Articles

Interactive: The Best Small Towns to Visit in America

Tour this map and see which idyllic small towns are closest to you

April 30, 2013

Baby Sand Tiger Sharks Devour Their Siblings While Still in the Womb

This seemingly horrific reproduction strategy may be a way for females to better control which males sire her offspring

April 30, 2013

How the Ford Motor Company Won a Battle and Lost Ground

Corporate violence against union organizers might have gone unrecorded—if it not for an enterprising news photographer

April 30, 2013

Look Ma, No Fuel! Flying Cross Country on Sun Power

This week one of the strangest flying machines you’ve ever seen will start its journey across America—without a drop of fuel

April 30, 2013

Decoding the Range: The Secret Language of Cattle Branding

Venture into the highly regulated and fascinating world of bovine pyroglyphics

April 30, 2013

Strawberries Still Green? You’re on Trend!

Chefs around the country are experimenting with the springy, tart version of this favorite berry. Try pickling them yourself

April 30, 2013

Events April 30-May 2: Origins of the Renaissance, Native Crafts and History Reanimated

This week, hear how a Roman emperor may have started the Renaissance, make your own Native art and meet digital animation artist Kota Ezawa

April 29, 2013

Saving the Cao Vit Gibbon, the Second Rarest Ape in the World

Setting aside additional protected areas and creating forest corridors could help this Asian primate bounce back from just 110 individuals

April 26, 2013

Nobody Walks in L.A.: The Rise of Cars and the Monorails That Never Were

As strange as it may seem today, the automobile was seen by many as the progressive solution to the transportation problems of Los Angeles

April 26, 2013

At the Smithsonian Craftshow: Textile Topographies

Leah Evans, whose work is for sale at the annual Smithsonian Craftshow, creates wall hangings from abstracted geogrpahies

April 26, 2013

The Strange Beauty of David Maisel’s Aerial Photographs

A new book shows how the photographer creates startling images of open-pit mines, evaporation ponds and other sites of environmental degradation

April 26, 2013

How Big Data Will Mean the End to Job Interviews

Companies will rely more and more on analyzing mountains of data to determine who’s the best fit for a job

April 26, 2013

Decoding The City: The Road Graffiti Placed by Utility Workers

These infrastructural lines mark the pathways of pipes and wires beneath the paved surface — but what does each color mean?

April 26, 2013

Cops Could Soon Use Breathalyzers to Test for Illegal Drugs

Swedish researchers are developing a system that tests for 12 different drugs on your breath, including cocaine, marijuana and amphetamines

April 26, 2013

Ancient Australia’s First Settlers Probably Came There On Purpose

Rather some chance encounter with the continent down under, researchers think that the original migrants set out to deliberately colonize Australia

April 25, 2013

Ancient Maya Were Cultural Sponges

Rather than the Maya influencing the Olmec or vice versus, similarities between their cultures represent a general shift in ancient Mesoamerica

April 25, 2013

Events April 26-28: Arbor Day, Expert Collectors and Classical Music

This weekend, plant a tree, learn about the art of craft collecting and listen to one of Haydn’s masterpieces

April 25, 2013

14 Fun Facts About Penguins

Which penguin swims the fastest? Do penguins have teeth? Why do penguins sneeze? How is penguin poop useful?

April 25, 2013

Google Search Terms Can Predict the Stock Market

An investing strategy based on the frequency of certain words Google searches, it turns out, might yield sizable profits

April 25, 2013

Why Women Like Deep Voices and Men Prefer High Ones

We find different pitches attractive because of the body size they signal—and a touch of breathiness is crucial to take the edge off deep voices in men

April 24, 2013