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Libby’s continues to fiercely compete with pumpkin pie peddlers Borden’s, Snowdrift and Mrs. Smith’s for a place on the Thanksgiving table.

The Invisible Way That Marketers Set the Menu for Your Thanksgiving Feast

Advertising from decades ago put in place the traditions we hold dear each year

The Orient Express circa 1883

What Was the Inspiration for “The Murder on the Orient Express”?

Agatha Christie wrote her famous detective novel based on an even more famous kidnapping

This drug delivery system folds up to fit in a capsule, then would reopen in the stomach

Can Digital Pills and Drug Delivery Systems Get People to Take Their Meds?

They are among new approaches to dealing with a big problem in American health care

The proof is in the lack of pudding.

Why You Won’t See Pudding on the Thanksgiving Table

The once-classic American dish has been widely replaced with the casserole—thanks in part to anti-immigrant sentiments

Theatergoers will find Coco to be a powerfully communicated story about the importance of family, community, a sense of belonging, tradition and remembrance.

Did Disney Pixar Get Day of the Dead Celebrations Right in Its Film ‘Coco’?

Smithsonian folklorist Cynthia Vidaurri says: “It’s complicated”

Cabins like these in Laurel Valley are similar to those in the area at the time of the Thibodaux Massacre.

The Thibodaux Massacre Left 60 African-Americans Dead and Spelled the End of Unionized Farm Labor in the South for Decades

In 1887, African-American cane workers in Louisiana attempted to organize—and many paid with their lives

The Ten Best Books About Food of 2017

Hungry minds would enjoy one of these illuminating books about the world of food and drink

A medium-size passenger jet burns roughly 750 gallons of fuel per hour.

Future of Energy

Can Sugarcane Fuel Airplanes?

Scientists have engineered sugarcane to increase its oil content, and they are developing renewable jet aircraft fuel from the oil

The Ten Best Board Games of 2017

Want to be a hit at your next party or family gathering? Bring a board game.

Using seal bombs to deter marine mammals is legal, though using them to round up target species is not.

Why California Fishermen Are Throwing Deafening “Seal Bombs” at Sea Lions

…and why no one is stopping them

Gary Oldman plays Winston Churchill in the new release The Darkest Hour.

Winston Churchill’s Historic “Fight Them on the Beaches” Speech Wasn’t Heard by the Public Until After WWII

The recordings we hear today didn’t air over the BBC at the time, but that hasn’t stopped many Britons from remembering otherwise

The inherent flexibility and adaptability of the Shotgun Chameleon House in Houston grew from designer Zui Ng’s desire to create an economically and environmentally sustainable house. The exterior staircase serves as a separate entrance for potential renters.

What the Housing Market in America Needs Is More Options

From granny pods to morphing apartments, the future of shelter is evolving

“I wanted to speak back to the memory of Amite, to let him know we’re still doing this work”— traditional salmon fishing as well as basket weaving, says Jordan Bennett.

How This Artist’s Archival Discovery Sparked High-Tech Art

A photograph from a Smithsonian archives piqued Jordan Bennett’s creativity; his work is part of a new exhibition that explores technology and tradition

Arlo Guthrie

A Brief History of “Alice’s Restaurant”

The Arlo Guthrie classic starts off retelling the true story of what happened more than 50 years ago

Thirteen Books That Informed and Delighted Smithsonian Scholars This Year

With a mission to increase and diffuse knowledge, Smithsonian thought leaders are voracious readers

"Plymouth Rock is part of who we are as a people,” says Smithsonian curator Larry Bird.

The True Story Behind Plymouth Rock

Curator Larry Bird weighs in on the significance of Plymouth Rock—and the two pieces in the Smithsonian collections

A phoenix rising from the ashes in a 13th-century bestiary

Family Travel

Rare Magical Manuscripts Go on Display at the British Library

The exhibition, which will also travel to New York, explores the history of magic to mark the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter

Memorial to a Marriage, by Patricia Cronin

Check Out These Thought-Provoking Additions to the National Portrait Gallery

The museum is showcasing 25 new artworks through next autumn

The Next Pandemic

What Foods Are Most Likely to Make You Sick?

We put some common myths to rest—and help you tackle your next turkey dinner with confidence

The way a fruit fly fires neurons could inform machine learning.

How Fruit Fly Brains Could Improve Our Search Engines

Fruit flies have a unique way of matching data, which could teach scientists to create better, faster search algorithms

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