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Arts & Culture

Black Lightning's costume favors style over subtlety.

The TV Show ‘Black Lightning’ Gives the Superhero World a Jolt of Social Justice

For the protagonist of WB’s new comic book show, community and family come first

In 1997, the world gasped as Gianni Versace was shot to death on the doorstep of his Miami mansion.

The True Story of “The Assassination of Gianni Versace”

Did the designer meet his killer seven years earlier?

On long-term loan from Warner Bros., the Burton Batmobile will be on view at the National Museum of American History for the next 3 years.

What the Batmobile Tells Us About the American Dream

Fans of DC Comics will go batty for this new installation at the National Museum of American History

Dale Messick, creator of the comic strip "Brenda Starr," looks up from some of her strips in her studio in her Chicago apartment in 1975.

Women Who Shaped History

How Women Broke Into the Male-Dominated World of Cartoons and Illustrations

A new exhibition at the Library of Congress highlights female artists and their contributions to comic strips, magazine covers and political cartoons

Wanderlust

How Graffiti Artists Used iPhones and Paint to Transform the Beatles’ Ashram

Miles Toland describes how he captured Indian street scenes on his phone and recreated them as giant murals that same day

In Los Angeles, the architecture firm KTGY is repurposing shipping containers to build a transitional apartment complex for the homeless.

Three Architecture Projects That Will Build Community and Address Inequality This Year

These projects set to be completed this year are geared toward strengthening communities that have been left out of the economic recovery

January Happenings At the Smithsonian

Blow away winter blues with our recommended list of film, lectures, concerts and more

1968: The Year That Shattered America

Rage Against the Machine

A short story reimagines the riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the chaos that shocked the world

David Fairchild demonstrates a new crop spraying technique in 1889.

America’s First “Food Spy” Traveled the World Hunting for Exotic Crops

A new book details the life of adventurer-botanist David Fairchild

In December 1957, Lymon appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” to sing “Goody Goody,” nearly two years after “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” was a hit debut single.

Teen Idol Frankie Lymon’s Tragic Rise and Fall Tells the Truth About 1950s America

The mirage of the singer’s soaring success echoes the mirage of post-war tranquility at home

The Freer Buddha undergoes a CT scan at the National Museum of Natural History. "He wouldn't relax his legs," Donna Strahan recalls with a laugh.

How Science is Peeling Back the Layers of Ancient Lacquer Sculptures

These rare Buddhist artworks were found to contain traces of bone and blood

Ellen Raskin designed the first-edition book cover; she later wrote The Westing Game, which won its own Newbery.

Women Who Shaped History

The Remarkable Influence of ‘A Wrinkle in Time’

How the Madeleine L’Engle novel liberated young adult literature

John Lennon chats with Mike Love (far right, in dark blue) as the Beatles sit for a photo with Maharishi and other course participants.

1968: The Year That Shattered America

The Ashram Where the Beatles Sought Enlightenment

Beach Boys singer Mike Love recalls what it was like to be at the Indian locale, which remains a destination for fans of music and meditation

Thomas Edison's ideas fed the story that would become In the Deep of Time.

Thomas Edison’s Forgotten Sci-Fi Novel

By feeding his visions for the future to a well-regarded contemporary, the prolific inventor offered a peek into his brilliant mind

Republic Square in Yerevan decorated for Christmas.

Armenia

It’s Still Christmas in Armenia

The holiday celebrations continue through January 13. Here’s what to cook to keep the festivities going.

In the nothingness of space, sound waves have no medium by which to travel.

Science in the Movies

The Science of Silence in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’

The soundless lightspeed attack that baffled some fans was actually the film’s most scientifically accurate moment

Women gleefully threw objects symbolizing oppression into the Freedom Trash Can, but they didn’t burn bras.

1968: The Year That Shattered America

Fifty Years Ago, Protesters Took on the Miss America Pageant and Electrified the Feminist Movement

Miss America pageant is under new leadership after a sexist email scandal. But the pageant has a long history of controversy—including the 1968 protests

In a survey of art experts, Thomas’ 2010 collage was named one of the most significant artworks of the 21st century.

How Mickalene Thomas Is Ushering in a New Wave of Contemporary Art

The celebrated portraitist’s glittering images of black women upend tradition

Lahmacun served up to the author at Mer Taghe in Yerevan, Armenia.

Armenia

‘Armenian Pizza’ Is the Comfort Food You Didn’t Know You Were Missing (Recipe)

What lahmacun may lack in cheese pulls it makes up for with juicy, spicy ground lamb

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