Searching for a new job? Tasmania is looking for curious, adventurous professionals to fill a wide array of unusual roles—including a “wombat walker,” who will be responsible for taking the stocky marsupials on their morning jaunts and feeding them snacks.
📸: Keiichihiki / Getty Images
Officials at the Judy Garland Museum are hoping a pair of ruby-red slippers will click their heels three times to find their way home. The museum is looking to raise millions to bid on the shoes at auction in December. Up until 2005, the dazzling slippers were on display at the Grand Rapids, Minnesota, museum. The iconic shoes were stolen when a burglar broke in through one of the museum’s windows and smashed the plexiglass display case.
📸: Heritage Auctions
Researchers have long thought that hundreds of years ago the population of Easter Island experienced a steep crash. Its residents were said to have used up all the land’s resources—cutting down its trees, depleting its soils and killing its seabirds. But new research published in the journal Science Advances finds Rapa Nui, known for its large stone statues called moai, had less viable land for farming at the time than previously thought. As such, scientists suggest the island’s population didn’t experience a dramatic drop-off. It was just small to begin with. Read more from the study at the link in our profile.
📸: Mc vc / Wikimedia Commons
Using living skin, scientists have made a robotic face that can stretch its features into a smile. In a new paper published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, researchers describe a novel method for attaching the lab-engineered skin to the robot’s face. The findings not only mark an advancement in robot facial technology—they could also have implications for the cosmetics industry and orthopedic surgery. Read more about the study at the link in our profile.
📸: Takeuchi et al., Cell Reports Physical Science
A pair of giant pandas arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China last Thursday, marking the first time in 21 years that giant pandas have entered the United States. Zoo visitors will have to wait to catch a glimpse of the pair, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will not be visible to the public for several weeks as they acclimate to their new home. Find out more about the new Southern California residents at the link in our profile.
📸: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is officially underway on the National Mall. This year's festival will bring together hundreds of Indigenous artists, performers, storytellers and activists to celebrate, "Indigenous Voices of the Americas." In the past, Folklife Festivals have typically been composed of multiple programs. But this year, there is only one focus: the living traditions of Indigenous people. Despite its singularity, it is an expansive topic, linked to the 20th anniversary of the National Museum of the American Indian and sweeping across continents and time. See more about the Festival at the link in our profile.
@smithsonianfolklife@smithsoniannmai
📸: Aizar Raldes/AFP via Getty Images
Visiting this year's festival? Tag us in your photos and we'll share our favorites!
From its unique appearance to its habitat and behavior, here's everything you need to know about this mysterious deep-sea creature. Dive into the world of the blobfish and discover why it has become an iconic symbol of marine life.
Members of the Las Vegas Metro Search and Rescue found this mirrored structure near Gass Peak, a trail in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Mysterious monoliths, usually made from metal, have been appearing in various locations around the globe since November 2020, when a helicopter crew discovered one in the Utah desert.
📸: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
For years, conservationists and scientists have fought to protect amphibians as chytrid decimated their populations, leading to the extinctions of at least 90 species. Now, however, researchers say they’ve come up with a novel treatment for the disease: frog saunas. Frogs with access to warm shelters have an easier time fending off the fungus, scientists reported Wednesday in the journal Nature. Read more about the new study at the link in our profile.
📸: Anthony Waddle
How did Americans get hooked on counting calories more than a century ago? In this episode of our podcast, a food history writer and an influential podcast host tell listeners how our thinking about health and body weight has—and hasn’t—evolved ever since Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters took the nation by storm. Listen to the episode by visiting the link in our profile.
