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In this still from Hindoo Fakir (1902), the magician levitates his assistant.

Early Films (Including One by Thomas Edison) Made Yoga Look Like Magic

The Sackler Gallery exhibit shows how yoga went from fakery to fitness in the West

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2013 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards

We recognize nine of the past year’s shining achievements and the innovators behind them

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in “12 Years a Slave”

The Director of the African-American History and Culture Museum on What Makes “12 Years a Slave” a Powerful Film

Lonnie Bunch offers his response to the stunning movie, a favorite for the Best Picture Oscar

NPR’s Andy Carvin has donated the iPhone he used during the Arab Spring to the American History Museum.

The Phone That Helped Andy Carvin Report the Arab Spring is Now in the Smithsonian

The NPR reporter talks about how he was able to factcheck tweets amid the rush of information in 2011

The Dinosaur Hall was originally called the “Hall of Extinct Monsters” (seen here in a photograph from the 1930s) when the Natural History Museum opened in 1910.

About Deep Time: A Preview of the Natural History Museum’s Fossil Hall Renovation

The new Deep Time Hall will connect paleontology to modern life

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How TV’s “Person of Interest” Helps Us Understand the Surveillance Society

The creative minds behind the show and The Dark Knight talk about Americans’ perception of privacy

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Why We Missed America’s National Treasures During the Shutdown

The Smithsonian’s Richard Kurin reflects on the recent shutdown and the icons that have shaped American history

The panda cam is back, meaning you can once again watch the baby panda to your heart’s content.

The Panda Cam is Back

After a 16-day hiatus, the Smithsonian National Zoo panda cam is back on the air

East face of the Smithsonian Castle on July 4, 2010

Smithsonian Museums and the Panda Cam are Back in Business Today

After the 16-day government shutdown, visitors can once again visit the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo relaunches the panda cam

5 Smithsonian Scientific Research Projects Shut Down by the Shutdown

The federal government shutdown has affected astronomy, paleontology fieldwork and research into animal behavior at the Smithsonian

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You Can, You Will, You MUST See This Poster at American History (as soon as it reopens)

The museum presents one of the war’s most popular billboard designs in a new installation

Museums Closed Due to Government Shutdown

All Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are affected

Carlos, by Joseph Rodriguez: a sense of ownership of the city

An Exploration of Latino Art at the Smithsonian

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough previews a new exhibit at the American Art Museum

Masons climb up the sides of the Great Mosque to replaster the surface with mud.

How the City of Mud Stays Standing: Meet the Masons of Djenné, Mali

A new exhibition at Natural History explores the ancient craft in a modern world

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The Civil War

In Lines of Long Array, 12 Poets Reflect on the Civil War

The National Portrait Gallery commissioned 12 modern-day poets to consider the harsh realities of battles that continue to haunt

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Remembering an Iconic Era Lost to Time: The Stars and Films of the Silent Pictures

Curator Amy Henderson reminds us of power and influence and glory of the celebrities that pioneered the silent film era

On view in Philadelphia at the National Museum of American Jewish History: “Crunch, crunch, crunch, his feet sank into the snow.”

Seven Must-See Museums to See for Free on Museum Day Live!

Smithsonian magazine and Smithsonian.com invite readers to download a free ticket for two to visit more than 1,500 museums around the country

A new Dave Van Ronk compilation presents old favorites and never-before-heard tracks from 1959 to 2002.

Before You Go See Llewyn Davis, Go Inside Dave Van Ronk

The new Coen brothers film is based in part on the life and times of real-life folk musician Dave Van Ronk, the Mayor of MacDougal Street

24c Curtiss Jenny inverted block of four, 1918 This upside-down blue plane within a red frame is the most famous U.S. stamp and one of the world’s most famous printing errors. Only one misprinted sheet of 100 stamps was sold. Loan from William H. Gross.

World’s Largest Stamp Gallery to Open in Washington, D.C.

America’s most famous stamp, the Inverted Jenny, goes on permanent view for the first time in history

Secretary G. Wayne Clough, leader of the Smithsonian, or what he calls a “self-reliant, vibrant, relevant organization.”

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough Announces He Will Retire in 2014

The Smithsonian Institution’s 12th Secretary says he’ll step down next October

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