Games and Competition
It All Comes Down To This
It's been a long hunt through some of the darkest corners of the Smithsonian vaults, but the light at the end of the tunnel is at hand
The Last Row
But at least two of the last three puzzles in the grid (including today's!) may be among the hair-pullingest yet. I'm not a sadist, mind you. I genuinely think you'll have fun with them.
Don’t fold now!
We're past the midpoint of the Great American History Puzzle now, friends. By this point, the plot has thickened. For some of you, I'm guessing, it's positively congealed.
The Rise and Fall and Rise of the Chemistry Set
Banning toys with dangerous acids was a good idea, but was the price a couple generations of scientists?
To new friends and old
Why are there so few rules or instructions? It's all part of the plan
Curiouser and Curiouser
The fourth puzzle is now unlocked. Have at it!
The Moment of Clarity
Some good news and some bad news from the Puzzle Master
The Trail Continues!
Here are a few (non-spoiler!) answers to questions we've received from a bunch of solvers
Great American Puzzle Update: Solving a Sticky Question
A subscriber wondered if the mailing label that is printed on the mailed copies of Smithsonian magazine would interfere with his solving the Great American Puzzle
Welcome to the Great American History Puzzle!
Hello, Great American History Puzzlers! I’m Ken Jennings–yes, the 70-something-time Jeopardy! champion, but also a lifelong history buff and puzzle addict. In the weeks to come, I’ll gradually be unveiling a series of diabolically devious enigmas and brain-teasers over at The Great American History Puzzle website. One lucky winner will be headed to Washington D.C. [...]
The Future of Cheating in Sports
As technology advances, so will access to ingenious—and troubling—new techniques
Paris or Bust: The Great New York-to-Paris Auto Race of 1908
Even before there were roads, there were men who wanted to drive fast
The Essentials: Video Games
Designer Kellee Santiago picks five artful video games that tell the history of the medium
The Art of Video Games
For decades, video games have enthralled and inspired, and now they are the subject of a new exhibit that views them as serious works of art
The Orchid Olympics
Breeders from 19 countries put their creations to the test at the 20th World Orchid Conference in Singapore
Santa’s Trusty Robot Reindeer
A special visit from the Ghost of Christmas Retro-Future
A Chess Champion’s Dominance—and Madness
As a young man, Paul Morphy vanquished eight opponents simultaneously while effectively blindfolded
One Hundred Years of the Indy 500
A century ago, the first Indianapolis 500 race started in high excitement and ended in a muddle
The Newlywed Games
"You compete me"
The Early, Deadly Days of Motorcycle Racing
Photographer A.F. Van Order captured the thrills and spills of board-track motorcycle racing in the 1910s
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