Articles

When Uncle Sam’s “Fish Cops” Reel in a Suspect, He’s Usually a Keeper

Agents of the National Marine Fisheries Service often work undercover gathering the evidence needed to make arrests stick

February 1, 1997

You Can Call Him ‘Cute’ or You Can Call Him ‘Hungry’

The much-maligned weasel is always on the lookout for something to eat, and the rest of us should be grateful he usually finds it

February 1, 1997

Phenomena, Comment and Notes

As scientists probe deeper into whether animals really have consciousness, questions arise. If they think, do we want to know what they think about us?

February 1997

If His Life Were a Short Story, Who’d Ever Believe It?

Being locked up for embezzlement freed him to write, launching William Sydney Porter on a brilliant but boozy career as O. Henry

January 1, 1997

Plugged In, and Playing With Power

January 1997

Review of ‘Illumination in the Flatwoods’

January 1997

How I Stuck My ‘Hand’ In a Fire Ant Mound For Television and Glory

January 1997

Let Us Now Praise the Romantic, Artful, Versatile Toothpick

Flirting, scale modeling, putting on the dog — through the ages, the device has been used for a lot more than dental hygiene

January 1, 1997

Sir Francis Drake is Still Capable of Kicking Up a Fuss

Westward the corsair of England’s empire made his way, plundering Spain for Queen and country; now modern moralists are nibbling at his fame

January 1, 1997

A Nova Crew Strains, and Chants, to Solve the Obelisk Mystery

The public television team put theories to the test to uncover the secrets of how the ancient Egyptians moved and raised the giant blocks

January 1, 1997

Following the Footsteps of Fox and Bear

Naturalist-sleuth Susan Morse and her fellow conservationists at Keeping Track monitor wildlife in order to pinpoint critical habitat

January 1, 1997

Smithsonian Perspectives

In the ever-expanding field of anthropology, the Smithsonian still excels in research and exhibition

January 1997

When One of the National Zoo’s Gorillas Goes In For Tests, It’s Not Just Standard Operating-Room Procedure

By discovering heart disease early, echocardiograms have improved life; now Washington cardiologists are using them to help great apes at the National Zoo

January 1997

Feathered Fights of Fancy

No ordinary fowl, these birds have been bred for visual delight. For many an owner, they are just too pretty to eat

January 1997

Ahead of the Curve: the Art of Charles Rennie Mackintosh

With his wife, Margaret, he changed the face of Glasgow; now the city is celebrating them by sending a major exhibition across the pond

January 1997

He Huffed and He Puffed Et Voila! Un Chateau Redux

Richard Hurbain is no Bourbon, but with pail, shovel and plenty of true grit, he rescued an old castle from rack, ruin and red tape

January 1, 1997

It’s 10 Below, and the Ice Is 3 Feet Thick, So Let’s Go Fishing

Seriously. Take plenty of bait, don’t forget your bucket and stay warm. You might catch a walleye. You could even win a prize

December 1, 1996

A Few Miles of Land Arose From the Sea—and the World Changed

Panama is an event as well as a place. Smithsonian scientists are learning what it has meant for continental animal swapping, ice ages, et al.

December 1, 1996

From Darkness Into Light: Rediscovering Georges De La Tour

Long forgotten after his death in 1652, he is now embraced by the French as an icon; an exhibition touring this country shows why

December 1, 1996

The School Where it’s OK to Major in Fun and Games

At Vancouver’s DigiPen, kids who grew up playing Donkey Kong and Castlevania train to create the video adventures of tomorrow

December 1, 1996