Performing Arts
How Do Our Brains Process Music?
In an excerpt from his new book, David Byrne explains why sometimes, he prefers hearing nothing
October 2012 |
By David Byrne
Recapping “The Jetsons”: Episode 01 – Rosey the Robot
Meet George Jetson! The first installment of our 24-part series on the show that would forever change how we view the future
September 24, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
50 Years of the Jetsons: Why The Show Still Matters
Although it was on the air for only one season, The Jetsons remains our most popular point of reference when discussing the future.
September 19, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
The Pee-Chee Folder: Illustrated by the Most Interesting Man in the World
Illustrator Francis Golden could barely remember the project that became an iconic school supply
September 19, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Cartoons of Mohammed, Anti-Jihad Subway Ads and Other Provocations, Past and Future
Today, as protests continue across the Muslim world in reaction to a translated movie trailer posted on YouTube, French Magazine Charlie Hebdo announced that it was publishing cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad
September 19, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
LISTEN: The Freewheeling, Foot-Stomping Dust Busters
The Brooklyn string band brings it all back home
September 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
The Worst Dinosaur Ever
There are plenty of awful movie dinosaurs, but the tyrannosaur in a 1990 rip-off of The Fly is the worst of all
September 17, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
What’s Their Bacon Number? Let Me Google That For You
If you've ever wondered what someone's Bacon number is, you now have to look no further than a quick Google search
September 17, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ Nails the President’s Surprising, High Voice
For his new movie role as Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis obviously did his homework
September 14, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The World’s Oldest Color Movie Dates to 1901
A goldfish, a macaw, and some happy children were captured in color video from the early 1900s
September 13, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
What We Do (And Don’t) Know About the Movie Muslim Innocence
Everything you thought you knew about Sam Bacile, the movie , and the riots, is probably wrong
September 13, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
How an Obscure Video Sparked International Protests
Sam Bacile's movie was hardly seen at all in the United States, yet it incited a string of riots and the assassination of an American ambassador
September 12, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
David Byrne Offers Advice on How to Enjoy Music
What is it about place that makes music special? The rock star dissects what he enjoys about what he hears, from opera to jazz to radio hits
September 12, 2012 |
By Seth Colter Walls
September Offerings on the Smithsonian Channel
The Institution's award-winning channel offers up a month of premium programs, featuring the Hope Diamond, Titanoboa and a rainforest exploration
September 05, 2012 |
By Guest Blogger
Los Texmaniacs Release New Album
What does jalapeno-spiced polka music sound like?
September 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Yesterday’s Tomorrows: How a Smithsonian Exhibit I Never Saw Changed My Life
Meet the historians who pioneered scholarship of retro-futurism
August 15, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
The Scene of Deduction: Drawing 221B Baker Street
From pen-and-ink sketches to digital renderings, generations of Sherlock Holmes fans have undertaken to draft a version of the detective's famous London flat
August 14, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Happy Birthday to Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense
The master helped director shape both modern cinema, and the minds of a generation
August 13, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
New Tech Identifies that Special ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’ That Makes Paris Paris
Science provides an answer on what details in an urban street scene clue people in on what city it is from.
August 09, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
A Modern Sherlock Holmes and the Technology of Deduction
A modern Sherlock Holmes requires a modern tool. Today, his iconic problem-solving magnifying glass has been replaced by the indispensable cell phone
August 02, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
