George Washington’s Farewell to the Nation Marked the Birth of American Democracy
In 1796, the first president voluntarily left office, cementing the significance of a lofty ideal for his young country
Ten Wild Facts About Octopuses: They Have Three Hearts, Big Brains and Blue Blood
These bizarre creatures have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and for humans, they’ve inspired horror, admiration and culinary prestige
Five Tips and Tricks for a Perfect Jack-O’-Lantern
A horticulturalist with the New York Botanical Garden provides advice for prolonging the life of your pumpkin
A Gentile’s Guide to Keeping Kosher for Passover
Pizza and pasta are pretty obviously out, but what are the other no-nos?
Alex Trebek on Why ‘Jeopardy’ Represents the American Dream
The game show host, who died Sunday at age 80, donated items to the Smithsonian in 2013
How Photographer Alfred Wertheimer Captured Elvis Presley’s Kiss
“I think most of the time Elvis didn’t even know I was taking photographs,” said the photographer, who died in 2014
Why Juneteenth Celebrates the New Birth of Freedom
The commemoration of the end of slavery holds special meaning for Americans nationwide
Dizzy Gillespie and His Bent Trumpet
Here’s how the Smithsonian acquired the instrument of one of the world’s most influential and unconventional American jazz musicians
The True Story Behind Plymouth Rock
Curator Larry Bird weighs in on the significance of Plymouth Rock—and the two pieces in the Smithsonian collections
Beyond Chinua Achebe: Five Great African Authors You Should Read Right Now
Two curators from the African Art Museum recommend authors who have joined Achebe in shaping the world’s understanding of the African experience
Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Presidential Food?
In honor of Inauguration Day, here’s a little quiz to see how much you know about presidential food history
How Waffle House Uses Twitter to Help Recovery Efforts
FEMA themselves admit that they look to the omnipresent chain to see where the damage is the worst
Carbon-Negative Energy Is Here! This Device Makes Clean Energy and Fertilizer
A Berkeley startup’s new spin on an old fuel-producing technology is a win-win for the environment
What fMRI Can Tell Us About the Thoughts and Minds of Dogs
One neuroscientist is peering into the canine brain, and says he’s found evidence that dogs may feel love
A New App Turns Fractals Into Ornate Art
With Frax, users can create mathematically-driven art, adding color, depth and texture to geometric shapes
Scaffolding is All Over D.C. Here’s Why the Monuments Still Look Majestic
When the beautiful historic buildings of our nation’s capital need repair, architects get creative with the exterior work
Can Facial Recognition Really Tell If a Kid Is Learning in Class?
Inventors of software called EngageSense say you can tell if kids are engaged in class by analyzing their eye movements
Can Brewing Beer Be as Simple as Brewing Coffee?
Inventor Bill Mitchell is developing the PicoBrew Zymatic, an appliance that brews beer at the touch of a button
The Patents Designed to Make Carving Your Pumpkin a Little Less Messy
A group of innovators set out to simplify how we make classic Jack-o-Lanterns and their ghoulish grins
Edgar Allan Poe Tried and Failed to Crack the Mysterious Murder Case of Mary Rogers
After a teenage beauty turned up dead in the Hudson River, not even the godfather of detective fiction could figure out who done it
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