Arts & Culture

Daniel James Brown's book juxtaposes the coming together of the Washington crew team against the Nazis' preparations for the Olympics in 1936.

Olympic Rowers, King Tut Lessons and More Books to Read This Month

Also out in June: the math of life and the lives of astronauts’ wives

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The Past, Present, and Future of the Cuckoo Clock

From Orson Welles to Twitter, a look into the classic time-telling relic from your grandparents' attic

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Where’d You Get Those Creepers?

The platform-soled, punk-style shoes have celebrated the 'Teddy Boy' spirit since the late 1940s

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When Heineken Bottles Were Square

In 1963, Alfred Heineken created a beer bottle that could also function as a brick to build houses in impoverished countries.

Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine in the 2013 ‘Star Trek Into Darkness.’

Air and Space Curator Margaret Weitekamp Explains Why ‘Star Trek’ Matters

With the release of the 12th Star Trek film, curator Margaret Weitekamp explains why the franchise is so influential

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When F. Scott Fitzgerald Judged Gatsby By Its Cover

A surprising examination of the original book jacket art to The Great Gatsby

The shelled sea butterfly Hyalocylis striata can be found in the warm surface waters of the ocean around the world.

Amazing Sea Butterflies Are the Ocean’s Canary in the Coal Mine

These delicate and stunning creatures are offering Smithsonian scientists a warning sign for the world's waters turning more acidic

A tabletop laden with goodies showcases the nut culture of the French Périgord, where locals make cheese, bread, oil and liqueur using the area’s walnuts.

Five Ways to Enjoy a Walnut

In France's Périgord region, never mind the truffles, foie gras and wine--at least for a day--because this country is ground zero of the noble walnut

A chessboard awaits the next round just outside the ring during a chessboxing match in Berlin in 2012

TKO By Checkmate: Inside the World of Chessboxing

Demanding a combination of brains and brawn, this new sport has competitors floating like butterflies and stinging like kings

Benjamin Franklin’s phonetic alphabet

Benjamin Franklin’s Phonetic Alphabet

One of the founding father's more quixotic quests was to create a new alphabet. No Q included

A side view of Lathyrus odoratus L. 2009-2012. By Macoto Murayama

Macoto Murayama’s Intricate Blueprints of Flowers

The Japanese artist depicts blossoms from various plant species in fastidious detail

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What Happens When a Keyboard Goes From Tactile to Touchscreen?

There's a word for that odd quirk of Apple iPads that hold on to design components of old keyboards

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The History of Baseball Stadium Nachos

From a Mexican maitre 'd's mishap in 1943 to the gooey, orange stuff you put on your chips at the baseball game today.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jay Gatsby in the latest adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel

Will the Real Great Gatsby Please Stand Up?

F. Scott Fitzgerald couldn’t resist putting his own life into his novels, but where’s the line between truth and fiction?

A street food market in San Andrés Cholula, in Mexico's Puebla state

What to Really Eat on Cinco de Mayo

Put down the margaritas and tacos, and pick up a chalupa

Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg and her DNA-derived self-portrait.

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

Creepy or Cool? Portraits Derived From the DNA in Hair and Gum Found in Public Places

Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg reconstructs the faces of strangers from genetic evidence she scavenges from the streets

U.S. Patent No. 207,559. The first appearance of the QWERTY keyboard.

Fact of Fiction? The Legend of the QWERTY Keyboard

What came first: the typist or the keyboard? The answer may surprise you

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What’s Better at the New Orleans Jazz Fest: The Food or the Music?

From oyster patties to po'boys, crawfish to étouffée, the caterers and restaurants offer strong competition to the legends on the big stage

Paris, Frills and Button Flowers, Autumn/Winter 1971

For Perusing Pleasure, Zandra Rhodes’ New Online Fashion Archive

The honored Brit—50 years in the business—goes for the bold in her designer collections

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Want to See How an Artist Creates a Painting? There’s an App for That

The Repentir app reveals an artist's creative process by allowing users to peel back layers of paint with the touch of their fingertips

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