Culture
Shared traditions, belief systems and values among a social group
Sweet Potato Genes Say Polynesians, Not Europeans, Spread the Tubers Across the Pacific
Sweet potato samples preserved in centuries-old herbariums indicate that Polynesian sailors, rather than Spanish or Portuguese explorers, introduced the now-ubiquitous yam across Southeast Asia and the Pacific
January 23, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Ecuador, Land of Malaria, Iguanas, Mangoes and Mountains
The author leaves Peru behind and crosses into Ecuador, where he encounters his first sign of a mosquito
January 23, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Bag Full of Otters Recovered at Thai Airport
Eleven live otters turned up in a scanned bagged that someone had abandoned at the oversized luggage area of Bangkok's airport
January 23, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In 1974, Someone Ordered a Pizza With a Computer for the First Time
Here, witness a key moment in digital delivery: the first pizza ever ordered with a computer
January 22, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Raw Meat Meets 3D Printing
A bio-cartridge "prints" living cells, one on top of the next, and they naturally fuse to form muscle tissue
January 22, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Stocking Up: Uncovering the Secrets to the Best Broth
What do the experts recommend you do to get the most flavorful soup possible?
January 22, 2013 |
By Twilight Greenaway
Inauguration Day 2013
All you need to know for the day: where to eat, rest and what to see
January 21, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
What to Eat—or Not—in Peru
The roving ceviche carts and meat grills are colorful pieces of street scenery, but eating a creamy cherimoya or a sweet and starchy lucuma could be the truest taste of Peru
January 17, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Events January 18-20: A Multicultural Festival, the Voices of Emancipation and the Smithsonian Staff’s Best Photos
This week, travel around the world in one museum, celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation and see the world through the Smithsonian staff's eyes
January 17, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
PHOTOS: Who Were the Six Indian Chiefs in Teddy Roosevelt’s Inaugural Parade?
Another inauguration, another opportunity to learn more about the men whose presence shocked the country
January 16, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Horse Meat Turned Up in Irish And British Burger Meat
Hamburger meat is never the healthiest option, but it does come with a few basic assumption—like that it's made from cows
January 16, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
How to Win Inauguration Weekend: There’s an App for That
Only one man won the election, but with free tours and insider information, you can still win the weekend. Plus hours, eating spots and where to rest your feet
January 16, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Braving the Pan-American Highway of Death
Along the roadway in Peru, hand-built memorials to accident victims occur almost as regularly as the kilometer markers themselves
January 15, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
How Kraft Uses Patents to Dominate the Mac and Cheese Wars
A tour through the patent files reveals a wide range of odd shapes, which collectively are a far cry from the elbow-shaped pasta of your youth
January 15, 2013 |
By Dan Lewis
The Hot Condiment of 2013? Barrel-Aged Hot Sauce
Restauranteurs across the nation are feeding a new trend by feeding hot sauce into whiskey oak barrels
January 15, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
Document Deep Dive: The Menu From President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Ball
What delicacies and confectionaries were found on the 250-foot-long buffet table?
January 15, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Romans Did All Sorts of Weird Things in The Public Baths—Like Getting Their Teeth Cleaned
For ancient Romans enjoying a day at the bathhouse, the list of items lost to drains includes jewelry, scalpels, teeth, needles and plates
January 14, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
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
Can You Make Tea Out of Coffee?
Coffee might not be your cup of tea, or vice versa, but those who love both might be in luck. Researchers have just brewed a new tea made from leaves of the coffee plant
January 14, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Americans Are Drinking More Booze And Less Milk And Juice
Maybe it's the economy, or the current state of politics, or the recent boy band resurgence - but for whatever reason, Americans are putting down the milk and picking up the wine glass
January 10, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
