Arts
Creative achievements in literature and the visual and performing arts
Looters Are Selling Artifacts to Fund War in Syria
War zones are dangerous places, for both people and cultural heritage
September 26, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
High School Students Hit a Forty Year Low on the SAT Reading Section
Over 50 percent of test takers scored below the level that would indicate college success, and scores from every single racial group but one (Asian) declined
September 25, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
How the Football Field Was Designed, from Hash Marks to Goal Posts
The American football field as evolved over more than 100 years, and with it, the game
September 24, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Orlon! Dacron! Antron! The Great American Knits of Fall 1965
As this old newspaper ad supplement shows, in the heydey of synthetic knits, DuPont advanced its chemically made fibers as a key to "Better Living"
September 24, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Recapping “The Jetsons”: Episode 01 – Rosey the Robot
Meet George Jetson! The first installment of our 24-part series on the show that would forever change how we view the future
September 24, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Events September 25-27: Waterways, Conserving Masterpieces and Video Blogging
This week, explore the role of the Anacostia River, art conservators at the museum and video blogging in contemporary life
September 24, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Top 5 “Science Done Right” Moments in Movies
Directors take note: scientist and author David Kirby commends the accuracy in these popular films
September 21, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
The Hobbit You Grew Up With Isn’t Quite the Same As the Original, Published 75 Years Ago Today
The Hobbit was first published 75 years ago today - and it wasn't exactly the way you remember it
September 21, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Artist Builds House, Invites Partiers to Trash It
Can a party ever be art?
September 20, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
These Thin Sections of Rock Look Like Beautiful Stained Glass
The beautiful MicROCKScopica project was created by Bernardo Cesare, a professor of petrology and a photographer, who combined his talents in an absolutely stunning way
September 20, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Events September 21-23: Sculpture dedications, Jim Henson and Sufism at the Smithsonian
This weekend, join in a ceremony to welcome two new monumental works, celebrate the Muppets creator and learn about the world of Islamic mysticism
September 20, 2012 |
By Jeanie Riess
Lunch Atop a Skyscraper Photograph: The Story Behind the Famous Shot
For 80 years, the 11 ironworkers in the iconic photo have remained unknown, and now, thanks to new research, two of them have been identified
September 20, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
50 Years of the Jetsons: Why The Show Still Matters
Although it was on the air for only one season, The Jetsons remains our most popular point of reference when discussing the future.
September 19, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
The Pee-Chee Folder: Illustrated by the Most Interesting Man in the World
Illustrator Francis Golden could barely remember the project that became an iconic school supply
September 19, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
The Best Bits of XKCD’s Really, Really Big Comic
Cartoonist Randall Munroe designed a giant world that can be explored in the comic by clicking and dragging
September 19, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Cartoons of Mohammed, Anti-Jihad Subway Ads and Other Provocations, Past and Future
Today, as protests continue across the Muslim world in reaction to a translated movie trailer posted on YouTube, French Magazine Charlie Hebdo announced that it was publishing cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad
September 19, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
This Professor Can Tell From the Pixels That Your Photo’s Been ‘Shopped
A new software package can figure out if a photo has been 'shopped or not
September 19, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Stockings Series, Part 3: Ads from the Archives, 1890-1939
For decades, Ivory sold itself as the suds that made legwear last longer
September 18, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
What A Pilot Sees in a Week of Flying
A beautiful time-lapse takes you across Europe
September 18, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
A Solar Eclipse, As Seen From the Surface of Mars
Advances in space exploration has changed the way we see eclipses
September 18, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
