Articles

Arctic Ice Melting Faster Than Computers Thought

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Ten Greenest Buildings in America

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Doodle Dandy

With a few deft strokes, Saul Steinberg turned institutional letterhead into signature works of whimsy

"I always thought of Bill as like us," says Karen Chatham (left), "until years later, when I realized that he was famous."

They Needed to Talk

And family friend William Eggleston, his camera at his side, felt compelled to shoot

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What Camera?

Look what photographer Robert Creamer can do with a flatbed scanner

Comedy group 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors has performed around the world.

Taking the Stage

The National Asian American Theatre Festival makes its debut

Foucan and Belle called their efforts "parkour," from the French "parcours," meaning "route."

Extreme Running

Made popular by a recent James Bond film, a new urban art form called free running hits the streets

A carving of the tale of Gilgamesh

Lost Treasure

In Gilgamesh, scholars unearthed literary gold

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The Epic of Gilgamesh Translation

Translated by Stephen Langdon, University of Pennsylvania

The unlikely researcher, George Smith, made one of archaeology's most sensational finds when he uncovered the cuneiform-inscribed clay tablet containing fragments of a lost Babylonian epic.

Epic Hero

How a self-taught British genius rediscovered the Mesopotamian saga of Gilgamesh —after 2,500 years

This Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $2.35 million in March.

A Brief History of the Honus Wagner Baseball Card

From cigarette pack insert to multi-million-dollar treasure

The Institution's treasures were under 24-hour guard until World War II's end. The superintendent of the Shenandoah National Park selected five residents of Luray and the vicinity to serve as guards. "All fine men thoroughly conscientious in their duty," these guards were led by Lynn Black (far left, front row), and protected the collections against sabotage, theft and fire.

In the Event of War

How the Smithsonian protected its "strange animals, curious creatures" and more

Clouded leopard

Clouded comeback?

Smithsonian zoologists are attempting to breed the rare clouded leopard

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Organization Man

Carl Linnaeus, born 300 years ago, brought order to nature's blooming, buzzing confusion

One clue that the Buena Vista site was aligned with the seasons comes from a menacing statue (Ojeda is in the background) that faces the winter solstice sunset.

The New World's Oldest Calendar

Research at a 4,200-year-old temple in Peru yields clues to an ancient people who may have clocked the heavens

A view of the Thirteen Towers of Chankillo, in Peru.

Return of the Sun Cult

In Peru, scientists discover the oldest solar observatory in the Americas

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Interview: Daniel Gilbert

What will make you happy? A social scientist explains why it's so hard to predict

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Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Squid light shows, monkey hugs and chickadee alarms

The first thing Terry Smith did after moving to Washington in 1977 was buy a boat and sail it on the Bay.

A Great Adventure

Terry Smith, author of "Beyond Jamestown," sailed in the 400-year-old wake of colonial explorer Capt. John Smith

The question doesn't rank up there with, say, What is gravity? But where was the hamburger invented? To promote its claim, Akron, Ohio, hosts the National Hamburger Festival on July 21 and 22. Over 20,000 people served, including competitive eater Dave "Coondog" O'Karma.

Highlights & Hotspots

A selection of the season's noteworthy events

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