Smithsonian Magazine: Science & Innovation

"An Italian farmer discovered the unknown seeds of an ancient miracle grain."

Views expressed in this science and technology update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 11 November 2026, 1710 UTC.

Content and Source:  "Smithsonian Magazine:  Science & Innovation."

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzQjgqQBDcswVDPHCtMlBBZLFPMN

URL--https://www.smithsonianmag.com.

Please check email link, URL, or scroll down to read your selections.  Thanks for joining us today.

Russ Roberts (https://hawaiisciencemonitor.blogspot.com).

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine

View in browser

At his farm near Parma, Italy, Claudio Grossi offers a visual history of his miracle grain in photos, crackers and loaves. Clara Vannucci An Italian Farmer Found Some Unknown Seeds in His Attic and, With Nothing to Lose, Planted Them. The Result Was Almost Biblical When a seven-eared stem emerged from the ground, it seemed like a miracle. What Claudio Grossi had unearthed was an ancient grain that proved to be an answer to some modern problems Read now     ADVERTISEMENT     Hear, Hear to Long Ears: These 15 Furry Photos of Adorable Rabbits and Hares Will Have You Leaping for Leporidae Fossil Footprints in Brazil Hint at a Cougar-Size Mammal That Walked Among Dinosaurs. It’s Another Sign That Some Early Beasts Grew to Impressive Sizes After All   SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS Holiday Sale! Save Up to 20% on Select 2027 Small-Ship Cruises   Learn more   The World’s Newest Carnivorous Plant Is a Red Sundew That ‘Death Hugs’ Its Insect Prey. Its Survival Depends on a Rare and Disappearing Florida Habitat Green Sea Turtles Are Making a Remarkable Comeback on the Remote Aldabra Atoll and Around the World. But Their Recovery Is Far From Complete The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Has Accumulated So Many Microplastics They Might Be Changing the Color of the Ocean   ADVERTISEMENT     The Maya Loved Using Mercury-Rich Red Paint to Decorate Pottery, Temple Walls and Even Burials. They May Have Accidentally Poisoned Their Own Water and Food Supply in the Process Dam Removals Are Bringing Fish Back Across the Northeastern United States, Striking Down One Tiny Barrier at a Time Bats Thrive in a Messy, Noisy World. These Four Discoveries Reveal How They Can Listen and Chatter Through the Din The Four-Color Theorem Has Haunted Mathematicians for Decades. It Just Got a Rare New Proof, but Some Still Long for a Simpler Solution   ADVERTISEMENT     Bison Used to Roam Eastern Europe Before They Neared Extinction. Now Researchers in Poland Want to Create a Suitable Home Where They Can Thrive The Bloody Palette of the Animal Kingdom Goes Far Beyond Red. These Creatures Have Blood That Runs a Chilling Blue, Bright Green or Milky White The Race for Hydrogen Fuel Has Taken These Scientists to the Arctic Seafloor. But Can They Unlock Its Secrets Before It’s Too Late? Ben Franklin Wasn’t Serious When He Implied the Wild Turkey Would Be a ‘Respectable’ National Symbol … but He Wasn’t Wrong, Either

Follow Smithsonian magazine     Contact Us   |   Unsubscribe   |   Preference Center   |   Privacy Statement   Smithsonian magazine, MRC 513, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C. 20013