Topic: Smithsonian Institution

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10 coffee table books that make great gifts

Stuck for a present for that friend that's hard to shop for? Check out one of these gorgeous coffee table books.

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Awash in art

Charlie didn't know that, by doing his laundry, he'd arranged a still life.
Decoder Wire July 4 trivia: Who sewed the star-spangled banner that inspired the song?

This July 4, the Maryland Historical Society is kicking off an effort to sew a reproduction of the star-spangled banner using materials as close as possible to those used by the original seamstress.
Wayne Miller dies, leaves legacy of photos and forests

Wayne Miller dies: His photography documented moments of World War II, black Americans living on Chicago's south side in the late 1940s, his family and redwood forests. Some of Wayne Miller's images are now held in collections at museums around the country.
Global News Blog Good Reads: From Chinese dreams, to the Tsarnaevs, to a QWERTY challenger

This week's round-up of Good Reads includes a vague dream for the Chinese, the Boston bombers' connection to radical Islam, why Obama has been so slow to respond to Syria's civil war, levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere not seen since the Pliocene era, and a new keyboard configuration for mobile phones.
'Space Oddity'? First rock video sung and shot in space wows David Bowie.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield performed and recorded the David Bowie classic 'Space Oddity' aboard the International Space Station, eliciting praise from Major Tom himself.
Jamestown settlers resorted to cannibalism, skeleton reveals

Facing starvation, Jamestown colonists resorted to consuming the flesh of a deceased 14-year-old girl, reveals an analysis of remains found at America's first permanent English settlement.
Modern Parenthood Time cover of terrified child at Boston Marathon is disturbing media trend

Time's tablet-only Boston Marathon cover shows a bloodied and terrified child in the arms of a police officer. The controversy sparked is not unfamiliar to modern Time covers that have used children in provocative ways.
Chapter & Verse Digital Public Library: the promise of the Internet fulfilled

The Digital Public Library will make the holdings of America's libraries and museums available to all Americans (and, eventually, everyone), free and online through one portal.
Veterinarians try artificial insemination on Giant Panda at National Zoo

Mei Xiang, the Giant Panda at the National Zoo was artificially inseminated Saturday after she and the zoo's male giant panda failed to breed naturally.
Louis Agassiz: Creator of American Science

A new biography sheds light on some of the 'undelightful' aspects of the life and work of eminent Swiss zoologist, glaciologist, and paleontologist Louis Agassiz.
Huge flood on Mars? Orbiter data shows evidence of ancient megaflood.

Huge flood on Mars: Data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter hints at at extensive flooding in the Red Planet's ancient past.
Decoder Wire Should President Obama give up golf during 'sequester'? (+video)

The (failed) GOP bid to strip funds for presidential golf trips was just one move in an escalating struggle over Obama's 'sequester' strategy, such as axing popular White House tours.
The Cyrus Cylinder, symbol of Persian tolerance, heads to US

The 2,600 year old Cyrus Cylinder, a promise of tolerance from the ancient Persian King, is heading to the US for the first time.
Cats kill billions of creatures every year according to new study

Cats kill billions: According to new research, cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds and between 6.9 billion and 20.7 billion small mammals, such as meadow voles and chipmunks.
Objections raised over additional projects lumped with Sandy relief

Some lawmakers are cautioning against passing the $50.7 billion Superstorm Sandy aid package, which includes $150 million in aid for fisheries in Alaska, Mississippi and the Northeast. House Republicans have introduced an alternative proposal.
Robert Griffin III: RG3 knee injury a warning sign for his future? (+video)

Robert Griffin III limped out of the Washington Redskins' 24-14 loss Sunday. The RG3 knee injury raises questions about his durability – and whether he should have been playing.
How basketry preserved a people

Zulu basketry began to die out because of tin and plastic containers, but now the craft is flourishing.
10 coffee table books that make great gifts

Stuck for a present for that friend that's hard to shop for? Check out one of these gorgeous coffee table books.
Space spider dies in D.C. after surviving 55 days in space

Space spider dies in D.C.: Neffi survived 55 days aboard the International Space Station. But the famous spider died after four days in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C.
Video games really are art, MoMA says

The Museum of Modern Art in New York will open a permanent exhibition dedicated to video games. 14 titles made the cut, including Pac-Man, Tetris, and Myst.
When did humans get smart? Maybe a lot earlier than some thought.

A find in South Africa suggests that humans had mastered the skill of producing small stone blades – and could pass on the know-how – as early as 71,000 years ago.
Hurricane Sandy: The situation in 17 states from the Carolinas to Maine

The eye of Hurricane Sandy is still about 300 miles from land, but it's long reach is already being felt in 17 states. Some are being hit, others are getting ready for the storm's arrival.
Big Bird fired? Cut wouldn't end PBS or balance budget. (+video)

Mitt Romney's Big Bird comment in last night's debate took over Twitter and reignited the age old debate over federal arts funding. But would the subsidy cut really mean all that much for Big Bird's fate – or the budget?
Space shuttle Endeavour touches down (+video)

The space shuttle Endeavour landed in California on its way to its final resting place. On the way, it made a flyover in Tucson, Arizona where former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly, Endeavour's retired commander, were watching.
Space shuttle Endeavour lifts off for last time, heading to California

The space shuttle Endeavour, bolted atop a Boeing 747 jumbo jet, left its Florida home port for the last time on Wednesday and headed to California to begin a new mission as a museum exhibit.