Arts and Humanities
The arts and humanities explore human experience through creative expression and critical analysis of history, literature, philosophy and religion
Is America a Nation of Soul Food Junkies?
Filmmaker Bryan Hurt explores what makes soul food so personal, starting with his own father's health struggle, in a PBS film premiering tonight
January 14, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Texas’ New Library Won’t Have Any Books
In San Antonio, an entirely bookless library system
January 14, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
VIDEO: The Story Behind the Emancipation Proclamation
You've seen Spielberg's "Lincoln," now hear director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Lonnie Bunch talk about the forces behind the January 1, 1863 order and the eventual abolition of slavery
January 14, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Events January 14-17: Higgs Boson, Up “Close” with President Obama, Modern Origami and Shiny Pots
This week, learn why the Higgs Boson particle matters, see a huge portrait of President Obama, discover modern origami and stand in DC's most opulent room
January 14, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
The Fisher Space Pen Boldly Writes Where No Man Has Written Before
The Fisher Space Pen has been made famous by Apollo astronauts and Jerry Seinfeld. But just how does it work? And is NASA really spend millions making it?
January 11, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Beautiful Artwork Cut Out of Feathers
A clever artist uses a scalpel and tweezers to cut beautiful bird silhouettes out of feathers
January 10, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Ongoing Drought Could Send the Chicago River Flowing in Reverse
Low water levels in Lake Michigan could cause the Chicago River to start flowing the other way
January 10, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Events January 11-13: Civil Disobedience, Farm-Fresh Foods and Arabic Calligraphy Lessons
This week, protest racial segregation in the 1960s, discover DC's "slow food" movement and learn to write in Arabic
January 10, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
The Novice’s Guide to Venturing Into the World of Craft Beer
From food pairings to the best brews for beginners, Dan Koester presents a comprehensive guide to craft beer
January 09, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Elusive Giant Squid Captured on Film for the First Time
The squid is about 10-feet long and was spotted over half a mile below the ocean surface about 620 miles south of Tokyo
January 08, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
President Obama’s Autopen: When is an Autograph Not an Autograph?
When the President signed the fiscal cliff deal from 4,800 miles away, he did it with the help of a device that dates back to Thomas Jefferson
January 08, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
You Can Now Buy Space Shuttle Launch Facilities
Haven't you always wanted to own a launch pad?
January 08, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Candor and Lies of Nazi Officer Albert Speer
The minister of armaments was happy to tell his captors about the war machine he had built. But it was a different story when he was asked about the Holocaust
January 08, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
At Auction: A 1766 Copy of ‘Aristotle’s Masterpiece,’ a Best-Selling Sex Guide Banned in England Until 1961
Banned in England until 1961, a copy of this 17th-century text is going up for auction
January 07, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Events January 8-10: Get Sketchy, Raise Your Voice and Play Ball
This week, draw your way through the collection, join a chorale, and hear from NBA Commissioner David Stern plus basketball superfan Wolf Blitzer
January 07, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
There Is a Sculpture on the Moon Commemorating Fallen Astronauts
The crew of Apollo 15 placed a small aluminum sculpture on the moon to memorialize those astronauts had died
January 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Congratulations, You Accidentally Wrote a Book Last Year
People wrote more than 40,000 words on average last year... in email
January 04, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About San Francisco’s Cable Cars
Ever since they became a part of the city’s transit system, they have been iconic mainstays of its cityscape
January 04, 2013 |
By Jeff Greenwald
This Is What a Watery Mars May Have Looked Like
Mars once had a vast ocean. What would that have looked like?
January 03, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Graffiti Meets Chemistry, Loses
How do you actually get rid of graffiti? Chemistry, of course
January 03, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
