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In Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Park, Tolerance is seven figures—one for each continent—sculpted of letters from world alphabets.

What Makes Houston the Next Great American City?

As Houston undergoes an ethnic and cultural transformation, its reputation grows as a place where people can dream big and succeed

The Lone Ranger mask from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Is the New Tonto Any Better Than the Old Tonto?

A new film revives The Lone Ranger, but has it eliminated the TV series’ racist undertones

Fornaciari’s analysis of an anonymous 13th- to 15th-century female skeleton showed evidence of severe anemia.

CSI: Italian Renaissance

Inside a lab in Pisa, forensics pathologist Gino Fornaciari and his team investigate 500-year-old cold cases

Days after Jackie Mitchell (center) struck out Yankee superstars (from left) Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, the duo watched the female phenom demonstrate her fastball during spring training in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 4, 1931.

The Woman Who (Maybe) Struck Out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

Of all the strange baseball exploits of the Depression era, none was more surprising than Jackie Mitchell’s supposed feat

The ATLAS detector, one of two experiments to spot the elusive Higgs boson in particle smashups at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, weighs as much as a hundred 747 jets and houses more than 1,800 miles of cable.

How the Higgs Boson Was Found

Before the elusive particle could be discovered—a smashing success—it had to be imagined

Jeannette Paillan, a Mapuche documentary filmmaker, was the inspiration for this 2012 textile, titled Lukutuwe (Fertility). Scanning the QR code embedded in the tapestry reveals a quotation from Paillan, in Spanish, about the importance of sustaining the Mapuche language.

What’s a QR Code Doing on That Blanket?

Artist Guillermo Bert is weaving together technology and Native American tradition

Leborgne’s brain (colorized photo) has appeared in numerous medical textbooks.

Discovering the Identity of a 150-Year-Old Patient

Who was “Monseiur Leborgne”?

The annual value of Japan's Manga Publishing Industry is $6 billion.

How Do You Rebrand a Country?

A look at Japan’s attempt to call itself “cool”

Researchers don't have to turn back the clock with this new stem cell breakthrough.

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

The Rise of the Multi-Talented Adult Stem Cell

A new type of cell could lead to dramatic cures—and avoid ethical controversy

New digital identification technology is able to identify a person based on his or her typing patterns.

How You Type Could Become Your New Password

New technology can identify an individual just from keystrokes

This burned postcard was salvaged from the wreckage of the Hindenburg in 1937.

Celebrating 20 Years of the National Postal Museum

A new gallery opening in September highlights some of the most famous stamps in American history

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Would You Eat Something Wrapped in a WikiCell?

Harvard bioengineer David Edwards believes he’s found a way to cut down on packaging waste

Spotlight

What’s new at the Smithsonian in June

Sounds that stimulate moods are probably related to memory and cultural values.

The History of Going Commando and More Questions from Our Readers

Smithsonian curators also answer queries about how music affects your mood

Michael Pollan and Ruth Reichl dine at Bell & Anchor in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

Michael Pollan and Ruth Reichl Hash out the Food Revolution

Be a fly in the soup at the dinner table with two of America’s most iconic food writers

Eric, left, and Ryan Berley serve up handmade jellies, nut clusters, walnut pillows, nonpareils and other goodies.

America’s Oldest Sweet Shop Gets a Hipster Makeover

How Philadelphia candymakers Eric and Ryan Berley are giving new life to Shane Confectionery

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“Pineapple”

A new poem by former poet laureate Billy Collins

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