Smart News Arts & Culture

Tolkien's Dwarves Would Have Needed 38 Mini-Nuclear Plants to Melt All That Gold So Quickly

Unless those dwarf furnaces were burning some sort of Middle-earth super fuel, in real life Smaug probably would have just eaten the dwarves

Get Geeky About Dialects With the Dictionary of American Regional English

Did the NYTimes' dialect quiz get you interested in regionalisms? Then check out the Dictionary of American Regional English

Decorations in Thailand.

Christmas Is Huge in Asia

From India to Thailand to China, even non-Christians are getting into the holiday spirit

Meet the Money Behind The Climate Denial Movement

Nearly a billion dollars a year is flowing into the organized climate change counter-movement

What Does Sociology Teach Us About Gift Giving?

Not only do gifts make or break relationships, they also tell scientists about society as a whole. No pressure.

A side-by-side comparison of cities’ sizes.

Everything's Bigger in America, Especially Urban Sprawl

Eight other cities (total population: 100 million) fit into the footprint of Atlanta (population: 5 million)

The Best of the British Medical Journal's Goofy Christmas Papers

This year, for example, we learned about just how much James Bond actually drank. Last year we learned just why Rudolph's nose was red

This Sea Slug Was Just Named After a Game of Thrones Character

There's a Stephen Colbert beetle, a Lady Gaga genus of plant, and a Beyonce bee. And now, a Game of Thrones slug

In Germany, Santa’s Sidekick Is a Cloven-Hooved, Child-Whipping Demon

The Krampus is even gaining a following on this side of the pond, with Krampus art shows, Krampus beer crawls and Krampus rock shows

The British Library Just Put More Than a Million Images in the Public Domain

From the largest library in the world, more than a million images free to download and use

StarCraft II Player Is Now Officially an Athlete, According to the U.S. Government

Kim Dong-hwan, a competitive StarCraft player, was just issued a P-1A visa—the type that's usually given to athletes

The inside of a newly assembled Ikea temporary home.

Ikea’s Getting Into the Refugee Shelter Business

Ikea's latest installments are popping up in Lebanon, where around one million Syrians have sought refuge from the violence plaguing their own country

Every Year, a Swedish Town Builds a Giant Straw Goat, And People Just Can't Help Burning It Down

In the 47 years that the town has erected Gävlebocken, it's been set on fire 26 times

An 800-year-old medieval bridge spans the subterranean River Roch beneath Rochdale, England.

This River And Medieval Bridge, Paved Over for 100 Years, Will Soon Return to the Light

Local artists were recruited to help determine the river's ultimate design, and developers say the project could be completed by 2015

James Bond’s Martini Consumption Would Have Compromised His Physical, Mental and Sexual Abilities

The authors postulate that the spy's preference for shaken, not stirred vodka martinis may indicate a case of shaky hands caused by alcohol-induced tremors

Playing an Instrument Won’t Make Your Kid Smarter

Music can, however, boost children's creativity and teach them important life skills such as discipline and concentration--but so can other hobbies

Facebook's Most Popular Check-In Spots This Year Include Places in Iceland, Argentina and Nigeria

Top world destinations for check-ins are a bit unexpected, but perhaps reflect Facebook's popularity among varying cultures, interest groups and nations

Mindlessly Snapping Photos at Museums Keeps People From Remembering the Actual Visit

People might use cameras as a crutch for returning to and remembering things later rather than paying attention to what is transpiring in the moment

In New York City, you can even get a late pass from the MTA to show your skeptical boss.

The NYC Subways Will Give You a Late Slip If Your Train Is Delayed

In New York City you can even get a late pass from the MTA to show your skeptical boss

VIDEO: The CIA Trained These Animals to Spy for Them

The government agency used birds, cats and even dolphins to help them on covert operations

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