John Collins, better known as “The Paper Airplane Guy,” has devoted himself to designing, folding, and flying the world’s finest paper airplanes.

There’s a sweet science and innocent joy from turning a mundane piece of paper into a flying machine.

 

 

 

This small lake outside Stockholm, Sweden, emits otherworldly sounds as Mårten Ajne skates over its precariously thin, black ice.

“Wild ice skating,” or “Nordic skating,” is both an art and a science. A skater seeks out the thinnest, most pristine black ice possible—both for its smoothness, and for its high-pitched, laser-like sounds.

 

 

 

Smithsonian.com has just announced the Winners of its 15th Annual Photo Contest. This year they received over 48,000 submissions from photographers in 155 countries and territories.

From Thong Huu’s Grand Prize-winning shot of breakfast at the weekly market to Oreon Strusinski’s breathtaking photograph of a wave at its peak, these images stood out to the photo editors as the most unique and memorable. Sara Jacoby’s image, “Rare,” received the highest percentage of more than 38,000 reader votes, earning her the Readers’ Choice award.

Contestants submitted photos to the following six categories: Natural World, The American Experience, Travel, People, Altered Images and Mobile.

The 16th Annual Smithsonian.com Photo Contest is now open and will run through November 30, 2018. For more information about the contest, categories, awards and eligibility visit: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest/rules/

 

 

 

 

 

 

In northern Vietnam, people come to the weekly market to exchange goods and culture. They usually wake up very early to go to market and have breakfast here.

 

 

 

 

This is Maggie. She has two rare chromosome duplications, one of which she’s the only child on record to have. This photo captures not only her vulnerability, but also the magnitude of the science for which we are so grateful. A little girl and her “Gigi” already way too familiar with hospitals and doctors offices than any child should be.

 

 

 

 

A wrestler does a backflip off the ropes of a wrestling ring in an attempt to defeat an opponent.

 

 

 

 

Energy travels hundreds of miles across the ocean and comes to a dramatic end when it reaches our shores.

 

 

 

 

Decoratively dyed bundles of incense dry in Quang Phu Cau, a commune in Hanoi, Vietnam. In Buddhist countries like Vietnam, incense is an irreplaceable part of traditional festivals and religious ceremonies.

 

 

 

 

Niloofar is an Iranian nomad girl living in the Babanajm nomad region south of Shiraz city in Fars Province, Iran.

 

 

 

 

There are not many other animals as productive as sheep. They give us wool, milk, meat. Their memoirs are usually short. The pool of names is repeated every two years on our farm. We have already had two Queens, three Theos and four Fables.

 

 

 

 

A couple of ladies are passing in front of graffiti.