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All Those Hours Inside Could Make You Nearsighted

Just being inside all the time might be creating a population full of nearsighted people

The sister-in-law of a Chinese farm owner in Zambia. China’s growing presence in Africa is documented in the 2010 film “When China Met Africa,” showing on Wednesday at the Freer Gallery.

Events February 12-14: Women in Sustainability, China’s Investment in Africa and an Emancipation Proclamation Theater Performance

This week, hear from a panel of sustainability rock stars, see a documentary on China’s presence in Africa and watch a Black History Month celebration

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Photos of Starfish Up Close: What Are You Looking At?

A stunning look at starfish reveal beautiful patterns—but what exactly are those wormy structures, bald patches, and spiky maces?

Shura City

Imagining a Drone-Proof City in the Age of Surveillance

As drones become common as tools of the military and intelligence agencies, how are architects and designers responding?

The Indian Peafowl may need help adapting to climate change.

Can Birds Survive Climate Change?

Predicted increases in torrential rain and severe drought will force birds in Asia to relocate in search of food and viable habitat, a new study finds

Some of the newly discovered pyramids

Archaeologists Found a Mysterious, Dense Cluster of 35 Pyramids in Sudan

The pyramids hail back to the days of the kingdom of Kush, which occurred around 2,000 years ago

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Viva Las Venus: The Jetsons and Wholesome Hedonism

What happens in the year 2063 stays in the year 2063

Can drones be taught the rules of war?

Can Machines Learn Morality?

The debate over drones stirs up questions about whether robots can learn ethical behavior. Will they be able to make moral decisions?

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Discussion at the American Indian Museum: Time to Put Racist Mascots to Bed

The panel talk on the controversial practice spilled over in the Twittersphere as people talked about the history of racist mascots and what can be done

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The Unsettling Beauty of Lethal Pathogens

British artist Luke Jerram’s handblown glass sculptures show the visual complexity and delicacy of E. coli, swine flu, malaria and other killing agents

Wisdom the Albatross with the chick she hatched last year.

At 62, the Oldest Bird in the World Is Still Hatching Chicks

Wisdom the 62 year-old albatross just hatched what is thought to be her 30 to 35th chick

The intent stare of an unknown dog strikes dread in the experienced cycle tourist. Most healthy-looking animals, no matter how mean, probably do not have rabies, but if bitten one must receive treatment.

Bike, Bark, Bite, Blood: The Perils of Cycling in Rabies Country

An unfortunate run in with a mutt in Ecuador turned into a trip to the doctor’s to be treated for rabies, a surprisingly fatal disease

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Salmon Swim Home Using Earth’s Magnetic Field as a GPS

Their intuitive sense of the magnetic field surrounding them allow sockeye salmon to circumnavigate obstacles to find their birth stream

Lipstick stencil, 1920s

The History of the Flapper, Part 2: Makeup Makes a Bold Entrance

It’s the birth of the modern cosmetics business as young women look for beauty enhancers in a tube or jar

Leila Hatami in her latest film, The Last Step.

Events Feb 8-10: Foreign Film, Valentine’s Workshop and Russian Chamber Music

This weekend, catch Iranian star Leila’s Hatami’s latest, craft a little love and hear from the National Chamber Ensemble

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opens in 2015, but you can learn all about it today at its new Welcome Center.

Making Progress: Future Home of the African American History Museum

A New Welcome Center Offers A Sneak Peek at the New Museum

Galaxy M106′s spiral arms.

New Photos Show Stars on the Brink of Death and the Precipice of Life

Haunting images of spiral galaxy M106 and the stellar nursery of the Orion nebula capture the life cycle of stars

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The Privacy Wars: Goggles That Block Facial Recognition Technology

For designers, the battle over what it means to be private in a very public world is a new frontier to be conquered

Footballer in the making? This young Ecuadorian seems drawn to the oblong shape and peculiar design of a football on a soccer field in the city of Cuenca.

A Football Team With No One to Play Against

Listen closely around the public parks of Quito, Ecuador, and you just might hear that familiar sound: “Hut hut hike!”

A seismogram records the motion of the magnitude 8.0 earthquake.

A Massive 8.0 Earthquake Hit the South Pacific Last Night

Huge magnitude 8.0 earthquakes are rare—but not as rare as you’d think

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