Arts & Culture / Video
Stephen Colbert Congratulates OK Go | Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards
“OK Go made music videos relevant again.” – Stephen Colbert OK Go, Damian Kulash Jr. and Trish Sie won the Smithsonian magazine American Ingenuity Award for Visual Arts for pushing …
Erin Brockovich Congratulates Marc Edwards & LeeAnne Walters | Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards
“Superman isn’t coming. It is a moment in our time when we must look to ourselves, and not take for granted or wait for something from the top to come …
Christopher Gray’s Scholly App Is Bringing Millions of Dollars to College Students in Need
Christopher Gray | Smithsonian Magazine’s 2016 American Ingenuity Award Winner for Youth Achievement Christopher Gray is the founder and CEO of Scholly, the groundbreaking web and mobile app that matches …
How OK Go Has Revolutionized the Music Video
OK Go, Damian Kulash Jr. and Trish Sie | Smithsonian Magazine’s 2016 American Ingenuity Award Winners for Visual Arts Specializing in the whimsical and unexpected, these artistic dynamos have collaborated …
With “Master of None,” Aziz Ansari Has Created a True American Original
Aziz Ansari | Smithsonian Magazine’s 2016 American Ingenuity Award Winner for Performing Arts The actor, comedian and author is being honored for his starring role as Dev Shah in “Master …
NPG Excerpts - Bill Viola Studio
The Dreamers Installation View
NPG Excerpts - Bill Viola Studio
Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers Were Originally Silver
Bright red is how we remember them, but Dorothy’s famous shoes had a different look to begin with.
A serious manifestation of evil is never a pretty thing, but Catholic priests face down demons with precision.
The Horrifying True Story Behind the Movie ‘Scream’
The tragic true story of an innocent man suspected of murder is a classic motif of the Hollywood thriller and is used as a subplot in Scream.
New York Public Library Conveyor Belt
Jonathan Blanc /New York Public Library
The Burmese Monument That Appears to Defy Gravity
On the peak of Mount Kyaiktiyo is a mind-bending Buddhist monument: a 25-foot rock that balances precariously on the edge of a cliff.
Why Dead Rulers of the Han Dynasty Were Plugged With Jade
During the days of China’s Han dynasty, when a ruler died his corpse was carefully packed with jade “plugs.” These were believed to guarantee immortality for the deceased.
Why Tomb Raiders Treated This Priceless Gem Like Trash
Why would grave robbers break into the King of Xuzhou’s tomb and leave its most priceless jade treasure behind? The answer may lie in the precious stone’s status as currency …
Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols on Uhura’s Radical Impact
Star Trek’s decision to cast Nichelle Nichols, an African American woman, as major character on the show was an almost unheard-of move in 1968. But for black women all over …
Could Star Trek’s Invisibility Cloak Become a Reality?
On Star Trek, the Romulans possess a cloaking device that renders its ship, the Bird-of-Prey, invisible. Now, years later, a group of scientists may have found a way to turn …
Laser Scientists Are Developing Star Trek’s Phaser
Some of the technology from Star Trek is already coming to life in the Lockheed Martin lab. One high-energy laser beam, similar to the phaser from the series, can even …
Does ‘The Last Supper’ Really Have a Hidden Meaning?
Da Vinci’s The Last Supper plays a key role in the 2006 blockbuster hit The Da Vinci Code. Although the film’s claims are more fiction than fact, could the painting …
Watch this exclusive clip from the upcoming Ric Burns documentary about the “Green Book”
Artist Michael Najjar Travels to the Stratosphere
(Credit: Michael Najjar/Courtesy of Benrubi Gallery, NYC)
Metamaterials Inspired by Islamic Art
See how geometric designs are inspiring new ways to make stretchy materials. (Video by Ahmad Rafsanjani and Damiano Pasini/McGill University)
Why Pauline de Rothschild Had the Best Taste
Pauline de Rothschild brought sophistication and flair to every aspect of her marriagethis included completely transforming her husband’s famous home: Chateau Moutin.
This Woman Was Picasso, Hemingway and Fitzgerald’s Muse
The wealth and candid charisma of Sara Murphy meant she inspired and was admired by many an artist in 1920s Paris. This included legendary painters and writers alike.
How Zildjian Cymbals Made It From the Ottoman Empire to Now
In 1622, Avedis Zildjian, an Armenian metalworker in Turkey, melted a top-secret combination of metals to create the perfect cymbal. Nearly 400 years later, Zildjian’s descendants are one of the …
On the Hunt for a Timeless Vintage New Years Eve Dress
Singer Lynsey Shaw needs a special dress for a wedding on New Year’s. Explore styles from the 1920s to 1970s as she looks, with the help of L.A.’s The Way …
Where the Nazis Hid $3.5 Billion of Stolen Art
In the spring of 1945, with the Third Reich crumbling, the Nazis hid their stolen art in a sealed salt mine. But when U.S. troops arrived, they found that the …
Fishing With Irrawaddy Dolphins
Local Burmese fisher Maung Lay shows how his family has traditionally teamed up with rare river dolphins and explains why their partnership is now at risk. (Video by Demelza Stokes …
Amy Winehouse Shares Her Favorite Jazz Icons
In 2006, Amy Winehouse headed to the town of Dingle, Ireland to sing at Other Voices music festival. In a candid interview, she opens up about her musical idols and …
Museum Secrets Revealed: Pouncing on the Sistine Chapel
When Michelangelo was asked by an aging Pope to rush his painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he had to get creative with classic techniques.
Provoking Presidential Portraits
Pat Oliphant’s searing sketches cross party lines. But the portraits are all in good clean fun…or are they?
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