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Arts & Culture

Untitled, Distant Steam Vents; Yellowstone National Park, 2008

Stark Photographs of America the Beautiful, Forever Altered by Man and Nature

Victoria Sambunaris’s new photography book, Taxonomy of a Landscape, goes beyond the amber waves of grain to catalogue what’s on America’s horizon

Ralph Lauren received the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal at the American History Museum, where Hillary Rodham Clinton honored his role in preserving the Star-Spangled Banner

Hillary Clinton Awards Ralph Lauren for Helping the 200-Year-Old Star-Spangled Banner See Another 200 Years

At a Naturalization ceremony held at the home of the famous flag, second generation American Ralph Lauren explained what the banner means to him

Ten Thousand Li Along the Yangzi River, traditionally attributed to Juran (active 960–986), China, Southern Song dynasty, mid-12th to early 13th century

Washington, D.C.

Relax Like You Are in 12th-Century China and Take in These Lush Landscape Paintings

When the Confucian elite got stressed, they’d stare at nature paintings to recharge and renew their souls

Madison Stewart, Shark Girl

The Girl Who Swims With Sharks

A new Smithsonian Channel documentary features “Shark Girl,” a fearless 20-year-old Aussie who has spent hundreds of hours swimming with the creatures

Human towers for democracy at the anniversary of Castellers in Barcelona.

What Does a 36-Foot-Tall Human Tower Have to Do With Catalan Independence?

An eye-catching protest across Europe is steeped in cultural heritage says Smithsonian curator Michael Atwood Mason

Sir Bobby, 2007

World Cup 2014

The Beautiful Game Becomes Beautiful Art as L.A. Museum Puts Soccer on Exhibit

The work of artists from around the world looks at players, fans and the ball itself

The colorful components of feijoada.

World Cup 2014

How to Make Feijoada, Brazil’s National Dish, Including a Recipe From Emeril Lagasse

The acclaimed chef talks about how to make the South American classic

10 Things We’ve Learned About Dads

Among them: Fathers who want their daughters to aspire to greatness should help more with the dishes

Garlic Scape Pesto Pizza

What the Heck Do I Do With

What the Heck Do I Do With Garlic Scapes?

These flower stalks are in season and they’re delicious

A street mural in Brazil in celebration of the 2014 World Cup.

World Cup 2014

To Celebrate the World Cup, Brazilians Take To the Streets—To Paint Them

For the first time ever, Google Street View is letting users experience the artwork from anywhere

Central American migrants ride a northbound cargo train through the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. July 2010.

Heartbreaking Photos of Children Who Are Risking Everything to Reach the United States

Michelle Frankfurter tells the stories of these young migrants and also those of the thousands who jump aboard “the death train”

The Parliament-Funkadelic Mothership is a 1,200-pound aluminum stage prop that once stole the show at funk singer George Clinton's concerts. Now, it's a part of the Smithsonian's permanent collections.

Breaking Ground

Watch George Clinton’s P-Funk Mothership Get Reassembled For Its Museum Debut

A timelapse video shows Smithsonian curators rebuilding one of music’s most iconic stage props—the Parliament-Funkadelic Mothership

The Silent Evolution. MUSA Collection, 2010. Depth, 8 m. Manchones Reef, Mexico.

Can Underwater Art Save the Ocean’s Coral Reefs?

Artist Jason deCaires Taylor is creating sculptures to help promote reef growth

Bluejacket Brewery is one of the newest additions to DC's local beer scene.

Washington, D.C.

Take a Tour of Washington D.C.’s Emerging Craft Beer Scene

The Capital City might be best known for its monuments, but it also has a burgeoning brewery culture

Cool Finds

Americans Are Serving Alpaca for Dinner

The llama-like animal is growing in popularity for meat eaters in the U.S.

Noon mass at Saint Vincent de Paul's Church on D-Day.

Photos From the Hours After Americans Heard About the D-Day Invasion

Black and white photos from the Library of Congress show New Yorkers rallying, praying, on June 6, 1944

Interior view of the Amazon Arena.

World Cup 2014

Will Brazil’s World Cup Stadium in the Middle of the Amazon Pay Off?

The city of Manaus hopes that a new soccer stadium, built for the World Cup, will become a post-tournament boon to the economy

The California-based Raydiance has released a machine called R-Cut, which uses a femtosecond laser to cut sleek glass surfaces that aren't possible with existing manufacturing.

Tech Watch

Lasers Faster Than The Blink Of An Eye Could Change Glass On Our Phones

A new screen-chiseling method will give high-end finishes to low-end phones—and could revolutionize screens in everything from cars to smart watches, too.

A Swiss map at the printing office of the Federal Office of Topography in Wabern, Canton of Bern, Switzerland.

The Unlikely History of the Origins of Modern Maps

GIS technology has opened up new channels of understanding how the world works. But where did it begin?

Art Meets Science

This Photographer Creates Fine Art Out of Trash We Throw Into the Environment

Barry Rosenthal obsessively collects washed up garbage along New York’s waterways and then assembles it into stunning but disturbing art works

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