Games and Competition

The official photo of the first Miss America winner, Margaret Gorman.

Miss America Is Ditching Its Swimsuit Competition

The pageant was founded as a 'bathing beauty' contest. But even in its earlier days, contestants did not always conform to the swimsuit portion happily

Ruth McGinnis: The Queen of Billiards

Back when pool was a serious sport that grabbed the attention of the nation, one woman smoked the competition

What surprises will this year’s tournament have in store?

Can a Computer Model Predict the First Round of This Year's March Madness?

Two mathematicians at Ohio State University are using machine learning to forecast tournament upsets

The Touching Story Behind This Award-Winning Wildlife Image

Taken by Jo-Anne McArthur, the photo shows a rescued baby gorilla hugging her caretaker

Urban Thinkspace in Philadelphia

Weaving Games and Puzzles Into the Fabric of a City

To encourage playful learning, Urban Thinkspace and other projects put miniature playgrounds along the paths kids travel

Single Atom in Ion Trap

Breathtaking Bubbles, Butterfly Wings, and a Glowing Atom Take Top Prizes in Science Photo Contest

The images celebrate the depth and beauty of the physical sciences

A tessera or a Roman six-sided die from the Vidy Roman Museum

How Centuries-Old Dice Reveal Changing Attitudes About Fate

Dice made in Roman times were lopsided and irregular, but they became more consistent during the Renaissance

Why the Flamingo Signaled the Birth of Sin City

The Flamingo was the first luxury resort to capture the public's imagination in Las Vegas

The National Aquatics Center is where Michael Phelps earned his eight gold medal during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Today it's been transformed into the Happy Magic Water Cube, one of Asia’s largest waterparks.

Four Olympic Stadiums With Unexpected Afterlives

What happens to old Olympics facilities after the medals have all been awarded?

Researchers Are Trying to Figure Out How to Play This Ancient Roman Board Game

Found in a grave in Slovakia in 2006, it is one of Europe's best-preserved ancient gaming boards

Artists rendering of the Dragonfly craft exploring Titan

NASA Unveils Finalists for Its Next New Frontiers Mission

In 2025, the agency will either try to grab a piece of a comet or send a space-helicopter drone to the surface of Saturn's moon Titan

This laughing doormouse chuckled its way into the winning spot of the "On the Land" category.

Award Winning Images Capture the Goofiness of the Animal Kingdom

Enjoy these masterpieces in animal silliness

The Ten Best STEM Toys of 2017

Kid tested and parent approved, these tech toys stand out for holiday wish lists

Voltaire was enabled to become an old and famous aristocrat by his lottery winnings.

Voltaire: Enlightenment Philosopher and Lottery Scammer

The French government was trying to raise money by running a bond lottery, but a group of intellectuals had other ideas

The Ten Best Board Games of 2017

Want to be a hit at your next party or family gathering? Bring a board game.

Latest AI Teaches Itself to Play Go With No Human Help

DeepMind's AlphaGo Zero taught itself how to play Go, becoming the greatest player in history in just 40 days

Memorial to a species, Brent Stirton, South Africa, Grand title winner 2017

Tragedy and Beauty of Nature on Display in This Year's Best Wildlife Photos

The 16 award-winning images range from whimsical birds to the tragic aftermath of a poaching raid

George Saunders poses with his book Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the 2017 Man Booker Prize for Fiction.

Five Things to Know About 2017 Man Booker Prize Winner George Saunders

He becomes the second America to win for his book "Lincoln in the Bardo," an experimental ghost story that explores the grief of the 16th president

The 2015 winner of the "GIF It Up" competition.

Competition Wants You to Turn Cultural Heritage Into GIFs

The latest round of "GIF It Up" seeks the best GIFs made from public domain prints, photos, paintings and more

Consonno, a ghost town in northern Italy, is the location of the annual Nascondino World Championship.

The Hide and Seek World Championship Will Take Over an Italian Ghost Town

The annual event takes place in Consonno, an abandoned village once considered Italy's Las Vegas

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