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Powell and Lealand No. 1

Sherlock Holmes and the Tools of Deduction

Sherlock Holmes’s extraordinary deductions would be impossible without the optical technologies of the 19th century

Researchers discovered that simply smiling can reduce stress and increase well-being.

Simply Smiling Can Actually Reduce Stress

A new study indicates that the mere act of smiling can help us deal with stressful situations more easily

The hand holds on the Nova are a pretty far stretch from the usual polyurethane grips found at the indoor rock climbing gym.

New Tech May Have Athletes Climbing the Walls

How the Nova, the latest in artificial climbing wall design, goes from in-home gym to living room gallery

Goats beware.

When It’s Okay to Kill 80,000 Wild Goats

The Galapagos recently finished exterminating 80,000 invasive goats from the island

Jacob Lawrence’s 1941 Bar and Grill depicts the reality of segregation of the Jim Crow South, a new experience to the Harlem artist.

Curator Talk at the American Art Museum on African-American Art Exhibition

Virginia Mecklenburg offers a Wednesday lecture on the artists from “Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era and Beyond”

India’s northwestern boundary with neighboring Pakistan is so brightly lit that the thin orange line tracing its path can be seen from space.

How An Unholy Alliance of Unusual Weather and Scarce Coal Nuked India’s Power Grid

Power grids supplying both the northern and eastern parts of India went down, throwing 620 million people, or 8.9% of the world population into darkness

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Why You Shouldn’t Panic Over The Latest News About Bird Flu

New research reveals that the flu virus has mutated into a novel strain of influenza, which transfers not just from bird to seal, but from seal to seal

Fanny Blanker-Koen crosses the finish line to become the first triple champion of the 14th Olympic Games.

The Paris Olympics

How Fanny Blankers-Koen Became the ‘Flying Housewife’ of the 1948 London Games

Voted female athlete of the 20th century, the runner won four gold medals while pregnant with her third child

This crystal ball won’t help you.

Why Experts are Almost Always Wrong

No one, not even the experts, really knows what’s about to happen

Mycoplasma mycoides, 2011

Teaching Molecular Biology with Watercolors

Molecular biology professor David Goodsell is just as skilled with a microscope as with a paint brush

One goal at the 2010 World Cup reignited a debate that sparked the future introduction of goal line technology.

Gooooal! Two Technologies Compete to Sense Soccer Goals

A major botched call by referees during the World Cup has opened the door for computerized replacements

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Document Deep Dive

Document Deep Dive: A Peek at the 1948 Games in London

Records at the National Archives in London show how organizers cobbled together the 1948 “Austerity” Games

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Smithsonian Visitors Guide & Tours App in Stores Now

Cover of the April 30, 1954 issue of Collier’s

Wernher von Braun’s Martian Chronicles

In 1954, a special issue of Collier’s magazine envisioned a ten-ship flotilla to the red planet.

A fragment of the lower jaw of Megalosaurus, the first dinosaur to be scientifically named in 1824. Long before this, though, people puzzled about the nature of dinosaur bones.

A Brief History of Hidden Dinosaurs

Even though scientific interest in dinosaurs is relatively new, our species have been puzzling about the prehistoric creatures for centuries

There are pros and cons to running barefoot.

Is Barefoot Running Really Better?

The science is mixed on whether running shoes or bare feet are the way to go

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When LBJ Ordered Pants From the White House

Johnson liked his Haggar slacks slack—and colorfully described a special custom-cut

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We’re Biased By Our Body’s Dominant Side

A new study shows that right-handed and left-handed people make different choices

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Queen Elizabeth 1 Loved Live Action Role Playing

From the ancient Romans to the Tudor Queen, everyone likes dressing up and pretending to be something else

The Environmental Case Against Cheap Coffee

Bad news for coffee drinkers: It turns out that those cheap coffee pots found in offices are one of the biggest energy hogs in the modern workplace

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