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Articles

Celebrated creators have always known the power of the synthesizing mind.

Combinatorial Creativity and the Myth of Originality

The power of the synthesizing mind and the building blocks of combinatorial creativity

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The Origins of the Drive-In Theater

How the drive-in theater became an American icon

John Wayne and Geraldine Page in Hondo

John Wayne’s Hondo Comes Out on Blu-ray

The Duke’s daughter-in-law Gretchen Wayne talks about the restored version of one of his moodier Westerns

A replica of Jim Thorpe's Olympic medal from 1912 is on display at the American Indian Museum.

Celebrating Olympics Season at the American Indian Museum

The American Indian Museum tells the stories of indigenous Olympians both past and present

A nighttime German barrage on Allied trenches at Ypres

Fritz Haber’s Experiments in Life and Death

The German chemist helped feed the world. Then he developed the first chemical weapons used in battle

The automobile of 1973 as imagined in 1923 on the cover of Science and Invention magazine

1923 Envisions the Two-Wheeled Flying Car of 1973

As cars got larger in the 1920s, the “Helicar” was presented as the solution to congested city streets

Some fossil evidence indicates the common ancestor of gorillas (shown), chimpanzees and humans came from Europe.

Did Africa’s Apes Come From Europe?

Fossil evidence hints that the common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees and humans evolved in Europe

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In Case You Missed It: the Transit of Venus

If you didn’t have a chance to see yesterday’s astronomical event, watch this NASA video to see what all the fuss is about

Roger Cutler's wire Apatosaurus

Dinosaur Sighting: Artsy Apatosaurus

wire Apatosaurus looms over a D.C.-area art festival

Kristen Stewart plays the "fairest of them all" in the new film adaptation of the classic fairy tale.

A Grimm Review of Snow White and the Huntsman

Fairy tale expert Jack Zipes shares his thoughts on the latest adaptation

The previous transit of Venus in front of the sun was in 2004, pictured above. The next won't be until 2117.

How To View This Evening’s Transit of Venus

A few quick tips to keep in mind as you take advantage of the last chance to see Venus pass in front of the sun

The original AMNH mount of Brontosaurus, reconstructed in 1905

Brontosaurus Returns

Paleontologists may have killed the dinosaur a century ago, but it was revitalized in the King Kong remake

Petra Van Glabbeek tows Ouiza (staring out the rear) and Coco (standing, and getting a free snout-scratch from the turning wheel) on a luggage-less day ride. On uphill climbs, the dogs are asked to trot alongside the bikes.

The Family that Never Quits Pedaling

I thought cycling with a laptop and a bottle of wine was hard. Then I met a pair of Dutch cyclists on tour with a grown dog, a puppy—-and a baby

An artist's depiction of Afrotarsius (upper left) and other early primates from Africa

Out of Asia: How Monkey and Ape Ancestors Colonized Africa

A new fossil discovery suggests that anthropoid ancestors originated in Asia and then rafted across the ocean to Africa

The r-TWR remote air traffic control center

Saab Reinvents Air Traffic Control With a Digital Panorama

With Saab’s new digital panorama, the local air traffic controller may soon go the way of the technical support specialist

A new study shows that over-the-counter products sold to eradicate the bed bug, shown feeding above, are relatively ineffective

Bed Bugs Are Even Peskier Than We Thought

A new study reveals that common over-the-counter bed bug eradication products are essentially ineffective

A Bolivian donkey of the 1850s. From Herndon and Gibbon, Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon (1854).

Run Out of Town on an Ass

According to legend, Queen Victoria, informed of an early president’s angry insult to her ambassador, struck Bolivia off the map. But is it true?

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A Little Lost Tyrannosaur

Nothing is cuter than a troublemaking baby Tyrannosaurus

Tuesday is the last chance of the century to see Venus pass between the sun and the earth.

Events June 5-7: Transit of Venus, Living Portraits, and Ai WeiWei

This week, watch the transit of Venus, take a “living portrait,” and explore the work of Chinese dissident artist Ai WeiWei

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