Games and Competition | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/games-and-competition/RSS feed for Games and CompetitionenWed, 02 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000Before Vegas Became Vegas, Hot Springs Was America's Sin City. Now the Arkansas Spa Town Embraces Its Colorful and Seedy Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/before-vegas-hot-springs-americas-sin-city-arkansas-spa-town-embraces-colorful-seedy-history-180989288/A life-size statue of Al Capone greets downtown visitors, and you can stay in his hotel suite. The town where gangsters once vacationed with movie stars and athletes is still open for a getawayWed, 02 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/before-vegas-hot-springs-americas-sin-city-arkansas-spa-town-embraces-colorful-seedy-history-180989288/This 91-Year-Old Man Fell 71 Times While Hiking the Appalachian Trail. He Just Became the Oldest Person to Complete the 2,190-Mile Trekhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-91-year-old-man-fell-71-times-while-hiking-appalachian-trail-he-just-became-oldest-person-complete-2190-mile-trek-180989428/Dale Sanders finished the hike in just under a year. Nicknamed "Grey Beard," he's no stranger to age-defying feats of enduranceTue, 01 Sep 2026 18:24:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-91-year-old-man-fell-71-times-while-hiking-appalachian-trail-he-just-became-oldest-person-complete-2190-mile-trek-180989428/How Should the Bayeux Tapestry End? A New Competition Invites Children to Reimagine Its Missing Final Panelhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-should-the-bayeux-tapestry-end-new-a-competition-invites-childresn-to-reimagine-its-missing-final-panel-180989366/Some historians think the 230-foot-long artwork is missing its final panel, which may have once depicted William the Conqueror's coronation. As the tapestry goes on view in London, students will be drafting endings of their ownThu, 20 Aug 2026 15:50:43 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-should-the-bayeux-tapestry-end-new-a-competition-invites-childresn-to-reimagine-its-missing-final-panel-180989366/This High Schooler Invented a Plant-Based Plastic That Removes Microplastics From the Environment as It Biodegradeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-high-schooler-invented-a-plant-based-plastic-that-removes-microplastics-from-the-environment-as-it-biodegrades-180989254/Eighteen-year-old Arya Satheesh created her award-winning Eco Purge to help address the global problem of plastic pollutionThu, 06 Aug 2026 11:06:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-high-schooler-invented-a-plant-based-plastic-that-removes-microplastics-from-the-environment-as-it-biodegrades-180989254/See a Rare Ceiling Fresco From Pompeii That Archaeologists Are Carefully Reassembling, Piece by Piece, Like an Ancient Puzzlehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-rare-ceiling-fresco-from-pompeii-that-archaeologists-are-carefully-reassembling-piece-by-piece-like-an-ancient-puzzle-180989209/Located in the banquet hall of a home with an adjoining bakery, the fresco shows the mythological romance of Dionysus, the god of revelry and wine, and Ariadne, the Cretan princessTue, 28 Jul 2026 14:19:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-a-rare-ceiling-fresco-from-pompeii-that-archaeologists-are-carefully-reassembling-piece-by-piece-like-an-ancient-puzzle-180989209/For 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/