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As the World Warms, the Future of Skiing Looks Bleak
Climate change is delivering serious wounds to the winter sport all over the globe
December 11, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
How To Get an Ancient Lizard Named After You: Get Elected President
Simply get elected president, and you'll have a fair chance of some newly discovered creature inheriting your moniker
December 11, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Smithsonian Curators Offer Up a Holiday Gift Guide for History Lovers
The best of history reads from Lincoln's true thoughts on slavery, to the White House dinner that shocked a nation, to California's hip-hop scene
December 11, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Your Guide to Selecting the Best (or Is It Worst?) Ugly Christmas Sweater
Holiday cheer with a touch of nostalgia celebrates garish knitwear from the 1940s to '80s
December 11, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Environmentalists Want To Keep Oil Platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Wait, What?
Oil companies want to pull their rigs from the Gulf, but environmentalists are saying "no"
December 10, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Hawai`i’s Troubadour of Aloha
An upcoming documentary will highlight Hawaiian ukulele-playing sensation Jake Shimabukuro, who performed for the Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Center
December 10, 2012 |
By Joann Stevens
Should Trophy Hunting of Lions Be Banned?
Some argue that tourist safari hunts generate important money for African nations—but can lions afford the loss?
December 07, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
It’s Been 40 Years Since Anyone Rode a Rocket to the Moon
Apollo 17 took off forty years ago today
December 07, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
What Prehistoric Reptile Do These Three-foot Claws Belong To?
Claws once thought to belong to a giant turtle turned out to be from one of the weirdest dinosaurs ever found
December 06, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Remembering Dave Brubeck, Goodwill Ambassador
Joann Stevens remembers legendary jazz artist Dave Brubeck, who died Wednesday at age 91
December 06, 2012 |
By Joann Stevens
Where to Watch the Biggest Waves Break
From Waimea Bay to "Mavericks," here are some superb sites to watch surfers catch the biggest breakers in the world this winter
December 06, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
The Best in Fashion History: Penny Loafers, Forgotten Suitcases and Hermès Scarves
Three good reads to accessorize your daily routine
December 06, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Day Henry Clay Refused to Compromise
The Great Pacificator was adept at getting congressmen to reach agreements over slavery. But he was less accommodating when one of his own slaves sued him
December 06, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The Kennedy Assassin Who Failed
Richard Paul Pavlick’s plan wasn’t very complicated, but it took an eagle-eyed postal worker to prevent a tragedy
December 06, 2012 |
By Dan Lewis
Besse Cooper, World’s Oldest Person, Passes Away
Born in 1896, Besse Cooper was came into a world that was vastly different than the one she just left
December 05, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Oldest Book Printed on American Soil To Go Up for Sale
A 372-year old book of psalms is set to go up for auction
December 05, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Collecting the World’s Collections of Small Oddities One Day at a Time
A Q&A with Diana Zlatanovski on how she came to collect collections, what they say about design, and how to be a collector without becoming a hoarder
December 04, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Dress Codes and Etiquette, Part 3: The Death of the Dinner Jacket on Open Water
Are the days of wearing just a tuxedo t-shirt just over the horizon?
December 03, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Have GPS Devices Taken the Fun out of Navigation?
With the rise of the digital age, the fascinating skills of map reading and celestial navigation are becoming lost arts
December 03, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
The Pope’s Tweets Are Official Church Doctrine
The pope is officially Tweeting now, under the handle @pontifex, and his Tweets are officially "part of the church's magisterium." Which means that anything he Tweets is the teaching authority of the Catholic Church
December 03, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
