Recreation
Leisure activities, including sports, travel, entertainment and hobbies
Cracking the Code of the World’s Oldest Undeciphered Language
Researchers working on deciphering lettering from proto-Elamite, a system used between 3200BC and 2900BC are finally starting to chip away at just what these symbols mean
October 24, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Should Americans Travel to the Middle East?
Today the area is often perceived as a murky and dangerous blur on the map. But how unsafe, really, is this area for tourists?
October 23, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Five Kid Concussions in One Game Have Parents Questioning Pop Warner Football
Those concussions have hurtled this game to the forefront of the ongoing debate surrounding kids and football
October 23, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Victory
The contest part of the Great American History Puzzle is officially over! I think the ninth puzzle was a lot of fun, however, so I hope you take a shot at it even if there's no grand prize on the table anymore.
October 22, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
The Journalist Who Says ‘I Told You So’ About Lance Armstrong
For 13 years, journalist David Walsh pursued his theory that Lance was doping, but the USDA's recent announcement finally vindicated his long-held beliefs with hard evidence
October 22, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
It All Comes Down To This
It's been a long hunt through some of the darkest corners of the Smithsonian vaults, but the light at the end of the tunnel is at hand. I hope to see you some of you there at the finish!
October 22, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Volcanoes: The Top Hotspots of the World
Volcanic landscapes draw countless tourists to rumbling mountains, rivers of lava and boiling geysers. Here are a few of the hottest destinations
October 19, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Sex and Space Travel: Predictions from the 1950s
The cure for lonely space missions? One astronomer proposed hiring astronaut concubines
October 18, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Designer Kitchens and the People Who Don’t Cook in Them
From designer appliances to bigger floorplans, Americans love kitchens, just not cooking in them
October 17, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
More Wines from Unexpected Places
Good, locally made wines can now be found in such unlikely locales as equatorial Kenya, the Texas Hill Country, and temperate and rainy Japan
October 17, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
The Last Row
But at least two of the last three puzzles in the grid (including today's!) may be among the hair-pullingest yet. I'm not a sadist, mind you. I genuinely think you'll have fun with them.
October 17, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Alpha Centauri Has a Planet
A newly discovered planet circling Alpha Centauri is only four light years away and could point the way to habitable planets nearby
October 17, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Michelin Guide: Why We Look to Automotive Experts for Dining Advice
How did a tire company get in the restaurant reviewing business?
October 15, 2012 |
By Jesse Rhodes
This Helmet Knows When You’ve Crashed And Calls for Help
A new helmet, registering the impact of a mini-van's passenger door on your body, has sent out a signal for medical assistance
October 12, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
A New Great Depression and Ladies on the Moon: 1970s Middle School Kids Look to the Year 2000
The ideal future according to a ten-year-old: shorter school days, lower taxes, and lots and lots of robots
October 12, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Don’t fold now!
We're past the midpoint of the Great American History Puzzle now, friends. By this point, the plot has thickened. For some of you, I'm guessing, it's positively congealed.
October 11, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Four Surprising Places Where Local Wines Thrive
Almost everywhere European explorers went, vineyards grew behind them. Here are a few places tourists might never have known there was wine to taste
October 11, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Report Suggests Armstrong Not Just a Doper But a Pusher
Sources close to Armstrong have come forward admitting that not only did he dope, but he was at the center of the doping world
October 11, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Rise and Fall and Rise of the Chemistry Set
Banning toys with dangerous acids was a good idea, but was the price a couple generations of scientists?
October 11, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Elevator Awkwardness Explained
You stand there silently, reach awkwardly past people to push buttons, and immediately end any conversation you were having as soon as a new person comes into the elevator. But why?
October 10, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
