Recreation
Leisure activities, including sports, travel, entertainment and hobbies
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
To new friends and old
Why are there so few rules or instructions? It's all part of the plan
October 09, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Where Travelers Go to Pay Their Respects
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is not a fun place to go, yet tourists flock here, and to
other somber sites around the world
October 09, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Are You an Expert? If Not, Forget the 4-Hour Work Week
The seemingly too-good-to-be-true 4-hour workweek has a few glaring caveats
October 05, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Curiouser and Curiouser
The fourth puzzle is now unlocked. Have at it!
October 05, 2012 |
By Ken Jennings
Skydiver Plans to Break the Sound Barrier by Jumping From 120,000 Feet
Carried aloft by a giant helium balloon, Felix Baumgartner will free-fall from the stratosphere
October 05, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
