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Arts & Culture

Preparations are underway for the opening of the Cannes Film Festival on May 13

Day 1: The Stage Is Set at Cannes

Filmmakers Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm watch preparations in Cannes and prepare to take on the festival known as the Marché du Film

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Sustainable Seafood

Rare Halo Display: A Portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver Portrait Unveiled

At the National Portrait Gallery, artist David Lenz pays tribute to a champion for the intellectually disabled

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The Etymology of Food, Part I: Why Nothing Rhymes With Orange

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Tips from Solar Oven Chef

Herman Leonard photographed jazz icons such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Dizzy Gillespie.

Herman Leonard’s Eye for Jazz

In the 1940s and 50s, photographer Herman Leonard captured icons of the jazz world, including Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington

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Learning About Heirloom Tomatoes

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The History of the Margarita

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Bring on the Bacon

High school senior Ferris Bueller skips class with his girlfriend and his best friend to take a life-affirming joy ride through Chicago.

Five Movies That Memorably Feature Museums

The ‘Night at the Museum’ films aren’t the only films that take place largely in the confines of a museum

Shawn Levy, director of both Night at the Museum films, hopes his latest film will inspire people to visit America's museums.

Q and A with Director Shawn Levy

The director of both Night at the Museum movies talks about the ups and downs of filming at the Smithsonian

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Is It Safe To Eat Pork?

A brief look at a few of the brilliant minds who just missed this year's cut for the MacArthur "Genius" Grant.

Near Misses in the Genius Department

A brief look at the brilliant minds that just missed this year’s cut for genius grants

A Steichen photograph of two gowns by Madeleine Vionnet reflects the ease of movement for which Vionnet was known. The name of the model in white is unrecorded; Marion Morehouse, in black, was one of the photographer's favorite models.

Edward Steichen: In Vogue

A painter by training, Edward Steichen changed fashion photography forever

Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch contains an unexpected inscription from Confederate President Jeff Davis.

What’s Up

Musician Pete Seeger turns 90 on May 3.

Jukebox: Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger is still singing the ballads that popularized folk music and transformed the genre into a call for action

Suits like these worn in 1966 by Buzz Aldrin and Jim Lovell (right) were made to resist the extreme conditions of space travel for only a short period.

After Space, Saving Suits, Boots and Gloves

The spacesuits that kept U.S. astronauts alive now owe their survival to one woman

The world's largest snake—42 feet long and weighing 2,500 pounds—turned up in a Colombian jungle.

From the Castle: Big Snakes

Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute publish their amazing find of Titanoboa, the world’s largest snake

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Letters

Readers Respond to the March Issue

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Quinoa, the Mother of Grains

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