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Top Ten Science Blog Posts of 2011
Cats, zombies, earthquakes, chickens--our readers have an eclectic taste
December 28, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Events Dec. 27-29: Winter Break Programs, Camp Kwanzaa
This week, take part in the Portrait Gallery's special winter break and celebrate Kwanzaa
December 27, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
A Mysterious Thumb
What did Iguanodon use its big thumb spikes for—stabbing attackers, breaking into seeds, or possibly stripping foliage from branches?
December 27, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
A Spoiler Alert Guide to Year-End Releases
Three trends in big-budget movies coming out this holiday season
December 23, 2011 |
By Daniel Eagan
The Story of the WWI Christmas Truce
It has become one of the great legends of World War I. But what really happened when British and German troops emerged from their trenches that Christmas Day?
December 23, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
Weekend Events Dec. 23-25: ArtLab+ Showcase, Portrait Story Days, and Christmas
This week, see young people's creative works, learn about Gertrude Stein, and have a merry Christmas
December 22, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Huxley’s Apocryphal Dinosaur Dinner
Fossil lore says 19th century naturalist T.H. Huxley realized that birds were dinosaurs when he carved into a Christmas turkey, but what really happened?
December 22, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
The Return of Patent Models to the Original Patent Office Building
A new exhibition at the American Art Museum features models of a variety of unusual 19th-century devices
December 20, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Great Dissenter and his Half-Brother
John Harlan championed racial justice on a hostile Supreme Court. Robert Harlan, a freed slave, achieved renown despite the court's decisions
December 20, 2011 |
By Gilbert King
Hitchcock’s Primeval Birds
Paleontologist Edward Hitchcock was one of the first dinosaur track experts, but why did he insist that birds left the footprints?
December 19, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
A Comedy of Dinosaur Errors
If any dinosaur has a tortured history, it's the giant predator Saurophaganax
December 16, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
Five Films About Faith
Movies that question your beliefs, from Steve Martin to Bengalese film to a nostalgic look at the old West
December 15, 2011 |
By Daniel Eagan
Weekend Events Dec. 16-18: Happy Feet Two, All About Me in D.C., and Title Tracks Unplugged
This week, see Happy Feet Two in 3D, meet a children's author, and enjoy an acoustic performance by a local indie frontman
December 15, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Read Sir Isaac Newton’s Works Online
Cambridge University is digitizing its collection of works by Newton and other revolutionary scientists of the past
December 14, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Dinosaurs In Space!
It's not just science fiction—dinosaurs have already been in space twice
December 12, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
Events Dec. 12-15: Seasons of Light, The Expert Is In, Day With the Artists, and Holiday Jazz
This week, see a holiday performance, talk to a bird expert, meet a pair of Native artists, and attend a jazz concert
December 12, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Emperor Wang Mang: China’s First Socialist?
In A.D. 9, the Chinese emperor nationalized his state's land and redistributed it to the peasantry. That revolutionary act cost him his throne and his life—and even now his motives remain unclear
December 09, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
Who Wrote the First Dinosaur Novel?
A decade before The Lost World debuted, one science fiction writer beat Arthur Conan Doyle to the dinosaurian punch.
December 08, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
Weekend Events Dec. 9-11: Eternity, Super Science Saturday and Sara Daneshpour
This week, see a critically-lauded Thai film, attend a hands-on day of aviation activities, and hear a live concert pianist perform
December 08, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
