About the Author: Ben Marcus

With a doctorate in neuroscience, Ben is not only the Science Press Secretary for the Smithsonian, but also a brainiac scientist himself. When he's not sharing science trivia with everyone he knows and correcting the errors made by the Torch Editrix, you can find him riding his bike long distances, baking cookies, and working on obnoxiously large jigsaw puzzles.

Feb

Building Bridges in the Amazon

Fernanda Abra, an award-winning post-doctoral fellow at the National Zoo’s Conservation Biology Institute, explains how her work building bridges for animals to safely cross busy highways also helped build bridges to local indigenous communities in Amazonia. Continue reading Building Bridges in the Amazon

Feb

The US dodged a bird flu pandemic in 1957 thanks to eggs and dumb luck – with a new strain spreading fast, will Americans get lucky again?

Few Americans remember the 1957 pandemic – the one that sputtered out before it did real damage. Yet that event left a lasting legacy in how public health experts think about and plan for future outbreaks. Continue reading The US dodged a bird flu pandemic in 1957 thanks to eggs and dumb luck – with a new strain spreading fast, will Americans get lucky again?

Dec

How the Smithsonian pioneered weather forecasting and climate research

We may be partly responsible for why the weather forecast is such a big part of your local news. Continue reading How the Smithsonian pioneered weather forecasting and climate research

Dec

A Garden Museum

Horticulturist Christine Price-Abelow ensures gardens at the National Museum of the American Indian tell the museum’s stories. Continue reading A Garden Museum

Nov

Every step you take, every flight you make, we’ll be watching you

Migratory birds—not subject to citizenship requirements or FAA regulations—cover the globe as they follow the seasons. How do scientists know where an individual bird has gone and where it’s going? Continue reading Every step you take, every flight you make, we’ll be watching you

Oct

Allen Collins studies the diversity of jellyfish to help piece together answers about ocean ecosystems

One thing he’s learned: Don’t pee on a jellyfish sting (use vinegar instead!) Continue reading Allen Collins studies the diversity of jellyfish to help piece together answers about ocean ecosystems

Sep

Carly Muletz Wolz looks at tiny microbes to answer big questions about our ecosystems

What happens if a red wolf has a bellyache? What if a cheetah suffers from tummy troubles? At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, they call microbiologist Carly Muletz Wolz to investigate. Continue reading Carly Muletz Wolz looks at tiny microbes to answer big questions about our ecosystems

Aug

Genevieve Noyce sees the future through marsh experiments

The world’s climate is changing, but how do we know what these changes will mean for the health of our families, farms, and future? Genevieve Noyce is looking for answers. Continue reading Genevieve Noyce sees the future through marsh experiments

Jul