People
These influential artists, celebrities, leaders and scholars have shaped our world
Amy Henderson: Red Hot Kathleen Turner
The beloved actress takes to the stage as a witty Molly Ivins just in time for election season
October 12, 2012 |
By Amy Henderson
Mapping the Art Genome
A new Web site called Art.sy recommends art based on a visitor's preference for a particular artist or artwork
October 12, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
The Traumatic Birth of the Modern (and Vicious) Political Campaign
When Upton Sinclair ran for governor of California in 1934, new media were marshaled to beat him
October 11, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The Bat-Winged Dinosaur That Never Was
Just when naturalists began to suspect that birds might be dinosaurs, one researcher put forward a truly strange idea of what early bird ancestors would have looked like
October 11, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Painting Portraits With Bacteria
Microbiologist Zachary Copfer has created detailed portraits of famous artists and scientists in petri dishes
October 10, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Doing the T. rex Stretch
Did T. rex use its tiny arms to do push-ups?
October 10, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Events October 9-11: Short Films, Chef Demonstrations and a Shanghai Quartet
This week at the Smithsonian, daily screenings, the best of American cuisine and new arrangements of Chinese folk songs
October 08, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Sinfully Delicious Apples That You Should Never Try to Eat
Inspired by the work of Cornell scientists, Los Angeles-based Jessica Rath creates sculptures and photographs of the autumn fruit
October 05, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
George Washington and Abigail Adams Get an Extreme Makeover
Conservators at the National Gallery Art restored Gilbert Stuart portraits of our founding figures, making them look good as new
October 05, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Events October 5-7: Mrs. Judo, Staring at the Sun and Chamber Society Music
This weekend, a 99-year old judo legend, a scientist who studies the sun and a season-opener with the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society.
October 04, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Amazing Photographs of Water Droplets Colliding
See the results of 98-year-old Irving Olson's kitchen experiments
October 03, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Long Live the King
Paleontologists have named scores of dinosaurs, but why is T. rex our favorite?
October 03, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Ai Weiwei Takes Over the Smithsonian: “According to What?” Opens at the Hirshhorn
The museum hosts the U.S. premier of a blockbuster show from the controversial artist
October 03, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Eight Lessons for the Presidential Debates
What are the key dos and don'ts the candidates should remember when campaigning for the White House?
October 03, 2012 |
By Kenneth C. Davis
The Unsolved Mystery of the Tunnels at Baiae
Did ancient priests fool visitors to a sulfurous subterranean stream that they had crossed the River Styx and entered Hades?
October 01, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
Events October 2-4: Nomadic Arts, Guided Tours and Music from Kazakhstan
This week, music and finds from Kazakhstan's nomadic past and daily, guided tours
October 01, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
The Adventures of the Real Tom Sawyer
Mark Twain prowled the rough-and-tumble streets of 1860s San Francisco with a hard-drinking, larger-than-life fireman
October 2012 |
By Robert Graysmith
The Dark Side of Thomas Jefferson
A new portrait of the founding father challenges the long-held perception of Thomas Jefferson as a benevolent slaveholder
October 2012 |
By Henry Wiencek
Kennedy After Dark: A Dinner Party About Politics and Power
In this exclusive transcript from the JFK library, hear what he had to say just days after announcing his candidacy for the presidency
October 2012 |
By Ted Widmer
Winged Tapestries
Jim des Rivières' portraits of moths capture the insects' exquisite patterns
September 28, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
