Smithsonian.com

The new clouded leopard was born on July 9. (credit: Mehgan Murphy/Smithsonian

The tourists visiting the Smithsonian museums may not realize it, but there is a ton of fascinating research going on, sometimes within just a few feet of where they are standing. And in addition to the museums and the zoo, there are researchers at the astrophysical observatory in Massachusetts, the Environmental Research Center in Maryland, the Tropical Research Institute in Panama, a field station in Belize, a marine station in Florida, the wildlife conservation center in Virginia and probably other research facilities that I don’t yet even know about. Smithsonian scientists are a large and busy bunch.

A new web site, Science at the Smithsonian, can help you keep up with what is going on, with highlights of ongoing projects throughout the institution. Just this past week, for example, at the Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia, a new clouded leopard, Przewalski’s horse and red panda cub were born.

Between Around the Mall and Surprising Science, Smithsonian magazine online tries to keep up with all of the amazing science going on at the Institution, but there’s so much to read about and Science at the Smithsonian should be another great resource.