Lego men.

Art Meets Science

See the Inner Anatomy of Barbie, Mario and Mickey Mouse—Bones, Guts and All

Artist Jason Freeny transforms familiar childhood characters into realistic anatomical models

A Book’s Vocabulary Is Different If It Was Written During Hard Economic Times

Books published just after recessions have higher levels of literary misery, a new study finds

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Photo Contest Prize Details

Grand prize and category winners

A WOBO wall.

Building Better Bricks by Brewing Beer

When form follows fermentation

Central Park’s Horse-Drawn Carriages Could Be Replaced With Old-Timey Electric Cars

Demand for horse-drawn rides has reportedly spiked as tourists and locals alike rush in for a chance to take one last buggy ride through the park

Orbus chirurgia, a scorpion used for semi automated and remote surgery.

Art Meets Science

An Artist Imagines the Techno-Evolved Creatures of the Future

Vincent Fournier has seen the future of evolution, in which humans design animals for their own uses

It’s a Myth: There’s No Evidence That Coffee Stunts Kids’ Growth

The long-held misconception can be traced to claims made in advertisements for Postum, an early 1900s coffee alternative

Evangeline Lilly plays Tauriel, an invention of Peter Jackson's, in the latest Hobbit movie.

The Tolkien Nerd’s Guide to “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”

As Peter Jackson ventures further from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original text, the source material becomes harder to pin down but is still satisfyingly nerdy

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The Impressive Results of When You Ask Architects to Build With Gingerbread

From Modernist reconstructions to favorite museums, these confectionary constructions are sights to behold

Egg nog has not always been such a refined holiday quaff.

Eggnog: It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone Starts a Holiday Riot

When four gallons of whiskey were smuggled into a West Point Christmas party, a third of the academy erupted into chaos

A golden eagle swoops for a rabbit.

Art Meets Science

Beautiful Anatomical Skeletons, Posed and Photographed As Sculptures

Photographer Patrick Gries transforms ordinary specimens, stripped of fur and flesh, into art that showcases motion, predation and evolution

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Listen to Classic Holiday Music From Around the World

Go around the world this holiday with Smithsonian Folkways—no reindeer or sleigh required

Stop Ruining Your Christmas Cookies! Follow These Tips to Better Baking

Here are a few pointers on making the perfect cookies this holiday season

Stained transverse section of a lily flower bud. Darkfield illumination, stitched images.

Art Meets Science

The Startling Beauty of the Microscopic

Olympus BioScapes announces ten winners of their 2013 Digital Image Competition, which honors some of the best images taken through a microscope

How America’s Most Popular Potted Plant Captured Christmas

On National Poinsettia Day, the third generation behind the Ecke Family Ranch talks about how his family developed a hundred varieties of the plant

An early Pullman sleeping car

Traveling in Style and Comfort: The Pullman Sleeping Car

The 19th century’s definition of luxury came as a train car designed by a Chicago carpenter

The Best Gifts to Give to the Foodie in Your Life

An offering of flavorings, kits and handy gadgets for the food enthusiast on your gift list

One of the first "sneeze guards" appeared in Johnny Garneau's American Style Smorgasbord in Monroeville 1958.

How the “Sneeze Guard” Changed Buffet Tables Forever

A germaphobe invented the protective glass barrier over your all-you-can eat meal in 1959

Art Meets Science

The Art and Science of Growing Snowflakes in a Lab

Physicist Kenneth Libbrecht can make snowflakes with elegant spindles or blocky tabs by manipulating temperature and humidity

Seafood alfredo: a delicious culinary sin

Why are Cheese and Seafood Supposedly a Bad Combo? It’s Delicious!

Don’t believe the stigma—fish and cheese can go together quite well.

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