Culture

WWII Ship Found Off Philippines Coast Is World’s Deepest Wreck Ever Discovered

Culture / 3 min. read

Explorers have identified the remains of the USS Samuel B. Roberts, known as the ”Sammy B” — the deepest shipwreck ever discovered. The ship, which had broken into two pieces, was located on a slope over 22,600 feet, or four miles, deep in the waters off the island of Samar, Philippines. The U.S. Navy destroyer escort […]

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a black and white photo of the WWII ship on the water before it sunk and became the world's deepest shipwreck

Rare Painting Once Traded for a Grilled Cheese in the 1970s Sells for $272,548

Culture / 3 min. read

It seems unlikely that a humble grilled cheese could be worth over a quarter of a million dollars, but one sandwich that Irene Demas cooked up in the 1970s really was — though in quite a roundabout way. This epic fable of food, art, and fate began in Canada at an Ontario restaurant called The

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Students’ Letter Writing Campaign Successfully Boosts Animal Shelter Adoptions

Culture, Humanity / 2 min. read

By putting pencil (and crayon) to paper, an elementary school class honed their creative writing and drawing skills while also helping some overlooked shelter pets find adoptive homes. Second-grade teacher Kensey Jones was mulling over new writing assignment ideas for her students at St. Michael’s Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia. Jones had become a volunteer

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Meet the Carpet Cleaner Who Speaks 24 Languages — And Had MIT Study His Brain

Culture, Humanity / 2 min. read

Vaughn Smith was bilingual from a young age, learning English from his father and Spanish from his Mexican mother. As he grew up, though, languages began to captivate him, and he soon took on many more tongues. Now age 46, he speaks 24 languages and has a basic understanding or some familiarity with 21 others.

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Carpet cleaner Vaughn Smith wears a beanie and looks at camera with a small smile in front of a wall featuring different written languages

Planning Begins for National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture

Culture / 3 min. read

A bill supporting the creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture — the first in U.S. history — was signed into law on June 13. The new legislation will establish an eight-person commission — members of which must possess “a demonstrated commitment to the research, study, or promotion of Asian

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A Spring view of the Tulip Magnolias blooming at the Smithsonian Castle on a sunny morning in April.

13-Year-Old Makes History as She’s Accepted Into Med School: “I’ve Worked So Hard to Live My Dreams”

Culture, Humanity / 3 min. read

At 13 years old, Alena Analeigh has already achieved more than your average adult — she was the youngest-ever NASA intern, she’s a triple major undergraduate enrolled at Arizona State University and Oakwood University, and she’s the founder of Black Stem Girl, a program dedicated to providing girls of color access to STEM programs and

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Alena Aleigh smiles and looks at the camera with arms crossed in a white lab coat

Independent Bookstores in US Are Thriving and Diversifying Post-Pandemic

Culture / 3 min. read

Passionate readers can attest to the appeal of a local bookstore: the incomparable pleasure of strolling through the aisles waiting for a book to beckon from its spot on the shelf before being placed atop a towering stack and taken to a quiet corner where its crisp pages can be perused. Unfortunately, due to the

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Very modern and bright bookstore with white shelves full of books seen during day light.

Engaging in Meaningful Activities Can Reduce Loneliness, Study Finds

Culture, Health / 2 min. read

Some of the hobbies that you enjoy doing in your free time could be of greater benefit to your overall well-being than you realize. A new study by Penn State University found that when people engage in meaningful activities that require concentration and skill, they enter a state of “flow,” which researchers say can reduce

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Martin Scorsese Has a Free Streaming Platform for Classic Movies: How to Watch

Culture / 2 min. read

Since its founding in 1990, Martin Scorsese’s nonprofit organization, The Film Foundation, has helped to restore over 925 films. And in April, the foundation launched a free streaming service called Restoration Screening Room to introduce these restored classic movies to new and old generations of moviegoers alike. On the second Monday of each month, a

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three well-dressed people sit in a living room still from a classic movie

Therapist and Filmmaker Team Up to Talk Mental Health Through the Lens of Movies

Culture, Exclusive / 3 min. read

You may see your movie watching sessions and therapy sessions as completely separate activities, but they’re probably more linked than you think. For example, The Incredible Hulk sheds light on anger management, Titanic is a study on relationship compatibility, and the horror film It is an easy segue to talking about childhood trauma. Those are

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