A Smithsonian folklorist examines Jewish humor in the midst of a pandemic

The new viruses are not harmful to humans or closely related to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19

Engineers around the world are tweaking drones, robots and smart tools to help prevent the spread of the virus

Graffiti artists and muralists are sending messages of hope and despair with coronavirus public art

A conversation about the challenges facing—and the resilience of—the largest reservation in the country, which has become a COVID-19 hotspot

The projects are helping Australia's drought-stricken rural towns find new life as outdoor art galleries

Stanley Lake with McGown Peak in the background.

Fishing down the stream

This praying mantis looks completely shocked and like it was caught doing something wrong. I had to laugh while taking this shot, as mantis seem to be very expressive sometimes.

The proboscis monkey is a species endemic to Borneo. I areas where they occur they are quite easy to encounter as they have reddish fur and make strange burping sounds for communication.

The Blue Insularis is a venomous pit viper species commonly found in Indonesia. This is a photo of a specimen feeding on a frog, and with another snake close by trying to take a bite.

A sled in the Smithsonian collections marks the historic race

Philip Roth's classic novel, newly adapted by HBO, envisions a world in which Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 presidential election

The hair-care magnate at the center of the new Netflix series 'Self Made' left her imprint on the city where she launched her career

In the hours after disaster struck Anchorage, an unexpected figure named Genie Chance came to the rescue

A century ago, Susan Pringle Frost tirelessly campaigned to save these South Carolina buildings from destruction

A museum director looks to the past to explain why 'Aloha' is as necessary as ever

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is looking for 1,000 places tied to women's history, and to share the stories of the figures behind them

The first major exhibition of its kind, "Hearts of Our People," boasts 82 pieces from 115 Native women across North America

The question of bulletproofing vexed physicians and public figures for years, before pioneering inventors experimented with silk

While COVID-19 has us homebound, it’s a good time to reflect on the peculiar histories of housewares we take for granted

The second installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Sketches from the workshop of French engineer Gustave Eiffel suggest a different plan for Lady Liberty’s upraised arm

With the release of Trolls World Tour, and a new generation entranced by the ugly-but-cute toy, it appears the troll's lucky streak lives on

The third installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

The Beatles guitarist visited his sister in southern Illinois just months before he'd become world famous

In a nation under quarantine, chronicling a crisis demands careful strategy

From kitsch to cool, ride the waves of undulating popularity of a tropical fashion statement

Seventy-five years after a memorable mission, the B26 bomber 'Flak-Bait' undergoes preservation at the National Air and Space Museum

Governments around the world grapple with how to deliver important guidelines on minimizing the spread of COVID-19

Plague, war and politics have altered the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca throughout history

A newly discovered pyramid yields a baffling mystery: A royal tomb, usually reserved for kings, is found to contain a mystery woman. Who was she and why was she given such a great honor?

During the Nazi occupation of France, many valuable works of art were stolen from the Jeu de Paume museum and relocated to Germany. One brave French woman kept detailed notes of the thefts

Henny Sundig is a pivotal figure in the history of WWII Danish resistance. In 1943, aged just 19, she risked it all to make a daring journey in her boat, Gerda III, to rescue as many Jews as she could.

In 1799, Alexander von Humboldt set foot in the jungles of Cumana, in present-day Venezuela. What ensued was a detailed scientific mission to learn more about the natural world.

Henry Ford spent the majority of the war as a pacifist. By 1917, however, his state-of-the-art assembly line was churning out vital engine parts to feed the war machine.

Alexander von Humboldt was intrigued by deadly electric eels. He was so determined to learn more about them, that in Los Llanos, he’d hold them in his hands to test the strength of their shock.

A female leopard is risking life and limb by trying to steal food from another male leopard. One wrong move and the male, a third bigger than she is, could make her pay.

The smart tool gives users step-by-step instructions based on WHO’s handwashing protocol

The Chicago White Sox were heavy favorites going into the 1919 World Series. But they were defeated by the Cincinnati Reds - and it soon became clear that the game was rigged

As spring begins, the surviving bees in the hive pick up their first task of the new year: dumping the corpses of the bees that died over winter.

Leisuretown One-Liners

Salt River First Nation in Fort Smith, N.W.T., is getting ready for a possible flood. 

A trio of young northern violinists recently joined their contemporaries across Canada for a project that aims to bring people together through music — while being apart.

New Brunswickers needn't worry about all the buzz around 'murder hornets' because they wouldn't survive the cold winters, says biologist.

A 17-year-old boy from Riverview, N.B., has died after the small motorbike he was riding collided with a minivan in Lower Coverdale, a settlement southeast of Moncton. 

Seven people were displaced by a fire early Saturday on the north end of Saint John.

Fire scientist say that Saskatchewan say Canadian Forest Service is updating their interactive maps every month from May to September this year so people can check the fire map in their region. Saskatchewan is one of the highest chances of fire this year.

The premier’s office confirmed the news in an email statement, blaming visibility issues under "very specific lighting conditions."