Society
Culture, traditions and belief systems arising out of the social relationships among a group of people
Shattered: Christchurch After 10,000 Earthquakes
The abandoned boulevards and blocks of condemned buildings look like a scene from an unhappy future in which the world's cities are only inhabited by ruins, ghosts and silence
February 09, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
How Smart Does a TV Need to Be?
Sure, they're big and they're flat. But TVs still aren't that bright. This, however, could be the year they start acting more like smart phones.
February 09, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
Weekend Events Feb 10-12: Mourning, The Power of Chocolate Festival, and the Emerson String Quartet
This weekend, go to the Iranian Film Festival, taste and learn why chocolate was called the "food of the gods" by the Aztecs and Mayans, and enjoy a performance by the Emerson String Quartet.
February 09, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Charles McIlvaine, Pioneer of American Mycophagy
"I take no man's word for the qualities of a toadstool," said the man who took it upon himself to sample more than 600 species
February 08, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
Sugar of Lead: A Deadly Sweetener
Did ancient Romans, Pope Clement II or Ludwig van Beethoven overdose on a sweet salt of lead?
February 07, 2012 |
By Jesse Rhodes
How Much the Hope Diamond is Worth and Other Questions From Our Readers
From American art, history and culture, air and space technology, contemporary art, Asian art and any of the sciences from astronomy to zoology, we'll find an answer
February 07, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Introducing Smithsonian Magazine on the iPad
All the history, travel, science and culture you love in a new and exciting format
February 07, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Bedtime Reading From Beatrix Potter: Amateur Mycologist
Would Flopsy, Mopsy and Peter Cottontail have been conceived had it not been for the biases of Victorian era science?
February 06, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
10 Bright Ideas to Get You Through February
It's not easy to think happy thoughts this time of year. But here are some examples of innovative thinking that remind us it will get better.
February 06, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
The Squishy History of Bath’s Buns
Was Sally Lunn a 17th-century Huguenot refugee named Solange Luyon? Or just a great tall tale?
February 03, 2012 |
By Guest Blogger
Giants and Patriots at the Smithsonian
Just in time for the Super Bowl, take a look at giants and patriots of all kinds in the Smithsonian
February 03, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Super Bowl’s Love Affair With Jetpacks
Thankfully, this Super Bowl spectacle never had a wardrobe malfunction
February 03, 2012 |
By Matt Novak
Questing for Calories in New Zealand’s High Country
There is something liberating in running out of food. Concerns about rationing are out the window and the world is simplified into a playground for foraging
February 02, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
The Super Bowl Goes Social
The days are over when everyone at a Super Bowl party kept their eyes glued to the TV. Now most of us will be spending game day checking in on other screens, too, and advertisers want to be there with you.
February 02, 2012 |
By Randy Rieland
The Battle for Food in World War II
A new book examines how food figured into the major powers' war plans
February 02, 2012 |
By Jesse Rhodes
What to Look for on the Train Ride From New York to Washington
Sure, the view along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor has its share of grime. But there are also sights that'll make you want to put away your smart phone
February 02, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
To the Bottom of the World—and Back Again
When Felicity Aston, on skis, caught sight of Antarctica's coastal mountains, she told me, "they were like a neon sign flashing at me saying, 'You have finished!' "
February 01, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Where Jet Engines, Football Fans and Eggs Collide
Does the noise in a Super Bowl stadium create enough power to fry up a dozen eggs?
February 01, 2012 |
By Peter Smith
The Devastating Costs of the Amazon Gold Rush
Spurred by rising global demand for the metal, miners are destroying invaluable rainforest in Peru's Amazon basin
February 2012 |
By Donovan Webster
The Mystique of Route 66
Foreign tourists and local preservationists are bringing stretches of the storied roadway back to life
February 2012 |
By David Lamb
