Science & Nature
Why Fire Makes Us Human
Cooking may be more than just a part of your daily routine, it may be what made your brain as powerful as it is
June 2013 Issue
| By Jerry Adler
Travel
Mimi Sheraton’s 10 Most Memorable Meals
From dinner by candlelight in Denmark to Peking duck in China, the celebrated food critic reveals her most memorable culinary experiences
June 2013 Issue
| By Mimi Sheraton
History & Archaeology
Unpack a Meal of Astronaut Space Food
Space-age spaghetti and meatballs, along with other tastes of home, gave Apollo astronaut crews a boost
June 2013 Issue
| By Brett Martin
Surprising Science Blog
Doctors Use a Dissolvable 3D-Printed Tracheal Splint to Save a Baby’s Life
An infant's collapsing airway now has a device holding it open; as his tissue strengthens, the splint will be absorbed into his body
May 22, 2013
| By Joseph Stromberg
Innovations Blog
One Day Your Phone Will Know If You’re Happy or Sad
By analyzing every tiny facial gesture, voice inflection or even how quickly we tap out a text message, devices are getting good at reading our emotions
May 22, 2013
| By Randy Rieland
Design Decoded Blog
A Brief History of Robot Birds
The early Greeks and Renaissance artists had birds on their brains
May 22, 2013
| By Jimmy Stamp
Food and Think Blog
Look, But Don’t Eat: Delicious Crocheted Dishes
This British designer crochets pizzas, veggies and cakes that look almost realistic enough to eat
May 22, 2013
| By Marina Koren
Science & Nature
Buzz Aldrin on Why We Should Go to Mars
The Apollo 11 astronaut who walked on the moon dreams of a future where Americans are the first to walk on Mars
May 20, 2013
| By Amy Crawford
Surprising Science Blog
Once in a Blue Moon and Other Idioms That Don’t Make Scientific Sense
From "where there's smoke, there's fire" to "hard as nails," several sayings just don't pass scientific scrutiny
May 22, 2013
| By Mohi Kumar
Arts & Culture
Behind the Scenes in the Smithsonian Regents’ Room
Explore a room in the Smithsonian Castle with a curious history that includes fire and destruction, séances for skeptics and even a skeleton in the closet
Arts & Culture
Will the Real Great Gatsby Please Stand Up?
F. Scott Fitzgerald couldn’t resist putting his own life into his novels, but where’s the line between truth and fiction?
May 07, 2013
| By Sarah Laskow
Collage of Arts and Sciences Blog
Princeton University Celebrates the Art of Science
In a new exhibition, the university showcases 43 images rooted in scientific research that force viewers to contemplate the definition of art
May 21, 2013
| By Megan Gambino
Surprising Science Blog
Endangered Ocean Creatures Beyond the Cute and Cuddly
Marine species threatened with extinction aren't just whales, seals and turtles--they include fish, corals, mollusks, birds, and a lone seagrass
May 17, 2013
| By Emily Frost
Design Decoded Blog
The Past, Present, and Future of the Cuckoo Clock
From Orson Welles to Twitter, a look into the classic time-telling relic from your grandparents' attic
May 17, 2013
| By Jimmy Stamp
History & Archaeology
The True Story of the Battle of Bunker Hill
Nathaniel Philbrick takes on one of the Revolutionary War’s most famous and least understood battles
May 2013 Issue
| By Tony Horwitz
History & Archaeology
8 Famous People Who Missed the Lusitania
For one reason or another, these lucky souls never boarded the doomed ship whose sinking launched America's involvement in WWI
May 02, 2013
| By Greg Daugherty
Innovations Blog
Can Brain Scans Really Tell Us What Makes Something Beautiful?
Some scientists think we'll be able to define great art by analyzing our brains when we see or hear it. Critics say don't hold your breath
May 17, 2013
| By Randy Rieland
Arts & Culture
Never Underestimate the Power of a Paint Tube
Without this simple invention, impressionists such as Claude Monet wouldn’t have been able to create their works of genius
May 2013 Issue
| By Perry Hurt
History & Archaeology
We Had No Idea What Alexander Graham Bell Sounded Like. Until Now
Smithsonian researchers used optical technology to play back the unplayable records
May 2013 Issue
| By Charlotte Gray
Ideas & Innovations
Life in the City Is Essentially One Giant Math Problem
Experts in the emerging field of quantitative urbanism believe that many aspects of modern cities can be reduced to mathematical formulas
May 2013 Issue
| By Jerry Adler
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AT THE SMITHSONIAN
Scenes and Sightings from the Museums
- Around the Mall
- Visitor's Guide
Say Hello to Bozie, the National Zoo’s New Elephant
She arrives at the National Zoo today from Baton Rogue
By Paul Bisceglio
Sixty Years Ago, Edmund Hillary Reached the Top of the World. Hear Him Describe It
Take a look back at an interview with Sir Edmund Hillary 60 years after he became the first man to s...
By Paul Bisceglio
How Harlem Put Itself Back on the Map
Historian John Reddick looks at the people behind the neighborhood's recent reemergence as a thrivin...
By Leah Binkovitz
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