Performing Arts
There’s More to Celtic Music Than “Danny Boy”
A new album from Smithsonian Folkways will brighten anyone’s St. Patrick’s Day
March 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
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
Could Spider Silk Stop a Moving Train?
Spiderman really could have stopped that train from falling, so long as his silk resembled that produced by the Darwin's bark spider
February 28, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In 1989, Life Magazine Said Goodbye To Video Stores, Mailmen and Pennies…
In 1989, Life magazine predicted that, by the year 2000, many staples of modern American life might find themselves on the scrapheap of history
February 27, 2013 |
By Matt Novak
This Is Your Brain on Movies
Innerscope Research recently did a study claiming that by looking at viewers "emotional engagement threshold" during a trailer, they can predict just how well it will do at the box office. But neuroscience isn't that easy
February 27, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
VIDEO: The Show, Lincoln’s Washington at War, Depicts the Transformation of Washington
A new documentary from Smithsonian Channel looks at how the Civil War helped transform the city of Washington, D.C.
February 22, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Mississippi Officially Ratifies Amendment to Ban Slavery, 148 Years Late
The movie Lincoln helped kick Mississippi into action on finally ratifying the 13th Amendment
February 20, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Sneak Peek of “Seizing Justice: The Greensboro 4″
Airing February 11, the Smithsonian Channel documentary tells the story of the lunch counter sit-in that helped to change the country
February 11, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
The History of the Flapper, Part 2: Makeup Makes a Bold Entrance
It's the birth of the modern cosmetics business as young women look for beauty enhancers in a tube or jar
February 07, 2013 |
By Emily Spivack
The History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call for Freedom
The young, fashionable women of the 1920s define the dress and style of their peers in their own words
February 05, 2013 |
By Emily Spivack
Are Punch and Judy Shows Finally Outdated?
For a wife-beating, baby-squashing scofflaw, Mr. Punch has done pretty well for himself
February 04, 2013 |
By Linda Rodriguez McRobbie
The Psychology Behind Superhero Origin Stories
How does following the adventures of Spider-Man and Batman inspire us to cope with adversity?
February 2013 |
By Robin Rosenberg
Listen to Doc Watson Picking Away at his Banjo
A new release from Smithsonian Folkways highlights the talent of a bluegrass master
February 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
How to Tour Louis Armstrong’s New Orleans
Jazz is synonymous with the Big Easy, and there’s no bigger name in the history of the genre than Satchmo
January 31, 2013 |
By Nina Fedrizzi
3D-TV, Automated Cooking and Robot Housemaids: Walter Cronkite Tours the Home of 2001
In 1967, the most trusted man in America investigated the home of the 21st century
January 29, 2013 |
By Matt Novak
American Myths: Benjamin Franklin’s Turkey and the Presidential Seal
How the New Yorker and the West Wing botched the history of the icon
January 25, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
The Tolkien Nerd’s Guide to The Hobbit
Peter Jackson’s blockbuster movie draws upon stories behind stories behind stories, just as J.R.R. Tolkien’s original works did
January 03, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
LISTEN: Stephen Wade’s Banjo Diary
The roots music expert’s latest album is finger-picking good
January 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
A 24-Hour Movie That May Be the Biggest (and Best) Supercut Ever
Christian Marclay’s The Clock, now on view at MoMA, puts YouTube mashup artists to shame
December 28, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Our 10 Most Popular Videos of 2012
Giant snakes, lost footage, secret histories and more in this wrapup of our most watched videos of the year
December 18, 2012 |
By Caroline Lacey
