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Articles

Doris Day, Miles Davis and Devo all share the stage in the form of old vinyl LPs on the author's shelf.

Together, At Last

Doris Day, Miles Davis and Devo share the stage

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Fresh Eyes

Seeing everyday experience in a new light

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This Month in History

Momentous or Merely Memorable

A rail fragment, believed to have been hewn by Abraham Lincoln is an early example of "political theater."

The Legend of Lincoln’s Fence Rail

Even Honest Abe needed a symbol to sum up his humble origins

On February 4, 1789, the 69 members of the Electoral College made George Washington the only chief executive to be unanimously elected.

George Washington: The Reluctant President

It seemed as if everyone rejoiced at the election of our first chief executive except the man himself

Samuel Eliot Morison said he wanted to capture "the feeling of desperate urgency."

Revisiting Samuel Eliot Morison’s Landmark History

The famous historian’s eyewitness accounts of the Navy during World War II—now being reissued—won’t be surpassed

In his new book, iDubai, Joel Sternfeld publishes scores of photographs from his iPhone.

Seeing Dubai Through a Cell Phone Camera

At a shopping mall in Dubai, Joel Sternfeld documents the peak of consumer culture with his iPhone

"Right out the window is a kind of nature preserve all in itself," says T.C. Boyle in his Santa Barbara home.

The Wildlife of T.C. Boyle’s Santa Barbara

The author finds inspiration at the doorstep of his Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house near the central California town

Designed by Polish-American Daniel Libeskind, the Zlota 44 building, which is under construction, may lift the city's profile.

Warsaw on the Rise

A new crop of skyscrapers symbolizes the Polish capital’s effort to rebuild its downtrodden image

With steady sunshine and cheap labor, Colombian farms yield $1 billion in exports, dominating the United States market.

The Secrets Behind Your Flowers

Chances are the bouquet you’re about to buy came from Colombia. What’s behind the blooms?

Sticky rice is so ingrained in Laos' culinary heritage that most Laotians don't think about it in isolation.

A Taste of Sticky Rice, Laos’ National Dish

One cannot travel to the Southeast Asian country without many meals of sticky rice, the versatile staple of Laotian cuisine

Jane McGonigal, 33, creates "alternative reality games," which take place in virtual environments yet encourage players to take real actions.

Jane McGonigal on How Computer Games Make You Smarter

The “alternate reality game” designer looks to develop ways in which people can combine play with problem-solving

Ferrets raised in captivity are getting a taste of what it takes to go wild.

Survival Training, Ferret Style

Before the captive animals can go free, they have to hone their killer instinct at a conservation center in Colorado

Seldom-seen rulers of their wintry domain, lynx may face new threats.

Tracking the Elusive Lynx

Rare and maddeningly elusive, the “ghost cat” tries to give scientists the slip high in the mountains of Montana

The center of our Milky Way galaxy is even more breathtaking when seen as a composite made of data from three space-based instruments sensitive to different wavelengths.

Brilliant Space Photos From Chandra and Spitzer

Two unsung space telescopes create eye-opening images of the universe from light we can’t see

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Wild Things: Great Whites, Tree Snakes, Drongos and More

These animals redefine life as we know it

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Are Humans an Invasive Species?

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The Great Triceratops Debate Continues

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Neanderthals Noshed on Plants—and Cooked?

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Events: African Cinema, FONZ Photo Club, Conservation Clinics and More

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