suggesting it was disturbed by gravitational interactions with Neptune. bit.ly/4zii5gi

A longstanding theory posits that comets delivered the molecular ingredients that kickstarted life when they smacked into our planet during its youth. But new research suggests that this popular scenario is extremely unlikely. bit.ly/4AtjuSi

Digital projections at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum will restore the sight of Egyptian blue, the world’s oldest synthetic pigment, and other colors that once adorned the 2,700-year-old Shrine of Taharqa. bit.ly/4sFxXI2

Augustus was seen as a descendant of the gods who would go on to redefine authority. New research posits that his rule paved the way for Jesus. bit.ly/47VELrK

A small primate that scientists feared might be extinct has been making appearances across an Indonesian island, offering new hope for the elusive species. bit.ly/3V6B9QC

New historical research shows how the city of Exeter hunted down accused witches while the rest of the country relented. Its prosecution of benign local sleuths shows how far the authorities were willing to go. bit.ly/4ehF0AV

“Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires” at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum tracks the storied city’s evolution from a 4th-century capital to a bustling 19th-century metropolis—hippodromes, bathhouses and all. bit.ly/47VQFBQ

China announced plans for landing humans on the moon with a crewed spacecraft and lunar lander. bit.ly/4eU3PTF

Testing of ancient sediment from two lakes in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula has revealed “crazy” high concentrations of mercury, as one researcher puts it, confirming findings from other regions of the Mesoamerican civilization. bit.ly/4iJEMDY

During World War II, the medieval stained glass of Coventry Cathedral was dismantled and hidden in crates to survive air raids. Now, an ambitious cataloging project has digitized roughly 12,000 fragments, making them publicly accessible for the first time in decades. bit.ly/4sVDA56

Every year, about 15,000 ships pass through the Panama Canal. But this human-constructed waterway—which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans—is more than an economic hub. bit.ly/48IzWCi