Arts & Culture

Mona Lisa Travels by Laser, to Space And Back Again

To test the reaches of laser communication, NASA beamed a digital image of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous portrait to a satellite orbiting the moon

January 25, 2013

How to Tour Jane Austen’s English Countryside

Follow in the footsteps of Mr. Darcy and the Bennet sisters and take in the manors and gardens of rural England

January 25, 2013

Who Designed the Seal of the President of the United States?

We see it on the President’s lectern and in the Oval Office, but who came up with the look and feel of it in the first place?

January 23, 2013

Origami: A Blend of Sculpture and Mathematics

Artist and MIT professor Erik Demaine makes flat geometric diagrams spring into elegant, three-dimensional origami sculptures

January 23, 2013

Polaroid Portraits: Capturing President Obama’s Second Inauguration

We sent photojournalist Tamir Kalifa to the inauguration to ask attendees why they came to the National Mall

January 23, 2013

Why Hypercolor T-Shirts Were Just a One-Hit Wonder

Heat-sensitive color made this sportswear a hot item—but it didn’t last

January 22, 2013

Stocking Up: Uncovering the Secrets to the Best Broth

What do the experts recommend you do to get the most flavorful soup possible?

January 22, 2013

The Gory Details of Artist Katrina van Grouw’s Unfeathered Birds

A British artist, with experience in ornithology, explains how she created anatomical drawings of 200 different species of birds for a new book

January 18, 2013

Jicky, the First Modern Perfume

Tfirst fragrance to incorporate synthetic ingredients and natural extracts, making it one of the most significant perfumes in the history of scent design

January 17, 2013

Poetry Matters: Lessons From America’s First Inaugural Poet

Introducing a new monthly poetry column, just in time to offer inaugural poet Richard Blanco some advice from Robert Frost

January 17, 2013

The First Major Museum Show to Focus on Smell

“The Art of the Scent” recognizes and celebrates fragrance as a true artistic medium rather than just a consumer product

January 16, 2013

How Kraft Uses Patents to Dominate the Mac and Cheese Wars

A tour through the patent files reveals a wide range of odd shapes, which collectively are a far cry from the elbow-shaped pasta of your youth

January 15, 2013

Covered in Ink, Cross-sections of Trees Make Gorgeous Prints

Connecticut-based artist Bryan Nash Gill uses ink to draw out the growth rings of a variety of tree species

January 15, 2013

The Hot Condiment of 2013? Barrel-Aged Hot Sauce

Restauranteurs across the nation are feeding a new trend by feeding hot sauce into whiskey oak barrels

January 15, 2013

What Django Unchained Got Wrong: A Review From National Museum of African American History and Culture Director Lonnie Bunch

The museum director and former film studies professor examines Quentin Tarantino’s take on slavery

January 14, 2013

Is America a Nation of Soul Food Junkies?

Filmmaker Bryan Hurt explores what makes soul food so personal, starting with his own father’s health struggle, in a PBS film premiering tonight

January 14, 2013

The Fisher Space Pen Boldly Writes Where No Man Has Written Before

The Fisher Space Pen has been made famous by Apollo astronauts and Jerry Seinfeld. But just how does it work? And is NASA really spend millions making it?

January 11, 2013

How Hot is That Pepper? How Scientists Measure Spiciness

How does the Scoville Scale rate the relative spiciness of a chili pepper?

January 10, 2013

Beautiful Artwork Cut Out of Feathers

A clever artist uses a scalpel and tweezers to cut beautiful bird silhouettes out of feathers

January 10, 2013

The Novice’s Guide to Venturing Into the World of Craft Beer

From food pairings to the best brews for beginners, Dan Koester presents a comprehensive guide to craft beer

January 9, 2013