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Articles

Auto Immune Response #6, 2004 by artist and photographer Will Wilson.

What’s Up

A keen observer as well as celebrated wit, Arcimboldo created composite portraits that were both enjoyed as jokes and taken very seriously.

Arcimboldo’s Feast for the Eyes

Renaissance artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo painted witty, even surreal portraits composed of fruits, vegetables, fish and trees

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Letters

Readers Respond to the November Issue

Autobiographies invariably distort, insists author Paul Theroux, at his home in Hawaii.

The Trouble With Autobiography

Novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux examines other authors’ autobiographies to prove why this piece will suffice for his

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There Was an App for That

Software applications changed the course of history

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Powers That Be

And when to curtail them

J.P. Morgan sat for two minutes; one of the resulting portraits defined his reputation.

J. P. Morgan as Cutthroat Capitalist

In 1903, photographer Edward Steichen portrayed the American tycoon in an especially ruthless light

John F. Kennedy, right, with his brother Robert, during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.

Power and the Presidency, From Kennedy to Obama

For the past 50 years, the commander in chief has steadily expanded presidential power, particularly in foreign policy

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This Month in History

Momentous or Merely Memorable

During gladiatorial games in the arena, a vast network of man-powered machinery made animals and scenery appear from beneath a wooden floor as if by magic.

Secrets of the Colosseum

A German archaeologist has finally deciphered the Roman amphitheater’s amazing underground labyrinth

The rickety platforms—"norries" to the locals—carry passengers and freight on wobbly rails left over from an abandoned transit system.

Catching the Bamboo Train

Rural Cambodians cobbled old tank parts and scrap lumber into an ingenious way to get around

The "cemeteries were park and playground," recalls Ernest B. Furgurson, in the National Cemetery.

Danville, Virginia: Hallowed Ground

The town’s Civil War cemeteries deepened Ernest Furguson’s view of history as a young boy

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Toast With Beer This New Year’s Eve, Not Champagne

Two breweries have teamed up to unveil a bubbly beer

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Baby Cheetahs Bring Fruitful Year to a Close at the Zoo

Cheetah cubs join the list of new arrivals for 2010

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The Top Dinosaur Discoveries of 2010

From new species to colors, this year’s dinosaur down-low

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Colorado Dinosaur Tracks in Danger of Disappearing Forever

Time is running out to save this national treasure

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Wednesday Roundup: Aviator Lions, Rockwell Models and Baby Anteaters

Latest exhibits from around the Mall

Count Rumford and the History of the Soup Kitchen

The story behind Salvation Army’s red collection kettles

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The Year in Science: A List of Lists

It’s the end of the year, so you know what that means—it’s time for the parade of “year in review” articles

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