Articles

Rev. Dennis Kamakahi performs at the 2012 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards.

Hawaiian Musician Dennis Kamakahi Donates His Guitar

Slack Key guitar music sounds new notes for history of cowboys and the West in ceremony honoring the Hawaiian composer

Cavemen Used Some of the Same Words We Do

Our modern language still has some remnants of the grunting cavemen who came before us

None

The History of Baseball Stadium Nachos

From a Mexican maitre 'd's mishap in 1943 to the gooey, orange stuff you put on your chips at the baseball game today.

Recent testing shows that, contrary to prior findings, new plastic helmets reduce the risk of concussions by 45 to 96 percent.

Are Modern Football Helmets Any Safer than Old-School Leather Ones?

Recent testing shows that, contrary to prior findings, new plastic helmets reduce the risk of concussions by 45 to 96 percent

The Hindenburg disaster was captured on camera and in eye-witness accounts.

A Hindenburg Passenger Ticket, Possibly the Only One to Still Exist, Goes On View

On the 76th Anniversary of the fiery crash, what may be the only passenger ticket to survive the crash can be seen at the National Postal Museum

In celebration of Bolivia’s culture, the American Indian Museum is holding a quinoa festival this week.

Events May 7-9: Finding Our Way, a Quinoa Celebreation and String Quartets

This week, learn how time can tell us where we are, experience Bolivian culture and listen to musicians from the Marlboro Music Festival

The creamy sticks of color seen here are just the latest in a long history of lipsticks—historical records suggest that humans have been artificially coloring their lips since 4,000 B.C.

Heavy Metals, Insects and Other Weird Things Found in Lipstick Through Time

From seaweed and beetles to lead and synthetic chemicals, lipstick has seen its share of strange—and dangerous—components

A street food market in San Andrés Cholula, in Mexico's Puebla state

What to Really Eat on Cinco de Mayo

Put down the margaritas and tacos, and pick up a chalupa

Bozie will go into quarantine for a minimum of 30 days upon her arrival at the National Zoo, per standard procedure. An expert team of elephant keepers, nutritionists and veterinarians will care for her. Following quarantine, Zoo staff will begin the process of introducing her to females Ambika and Shanthi and male Kandula.

Breaking News: Bozie the Elephant to Join National Zoo

A new Asian Elephant will soon arrive at the National Zoo, on loan from the Baton Rogue Zoo

Citizens of East Dennis, Massachusetts, filed this petition against the repeal of the Personal Liberty Laws in 1860.

African-Americans Sent Thousands of Anti-Slavery Petitions in the 18th and 19th Century

The petitions lend insight into the lives of African Americans during this tumultuous period in U.S. history, and now they're being digitized

Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg and her DNA-derived self-portrait.

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

Creepy or Cool? Portraits Derived From the DNA in Hair and Gum Found in Public Places

Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg reconstructs the faces of strangers from genetic evidence she scavenges from the streets

None

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

The Secret to a Long Life May Be Deep Inside Your Brain

Scientists have found a way to slow the aging process. Unluckily for us, they've only been able to do it in mice

Our bodies convert asparagusic acid into sulfur-containing chemicals that stink—but some of us are spared from the pungent aroma.

Ask Smithsonian

Why Asparagus Makes Your Urine Smell

Our bodies convert asparagusic acid into sulfur-containing chemicals that stink—but some of us are spared from the pungent odor

U.S. Patent No. 207,559. The first appearance of the QWERTY keyboard.

Fact of Fiction? The Legend of the QWERTY Keyboard

What came first: the typist or the keyboard? The answer may surprise you

When Chinese American Vincent Chin was beaten to death by two autoworkers in 1982 during a time of growing resentment toward Japan’s auto industry, the incident became a rallying point for Asian Pacific American communities.

From the Civil War to Civil Rights: The Many Ways Asian Americans Have Shaped the Country

A new exhibit in time for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month highlights the long, diverse history of Asian Americans

VOTO, a new device that converts the heat from a fire into readily usable electricity.

Five Innovative Technologies that Bring Energy to the Developing World

From soccer balls to cookstoves, engineers are working on a range of devices that provide cheap, clean energy

None

What’s Better at the New Orleans Jazz Fest: The Food or the Music?

From oyster patties to po'boys, crawfish to étouffée, the caterers and restaurants offer strong competition to the legends on the big stage

Paris, Frills and Button Flowers, Autumn/Winter 1971

For Perusing Pleasure, Zandra Rhodes’ New Online Fashion Archive

The honored Brit—50 years in the business—goes for the bold in her designer collections

None

Predictions for Privacy in the Age of Facebook (from 1985!)

Mark Zuckerberg wasn't even a year old when a graduate student foresaw the emergence of online personal profiles

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Breast Milk Protein Could Help Fight Superbug

By delivering antibiotics alongside a protein found in breast milk, researchers could fight MRSA in mice

Page 662 of 1261