Games and Competition
Disney Kills LucasArts, My Childhood
When LucasArts was first starting out in the 1980s, the future of video games included holograms, virtual reality headsets and worldwide networking
April 04, 2013 |
By Matt Novak
What Does Citizen Kane Have to Do With Mass Effect 2?
Modern games find inspiration in the techniques of classic film noir
March 2013 |
By Kate Cox
The Murky History of Foosball
How did the tabletop game get from parlor halls in 19th-century Europe to the basements of American homes?
January 04, 2013 |
By Derek Workman
Post Script: How I Constructed the Great American History Puzzle
Post Script: How I Constructed the Great American History Puzzle
November 15, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Hints and Honors
The Great American History Puzzle lives on! Now complete with helpful hints and full explanations of answers! Plus, our Honor Roll of solvers.
October 31, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Congratulations to (drum roll…) Jeffrey Davidson!
I'm pleased to announce the winner of the Smithsonian's Great American History Puzzle -- and give away the answer to the in-magazine puzzle that opened the contest and unlocked the puzzle website.
October 26, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Victory
The contest part of the Great American History Puzzle is officially over! I think the ninth puzzle was a lot of fun, however, so I hope you take a shot at it even if there's no grand prize on the table anymore.
October 22, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
It All Comes Down To This
It's been a long hunt through some of the darkest corners of the Smithsonian vaults, but the light at the end of the tunnel is at hand. I hope to see you some of you there at the finish!
October 22, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
The Last Row
But at least two of the last three puzzles in the grid (including today's!) may be among the hair-pullingest yet. I'm not a sadist, mind you. I genuinely think you'll have fun with them.
October 17, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Don’t fold now!
We're past the midpoint of the Great American History Puzzle now, friends. By this point, the plot has thickened. For some of you, I'm guessing, it's positively congealed.
October 11, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
The Rise and Fall and Rise of the Chemistry Set
Banning toys with dangerous acids was a good idea, but was the price a couple generations of scientists?
October 11, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
To new friends and old
Why are there so few rules or instructions? It's all part of the plan
October 09, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Curiouser and Curiouser
The fourth puzzle is now unlocked. Have at it!
October 05, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
The Moment of Clarity
Some good news and some bad news from the Puzzle Master
October 04, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
The Trail Continues!
Here are a few (non-spoiler!) answers to questions we've received from a bunch of solvers
October 03, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Don’t give up!
To those of you who feel sure that your password is right but have been foiled by the website, I say: look closer--especially if you're using a digital version of the magazine!
October 02, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
The Game’s Afoot!
The next stage of the Great American History Puzzle is unlocked and ready for you to start working on it!
October 01, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Great American Puzzle Update: Solving a Sticky Question
A subscriber wondered if the mailing label that is printed on the mailed copies of Smithsonian magazine would interfere with his solving the Great American Puzzle
September 27, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Welcome to the Great American History Puzzle!
Hello, Great American History Puzzlers! I’m Ken Jennings–yes, the 70-something-time Jeopardy! champion, but also a lifelong history buff and puzzle addict. In the weeks to come, I’ll gradually be unveiling a series of diabolically devious enigmas and brain-teasers over at The Great American History Puzzle website. One lucky winner will be headed to Washington D.C. [...]
September 17, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
How Olympians Could Beat the Competition by Tweaking Their Genes
The next horizon in getting that extra athletic advantage may not be steroids, but gene therapy
August 06, 2012 |
By Larry Greenemeier
