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Cover of the September 1919 issue of Popular Science Monthly

Hello Mars — This is the Earth!

In 1919, Popular Science magazine imagined how Earthlings might communicate with Mars

Powell and Lealand No. 1

Sherlock Holmes and the Tools of Deduction

Sherlock Holmes’s extraordinary deductions would be impossible without the optical technologies of the 19th century

Researchers discovered that simply smiling can reduce stress and increase well-being.

Simply Smiling Can Actually Reduce Stress

A new study indicates that the mere act of smiling can help us deal with stressful situations more easily

The hand holds on the Nova are a pretty far stretch from the usual polyurethane grips found at the indoor rock climbing gym.

New Tech May Have Athletes Climbing the Walls

How the Nova, the latest in artificial climbing wall design, goes from in-home gym to living room gallery

Jacob Lawrence’s 1941 Bar and Grill depicts the reality of segregation of the Jim Crow South, a new experience to the Harlem artist.

Curator Talk at the American Art Museum on African-American Art Exhibition

Virginia Mecklenburg offers a Wednesday lecture on the artists from “Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era and Beyond”

Fanny Blanker-Koen crosses the finish line to become the first triple champion of the 14th Olympic Games.

The Paris Olympics

How Fanny Blankers-Koen Became the ‘Flying Housewife’ of the 1948 London Games

Voted female athlete of the 20th century, the runner won four gold medals while pregnant with her third child

Cover of the April 30, 1954 issue of Collier’s

Wernher von Braun’s Martian Chronicles

In 1954, a special issue of Collier’s magazine envisioned a ten-ship flotilla to the red planet.

A fragment of the lower jaw of Megalosaurus, the first dinosaur to be scientifically named in 1824. Long before this, though, people puzzled about the nature of dinosaur bones.

A Brief History of Hidden Dinosaurs

Even though scientific interest in dinosaurs is relatively new, our species have been puzzling about the prehistoric creatures for centuries

There are pros and cons to running barefoot.

Is Barefoot Running Really Better?

The science is mixed on whether running shoes or bare feet are the way to go

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When LBJ Ordered Pants From the White House

Johnson liked his Haggar slacks slack—and colorfully described a special custom-cut

Beautiful and educational, X-ray images help us learn more about evolution.

Events July 31-Aug 2: X-Ray Fish, Imperial India and Club Native

This week at the Smithsonian, the evolution of fish through X-Ray, India’s imperial arts and the divisive legacy of Native blood laws

The protests in Egypt fit right into the counterterrorism narrative.

The Message War

Counterterrorism strategy now includes everything from trolling on extremists’ websites to studying how the brain responds to storytelling

Climate change could produce an ozone hole over the U.S. similar to the one observed over Antarctica, above, in 2006.

Climate Change Could Erode Ozone Layer Over U.S.

New findings indicate that effects of climate change could increase ozone depletion, UV exposure and skin cancer

A list of more great books to read while traveling

More Great Books and Where Best to Read Them

A continuation of last week’s list of the author’s favorite reads

A speculative restoration of the armored sauropod Agustinia

Armor for Sauropods

Will we ever find out what Augustinia looked like?

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Baby Crocs on the Move at the Zoo

Believed to be done having children, Cuban crocodile Dorothy surprised everyone with two new babies

A newly developed compound temporarily restored sight in otherwise blind mice.

New Chemical Allows Blind Mice to See

A new synthetic replacement for rod and cone cells may someday bring vision to those with macular degeneration or inheritable forms of blindness

This Sunday, learn Kathak, one of eight traditional Indian dances.

Events July 27-29: Human Origins, “This is Peru” and a Meeting of Worlds

Celebrate Peru and learn traditional Indian dance this weekend

The reconstructed skeleton of a Deinonychus, a dromaeosaur, at Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History.

“Tiny Paleontologist” Loves Dinosaurs

An enthusiastic dinosaur fan takes his passion to the web

An interactive game from 1946 featuring Sherlock’s signature deerstalker cap and magnifying glass

The Deerstalker: Where Sherlock Holmes’ Popular Image Came From

The literary detective’s hunting cap and cape came not so much from the books’ author as from their illustrators

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