Human Bacteria May Be the Secret to Athletic Endurance

A study published in Nature Medicine reveals that the secret to athletic endurance and heightened performance, isn’t creatine, chia seeds or beet juice, but rather a group of bacteria found in the gut of elite-level runners. By isolating the group, known as Veillonella, researchers were able to test its impact on mice post-ingestion—and those that ingested the bacteria ran 13% longer than mice that were given …

Land on the Moon with Smithsonian Channel’s Augmented Reality App

Not only does the app Apollo’s Moon Shot let users explore the moon through augmented reality, it does so set in the year 1969. Available for Apple and Android devices, the AR app incorporates engaging information from the groundbreaking first landing—now 50 years after Neil Armstrong’s steps. Two games in the app also let users attempt a landing themselves. Real 3D scans were employed to …

The Elusive Smile in Art History

It’s a common misconception that the reason subjects in portraits of yesteryear didn’t smile is because of unappealing looking teeth. In fact, the reason is quite logical: smiling for hours on end is awkward and straining for models. In an essay on the topic, writer Nicholas Jeeves says, “A smile is like a blush. It is a response, not an expression per se, and so …