Games and Competition | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/games-and-competition/RSS feed for Games and CompetitionenMon, 20 Jul 2026 18:04:14 +0000For the First Time in 27 Years, a Man Set a New World Record for Fastest Mile. People Have Chased the Goal for Centurieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-in-27-years-a-man-set-a-new-world-record-for-fastest-mile-people-have-chased-the-goal-for-centuries-180989154/British runners in particular have long tried to cross the finish line in less than 4 minutes, records show, sometimes running in the nude or trying to win a betMon, 20 Jul 2026 18:04:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/for-the-first-time-in-27-years-a-man-set-a-new-world-record-for-fastest-mile-people-have-chased-the-goal-for-centuries-180989154/Can You Guess the Origins of Papyrus Fragments or Painted Ceramics? A College Student Turned the Met's Open-Access Database Into an Online Gamehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-you-guess-the-origins-of-papyrus-fragments-or-painted-ceramics-a-college-student-turned-the-mets-open-access-database-into-an-online-game-180989080/If you consider yourself an art history buff, test your smarts with Anthropeum. The game pulls ten images from the Met's open-access archive and challenges players to identify each artifact's time and place of originTue, 07 Jul 2026 17:09:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-you-guess-the-origins-of-papyrus-fragments-or-painted-ceramics-a-college-student-turned-the-mets-open-access-database-into-an-online-game-180989080/3D Printing Gives New Life to an Ancient Game Board Discovered at a Roman Fort Near Hadrian's Wall in Englandhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/3d-printing-gives-new-life-to-an-ancient-game-board-discovered-at-a-roman-fort-near-hadrians-wall-in-england-180989064/Soldiers and civilians alike enjoyed the strategy game Ludus Latrunculorum in the Roman Empire, especially in Roman BritainThu, 02 Jul 2026 19:45:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/3d-printing-gives-new-life-to-an-ancient-game-board-discovered-at-a-roman-fort-near-hadrians-wall-in-england-180989064/From a Sea Turtle Release to an Outhouse Race, These Ten Fourth of July Traditions Celebrate America Like No Otherhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/from-a-sea-turtle-rescue-to-an-outhouse-race-these-ten-fourth-of-july-traditions-celebrate-america-like-no-other-180989044/Revelers typically mark Independence Day with a barbecue and fireworks show, but these festivities across the country offer quirky alternativesTue, 30 Jun 2026 15:29:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/from-a-sea-turtle-rescue-to-an-outhouse-race-these-ten-fourth-of-july-traditions-celebrate-america-like-no-other-180989044/Scientists Have Deciphered the Surviving Fragments of a 2,000-Year-Old Philosophical Treatise Frozen in Time by Mount Vesuvius' Eruptionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-deciphered-the-surviving-fragments-of-a-2000-year-old-philosophical-treatise-frozen-in-time-by-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180989036/The papyrus manuscript was part of a vast library preserved by volcanic ash. Now, the remaining passages—which examine ethics, knowledge and human nature—are accessible for the first time since 79 C.E.Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:51:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-deciphered-the-surviving-fragments-of-a-2000-year-old-philosophical-treatise-frozen-in-time-by-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180989036/You’ll Be More Than Amused by These 15 Photos of Theme Parks. Their Electrifying Attractions Will Have Your Heart Racing Before You Even Set Foot on a Ridehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/youll-be-more-than-just-amused-by-these-15-photos-of-theme-parks-their-electrifying-attractions-will-have-your-heart-racing-before-you-even-set-foot-on-a-ride-180989008/These images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest remind us that amusement parks have entertained generations of thrill-seekersFri, 26 Jun 2026 12:01:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/youll-be-more-than-just-amused-by-these-15-photos-of-theme-parks-their-electrifying-attractions-will-have-your-heart-racing-before-you-even-set-foot-on-a-ride-180989008/This Unsung Black Developer Unlocked the Code to Turning a Video Game Console Into a Virtual Living Room Arcadehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/unsung-black-developer-unlocked-code-turning-video-game-consolo-into-virtual-living-room-arcade-180988819/Jerry Lawson’s Channel F system was the first to put games on interchangeable cartridges, paving the way for Atari, Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStationTue, 16 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/unsung-black-developer-unlocked-code-turning-video-game-consolo-into-virtual-living-room-arcade-180988819/See Visions of the Past and Future in This New York City Exhibition on the Renaissance Roots of Tarot Cardshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-visions-of-the-past-and-future-in-this-new-york-city-exhibition-on-the-renaissance-roots-of-tarot-cards-180988940/The Morgan Library & Museum traces the history of beautifully illustrated tarot cards from their origins as a card game to modern occult fascinationThu, 11 Jun 2026 18:52:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-visions-of-the-past-and-future-in-this-new-york-city-exhibition-on-the-renaissance-roots-of-tarot-cards-180988940/How Do You Honor a Fallen Tree? In England, a Sound Sculpture Will Broadcast the 'Voice' of a Beloved Sycamore Felled Near Hadrian’s Wallhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-you-honor-a-fallen-tree-in-england-a-sound-sculpture-will-broadcast-the-voice-of-a-beloved-sycamore-felled-near-hadrians-wall-180988832/"The People’s Tree" will also incorporate the tree's wood and archive recordings from the public in a series of community artworksWed, 27 May 2026 20:51:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-you-honor-a-fallen-tree-in-england-a-sound-sculpture-will-broadcast-the-voice-of-a-beloved-sycamore-felled-near-hadrians-wall-180988832/