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Articles

Maunsell Sea & Air Forts in the U.K.

17 Amazing Photographs of Abandoned Places

Top places you should see before they die… or at least disappear

Founded in 1896, the Cooper Hewitt is located in the Andrew Carnegie mansion, a 64-room Georgian brick home that once served as home for the steel magnate and his family.

With a New Name and New Look, the Cooper Hewitt is Primed for a Grand Reopening

Journalists got a sneak preview of what’s coming up when the new museum opens its doors this coming December

The new Hampshire based company SustainX has developed a machine that stores energy by compressing air. It and other efforts represent the cutting edge of the energy storage field.

A Big Bet on How to Store Energy, Cheaply

Tech innovators are hoping they can store energy more cost-effectively with mechanical systems that use the most basic materials: air, water, and steel

A serval kitten.

Ten Amazing Small Wild Cats

Forget the lions and tigers, these prowling felines have much more to tell us about the natural world

The author enjoys a previously-stashed beer and a plate of chanterelles in in the Périgord region of France.

Find These Beers Hidden in Paris and the French Countryside

Our intrepid writer devises a scavenger hunt in a low-tech geocaching game that every beer lover can enjoy

How Red Is Dragon’s Blood?

Color can be subjective, but in the 19th-century, color dictionaries provided a common language for scientists to describe different hues found in nature

A carbon nanotube detector, which uses terahertz waves, could (finally) change airport security lines forever.

Tech Watch

Airport Scanners of the Future Could Be Much Smaller (And More Importantly, Faster)

With carbon nanotubes, researchers are manipulating imaging technology to make everything from MRIs to food inspection more efficient and compact.

Mapping a child's genome could be something available to all parents in the coming years. But is the procedure always good?

Will Genome Sequencing Make Us Smarter About Dealing With Diseases in Our Genes—Or Just More Anxious?

Doctors could use our genetic map to pinpoint the best treatment for our diseases. But how much do we want to know about what’s lurking in our DNA?

"Kirkjufell Nights" —Aurora over Kirkjufell waterfalls in Iceland. Third place in the Beauty of the Night category.

Stunning Photos of the Night Sky From the International Earth and Sky Photo Contest

From swirling aurora borealis to bioluminescent beaches, these award-winning photographs capture rare views of our world at night

Hokule'a departs on 4-year worldwide voyage from Honolulu in May 2014.

For Four Years, This Polynesian Canoe Will Sail Around the World Raising Awareness of Global Climate Change

A Smithsonian curator chronicles the genesis of the project that hearkens back to when ancient navigators traveled the oceans

Spoonfuls of instant coffee still give some morning coffee drinkers their caffeine fix.

Is There a Future For Instant Coffee?

Ask China, they’re buying the most of it

This guy is definitely spending too much time waiting for his flight.

If You’ve Never Missed a Flight, You’re Probably Wasting Your Time

Do you find yourself spending endless hours waiting at the airport? Here’s what math says about the perfect time to arrive for your next flight

Inflatable modules, shown here on the International Space Station, could change the way we're able to explore space.

These Inflatable Modules Could Change Space Exploration

The International Space Station’s upcoming non-rigid BEAM module may be the key to making the future of space more roomy and affordable.

How Do Thousands of Clear Blue Lagoons End Up In These Brazilian Sand Dunes?

Every year during the rainy season, Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park treats visitors to an amazing sight

Various examples of garderobe design

From Turrets to Toilets: A Partial History of the Throne Room

For centuries the humble bathroom has been shaping the space we live and work

Art Meets Science

These Psychedelic Images Find Order Amid Chaos

Artist Jonathan McCabe builds computer programs that create their own art—intricately patterned images that look part organic, part kaleidoscopic

Washington, D.C.

Museums After Hours: D.C.’s Best Kept Secret

If you like visiting the capital’s museums by day, you’ll love what they offer after five

An app captures a physical Lego build and converts it into a digital play-thing.

Tech Watch

Your Lego Castles Can Be Captured In 3D (There’s An App For That)

A physical-to-digital game sets allows kids (and adults) to bring real-life creations to apps

British soldiers enter Baghdad in 1919.

World War I: 100 Years Later

The Disintegration of the Iraqi State Has Its Roots in World War I

Created by European powers, the nation of Iraq may be buckling under the pressure of trying to unite three distinct ethnic groups

Moqueca, a soup found in northeast Brazil.

World Cup 2014

Five Brazilian Dishes to Make for Your World Cup Watch Party

Native to five World Cup host cities, these foods will bring South America to your kitchen

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