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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

The scene after a fire at Ashdown Forest in East Sussex

Fire Tore Through the Forest That Inspired Winnie the Pooh’s ‘Hundred Acre Wood’

Officials are confident England’s Ashdown Forest will recover from the blaze

"Hamilton: The Exhibition" opened at Northerly Island in Chicago on April 26, 2019.

‘Hamilton: The Exhibition’ Opens in Chicago to Eager Fans

The sweeping show uses interactive visuals, games and sets to provide an in-depth look at the history behind the hit musical

The Bible is similar to one brought to North America by Pilgrims traveling aboard the Mayflower

17th-Century Bible Stolen From Pittsburgh Library Recovered in the Netherlands

The 404-year-old religious text was one of more than 300 artifacts stolen from Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Library over a two-decade period

In this handout image provided by Imperial Household Agency, Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko attend the abdication ceremony at the Imperial Palace on April 30, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.

For the First Time in 200 Years, Japan’s Emperor Has Abdicated the Throne

Emperor Akihito has voluntarily passed the title on to his son, Crown Prince Naruhito

The lock of hair is set to go on view as of May 2, 2019, the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death

Art Meets Science

DNA Analysis Could Prove if This Lock of Hair Belonged to Leonardo da Vinci

Researchers will compare results of DNA test to genetic material extracted from artist’s living descendants and his alleged remains

Authorities Are Looking for the Suspect Who Started a Fire at the National Archives

An exterior wall of the building sustained some damage, but no one was harmed by the flames

Nostalgia in a can

You Can Buy a Tin of Air to Commemorate the End of the Heisei Era

The nostalgic keepsake goes up for sale in advance of Emperor Akihito’s abdication

Cool Finds

‘A Clockwork Orange’ Follow-Up Found in Burgess Archives

‘The Clockwork Condition’ was intended to be a philosophical examination of themes raised in his most popular and problematic novel

To See the Louvre’s Blockbuster da Vinci Exhibition, You’ll Need an Advance Ticket

The most-visited museum in the world is hoping to limit lines and crowds

St. Anthony's Shrine photographed the day after multiple deadly explosions targeted churches and hotels across Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan Government Pledges to Rebuild 175-Year-Old Church Damaged in Deadly Easter Bombings

St. Anthony’s Shrine has long served as a symbol of unity and religious tolerance

This photo taken on March 29, 2018 shows Michiko Sato, sister-in-law of Yumi Sato, who was sterilized as a teenager, talking during an interview with Agence France-Presse prior to a meeting with lawmakers in Tokyo.

Japan Offers Apology and Compensation to Victims of Forced Sterilization

Between 1948 and 1993, an estimated 25,000 people were sterilized to prevent them from having ‘poor-quality descendants’

Kate Smith singing 'God Bless America' before a Philadelphia Flyers home game at the Spectrum in Philadelphia circa 1970s.

Philadelphia Flyers Remove Statue of Singer Kate Smith Amid Allegations of Racism

The team will also no longer play Smith’s famed rendition of ‘God Bless America’

Helvetica Now marks the typeface's first redesign since 1982's Helvetica Neue

The Helvetica Typeface Has Been Redesigned for the Digital Age

Helvetica Now is the first update to the sans serif typeface in 36 years

Canadian Museum Association Receives $1 Million to Foster Reconciliation With Indigenous Peoples

The funding is part of a broader effort to address lasting damages caused by the residential school system

A 19th-century illustration of 'Sleeping Beauty' by artist Gustave Doré

Barcelona School Commission Evaluates 600 Children’s Books for Sexist Content

One-third of the books were removed for promoting gender stereotypes at a critical point in childhood development

Jews being led for deportation in the Warsaw Ghetto, during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943.

100 Jewish Families to Celebrate Passover Seder at Site of Warsaw Ghetto

Traveling from Israel, Europe and the United States, the families will come together on the 76th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Flowers are laid on a bridge in front of the Notre-Dame-de Paris Cathedral in Paris.

Five Things We’ve Learned in the Aftermath of the Notre-Dame Fire

Here’s how France is rebuilding in the wake of the disaster

Cool Finds

Ring Containing Charlotte Brontë’s Hair Discovered in Attic

The piece of mourning jewelry includes an inscription and a little door covering a plaited lock of the Jane Eyre author’s hair

The cathedral as Victor Hugo would have seen it when he wrote The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

‘The Hunchback of Notre-Dame’ Shoots to Top of France’s Best Seller Lists

Victor Hugo wrote his famed novel at a time when the cathedral was in crisis

Beta Writer’s debut work consists of about 250 pages of compiled research, sorted into chapters based on subject matter.

Publisher Releases First Textbook Written Entirely by an Algorithm

“Beta Writer” isn’t the next great American author, but its debut work shows promise for AI-assisted research

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