Culture
Shared traditions, belief systems and values among a social group
Sunday Funnies Blast Off Into the Space Age
When Dr. Athelstan Spilhaus met President Kennedy in 1962, JFK told him, "The only science I ever learned was from your comic strip."
January 27, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Saving the Whales (And Eating Them Too?)
What does whale meat taste like, and is it anything like jojoba oil, prosciutto or jellied crustaceans?
January 27, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
Picnicking in the Polar Fog
In 1897, S. A. Andree took off for the pole on board his balloon, complete with a tuxedo he intended to wear upon his arrival in San Francisco
January 25, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
The World’s First “Carphone”
Meet the 1920 radio enthusiast who had the foresight to invent the annoying habit of talking on the phone while in the car.
January 25, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
The Curious Case of a Gigantic Sham Clam
Geoducks are a staple of Chinese New Year. But did one grow to the size of a wheelbarrow?
January 23, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
Events Jan 24-26: Annie Leibovitz’s Pilgrimage, Profile America Forum, and Flights of Fancy
This week, see Annie Leibovitz talk about her latest project at the American Art Museum, discuss the state of the American Indian in America, and bring your kids to Air and Space to learn about the Apollo 11 flight.
January 23, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Curators, Scientific Adventurers and Book Worms to Watch in 2012
Our top ten picks from the Smithsonian Twitterati and blogrolls.
January 20, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Meringue Chemistry: The Secrets of Fluff
If these things were made by Renaissance chefs in the days before electric mixers, surely I could manage to whip some up myself
January 20, 2012 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Q & A with Governor and Children’s Book Author Frank Keating
We speak with Keating about his career transformation and one of the most overlooked stories in American history
January 20, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
In The Future, All Women Will Be Amazons
A 1950 news report predicted that women in the year 2000 would be "more than six feet tall, wear a size 11 shoe, have shoulders like a wrestler and muscles like a truck driver."
January 20, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Catch and Release: A Wicked Game?
Without doubt, fishing is an effective means of bringing people to the water's edge, their eyes open and hearts thumping, to admire the ecosystem and consider the value in preserving it
January 19, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
A Different Kind of Dinner Bell in the Antarctic
How do you catch a penguin supper when you're trapped in Antarctic ice? Play music
January 18, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
The Stalking of the President
Charles J. Guiteau said he wanted to kill President James A. Garfield "in an American manner." He passed up several opportunities before he thought the time was right.
January 17, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
A Closer Look at What You Eat
A photographer uses a scanning electron microscope to zoom in on everyday foods—and makes art
January 13, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Weekend Events January 13-15: Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday, To the Mountaintop and Native Dance
This weekend, celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr, honor his work with a reading of his most powerful speeches, and enjoy a pow-wow dance and drum performance by St. Labre Indian School students.
January 13, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
New Zealand and Other Travel Locales That Will Break the Bank
New Zealand is worth visiting, but I'm not sure how long I can keep traveling here while claiming to be "on the cheap"
January 12, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
When Did the Girl Scouts Start Selling Cookies?
What are your favorite varieties, and what do they say about you? And did you sell the cookies as a kid?
January 12, 2012 |
By Jesse Rhodes
The Sistine Chapel of the Andes
Just miles from Peru’s Incan ruins lie artifacts from another era—beautiful Baroque churches that married Spanish design with indigenous culture
January 12, 2012 |
By Rebecca Dalzell
Tasting Shackleton’s Whisky
The replication of a historic whisky might reflect merely our fascination with artificial artifacts---but the whisky yielded a surprise
January 11, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
Moving Sidewalks Before The Jetsons
The public's fascination with the concept of "movable pavement" extends back more than 130 years
January 11, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
