When F. Scott Fitzgerald Judged Gatsby By Its Cover

A surprising examination of the original book jacket art to The Great Gatsby
May 14, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

Amazing Sea Butterflies Are the Ocean’s Canary in the Coal Mine

These delicate and stunning creatures are offering Smithsonian scientists a warning sign for the world's waters turning more acidic
May 14, 2013 | By Hannah Waters

Police Could Soon Get Their Hands on the U.S. Military’s ‘Pain Ray’

This high frequency microwave weapon makes you feel like your skin is burning, but leaves no scars
May 14, 2013 | By Colin Schultz

Buried Pig Bodies Help Scientists Refine Search Methods for Mass Graves

Currently, the science of detecting mass graves is hit or miss, though the remains of thousands of missing persons may be stashed in clandestine graves
May 14, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

Curses! The Four-Letter Word Renaissance Speakers Wouldn’t Flinch At

Back in the ninth century, the S-word referred to excrement in a matter-of-fact, not a vulgar, way
May 13, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

Events May 14-16: New Research, Old Films and Live Jazz

This week, hear the latest from the brains at the Smithsonian, dissect the great Nam June Paik's video legacy and relax with live music
May 13, 2013 | By Leah Binkovitz

This App Uses Audio to Guide Blind Photographers

While blind people can't enjoy photographs the same way sighted people do, that doesn't mean they don't want to take them
May 10, 2013 | By Rose Eveleth

Benjamin Franklin’s Phonetic Alphabet

One of the founding father's more quixotic quests was to create a new alphabet. No Q included
May 10, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

Macoto Murayama’s Intricate Blueprints of Flowers

The Japanese artist depicts blossoms from various plant species in fastidious detail
May 10, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

What the Great Gatsby Got Right about the Jazz Age

Curator Amy Henderson explores how the 1920s came alive in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel
May 10, 2013 | By Amy Henderson

Alex Trebek On Why ‘Jeopardy’ Represents the American Dream

Trebek stopped by the American History Museum to donate items from his show, along with soap star Susan Lucci and Barney-creators Kathy and Phil Parker
May 09, 2013 | By Leah Binkovitz

What Is it About Music That Triggers All of These Emotions?

Real feel or social construction? Where does the mood of your music come from?
May 09, 2013 | By Colin Schultz

28-Year Satellite Time-Lapse Shows Exactly What We’re Doing to Our Planet

28 years in just a few seconds, as seen from space
May 09, 2013 | By Colin Schultz

Events May 10-12: Plant Potting, Super Science Saturday and a Musical Tribute to Mother’s Day

This weekend, celebrate the earth by playing in a garden, unlock the mysteries of astronomy and take mom to hear some great classical music
May 09, 2013 | By Paul Bisceglio

The Best of Design, Cooper-Hewitt Announces 2013 Award Winners

From a Las Vegas Denny's with a wedding chapel to rock 'n' roll posters, this year's design award winners have a good time with great design
May 09, 2013 | By Leah Binkovitz

What Happens When a Keyboard Goes From Tactile to Touchscreen?

There's a word for that odd quirk of Apple iPads that hold on to design components of old keyboards
May 08, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

Ray Harryhausen, the Godfather of Stop Motion Animation, Dies

Producer and animator Ray Harryhausen, who invented a kind of stop motion model animation called 'dynamation,' died today
May 07, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

Feel What It’s Like to Live on an Antarctic Icebreaker for Two Months

In February 2013 Cassandra Brooks, a marine scientist with Stanford University, landed at McMurdo Station, a U.S. research station on the shores of Antarctica’s Ross Sea. For two months she worked on a ship, the icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer, cruising through the Antarctic sea. Brooks documented her life on the ship for National Geographic, and now she’s [...]
May 07, 2013 | By Colin Schultz

U.S. Gives Mongolia Its Tyrannosauras Skeleton Back

The U.S. government is returning a Tyrannosaurus skeleton to Mongolia and the Metropolitan Museum of Art is giving two statues back to Cambodia
May 07, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

Is It Time to Scrap the Manual on Mental Illness?

After 11 years of working on the new DSM, some are saying that it's time to retire the manual and think abut mental health entirely differently
May 07, 2013 | By Rose Eveleth

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