Arts & Culture

None

Our Battle Against Extinction, 100 Recipes and More Recent Books Reviewed

Growing up as a poor Astor and the roots of psychiatry

Acoustic paintings from the installation "Higher Resonance."

How Do You Make a Painting Out of Sounds?

Jennie C. Jones has the answer. Her first solo museum show opens at the Hirshhorn in May

The Hirshhorn’s Bubble, which would be erected for two months each fall, would require about 60,000 square feet of membrane material.

The Real Deal With the Hirshhorn Bubble

The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum looks to expand in a bold new way

Before There Was Photoshop, These Photographers Knew How to Manipulate an Image

Jerry Uelsmann and other artists manually blended negatives to produce dreamlike sequences

The tin tube was more resilient than its predecessor (the pig bladder), enabling painters to leave their studios.

Never Underestimate the Power of a Paint Tube

Without this simple invention, impressionists such as Claude Monet wouldn’t have been able to create their works of genius

None

Egypt’s Murals Are More Than Just Art, They Are a Form of Revolution

Cairo’s artists have turned their city’s walls into a vast social network

30 is the number of trees, in millions, cut down annually to produce books in the U.S.

The Revolutionary Effect of the Paperback Book

This simple innovation transformed the reading habits of an entire nation

None

Behind the Scenes in the Smithsonian Regents’ Room

Explore a room in the Smithsonian Castle with a curious history that includes fire and destruction, séances for skeptics and even a skeleton in the closet

These two identical brands are considered to be distinct based on their location

Decoding the Range: The Secret Language of Cattle Branding

Venture into the highly regulated and fascinating world of bovine pyroglyphics

None

Strawberries Still Green? You’re on Trend!

Chefs around the country are experimenting with the springy, tart version of this favorite berry. Try pickling them yourself

None

The Strange Beauty of David Maisel’s Aerial Photographs

A new book shows how the photographer creates startling images of open-pit mines, evaporation ponds and other sites of environmental degradation

Infrastructural graffiti in the streets of New Haven, CT (original photo)

Decoding The City: The Road Graffiti Placed by Utility Workers

These infrastructural lines mark the pathways of pipes and wires beneath the paved surface -- but what does each color mean?

None

The Story of Elizabeth Keckley, Former-Slave-Turned-Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker

A talented seamstress and savvy businesswoman, she catered to Washington's socialites

Music works deep into our brains.

Eight New Things We’ve Learned About Music

It's right up there with food, sex and drugs when its comes to stirring up pleasure responses in our brains

A difference of nearly four decades: at top, a ski area in Aspen, Colorado last year, captured by Ron Hoffman; at bottom, the same location in 1974, shot by Dustin Wesley.

Before and After: America’s Environmental History

None

“Stem Cells”

A new poem by Amit Majmudar

ZnO Fall Flowers. Image by Audrey Forticaux, a graduate student in the Chemistry Department

Intriguing Science Art From the University of Wisconsin

From a fish's dyed nerves to vapor strewn across the planet, images submitted to a contest at the university offer new perspectives of the natural world

None

What Modern Art Looks Like As Yummy Dessert

Pastry chef Caitlin Freeman uses inspiration from modern art to whip up cakes, cookies and other desserts

Do teachers need to train more like doctors?

Do Teachers Need Their Own “Bar Exam”?

Some say the best way to improve American education--and get teachers more respect--is make them take challenging entry exams like doctors and lawyers do

None

The 64-Square Grid Design of ‘Through the Looking Glass’

The sequel to Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland was designed to be a playable, albeit whimsical chess problem

Page 196 of 355