This Week at Natural History

Image credit: Chip Clark, NMNH

Smithsonian Scientists Are Turning Millions of Specimens into a Digital Library of Life

Peek behind the scenes at NMNH, where scientists are using cutting edge technology to analyze and catalogue the museum’s 148 million objects and specimens. Click the link below to watch a new documentary from Business Insider, which explores how the museum is building a digital library of life that will help solve global challenges from aviation safety to invasive species.

Image credit: Smithsonian Institution

Ancient Fossils Reveal How Species Survived the Last Mass Extinction

66 million years ago, an asteroid smashed into our planet, rapidly causing over 70% of species to go extinct.  But what happened to the creatures that survived?  Click the link below to learn how a new study by NMNH paleobiologist Stewart Edie analyzed ancient bivalve fossils to understand how this extinction event completely restructured the ocean’s biodiversity.

Image credit: Richard Whitcombe

Here is our latest programming guide. Click here for a full schedule of upcoming public programs and a link to previously scheduled video webinars.

For Everyone

World Ocean Month in the Sant Ocean Hall
Join us in June—and throughout the year—to marvel at the beauty and diversity of our natural world. Stop by and talk with staff and visiting experts:

• The Ocean Around Us Tour (June 23)
  
• Fishy Business in the Eye of the Hurricane (June 25)
  
• The Mantis Shrimp: Beautiful, Dangerous, and Powerful (June 25)
  
• Ocean Topics Cart Chat (June 26 and 27)
  

Location: The Sant Ocean Hall, 1st Floor

Connected Devices, 5G Networks, and the Future of Cellphones
Have you ever wondered how smart devices connect with each other through 5G networks, or what phones could do 10 or 20 years from now? Come meet an educator and an engineer from T-Mobile, to learn all about the smart devices we use every day, and the ones we may use in the future!
Tuesday, June 24, 2025, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Cellphone Exhibition Hall, 2nd Floor

For Families

Play Date at NMNH
"Play Date at NMNH" is a drop-in offering for the early learning audience (0-5 years old) and their caregivers and family members. Upcoming Play Dates:

• Play Date at NMNH: Marvelous Meteorites (June 17)
• Play Date at NMNH: Colorful Corals (June 24)

Locations: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Center for Science Education, Ground Floor (June 17), and The Sant Ocean Hall, 1st Floor (June 24)

Solstice Festival at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
We’re traveling outside of NMNH to celebrate the summer solstice with art, nature, music, and hands-on activities at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden! Inspired by the exhibition, Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World, educators from NMNH and NGA will encourage artful connections with the flora and fauna around you.
Saturday, June 21, 2025, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
Location: National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Constitution Ave NW & 7th St NW

Photo by Robert Weldon, courtesy of Ronald Winston

New Research Reveals the Secrets Behind the Smithsonian’s Ultra-Rare Red Diamond

Glittering with a deep crimson hue, NMNH’s 2.33-carat Winston Red Diamond is one of the rarest colorful diamonds on Earth.  Now, a comprehensive analysis of the extraordinary gem has revealed clues about its mysterious history and geologic origins.  Click the link below to learn about the new research study from the museum’s Coralyn W. Whitney Curator of Gems and Minerals Gabriela Farfan.

Thank you for your interest in NMNH! Your generosity enables the museum to address the big questions that society faces and our fundamental understanding of how people and nature interact. Click the links below to help us spark curiosity, discovery, and learning about the natural world and our place in it.