Timeless New York street scenes, discovered after nearly 50 years

Amateur photographer Frank Larson captured New York City in the 50s. His thousands of negatives had been stashed away in an attic since his death in 1964. But recently, a grandson discovered them.
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Why Do Recipe Writers Lie About How Long It Takes To Caramelize Onions?

Browning onions is a matter of patience. My own patience ran out earlier this year while leafing through the New York Times food section. There, in the new
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'The Annotated Poe' Is So Thoroughly Poe

In his exhaustively researched and lavishly illustrated "The Annotated Poe," Kevin J. Hayes makes good on his promise to “reveal the extraordinary complexity of Poe’s work” and “give a sense of the great range and diversity of Poe’s achievement”.
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'MASH' Star Wayne Rogers Dies at 82

Actor Wayne Rogers dead at 82 from complications from pneumonia.
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The Hidden History of the Housewarming Pineapple

If you were rich 1700s nobleman, had a dinner table, and wanted to impress your fellow gentry, a pineapple would sure as hell be the way to go. Indeed, if you find yourself at an old inn or perhaps even a new, trendy hotel, there will likely be a picture of a pineapple somewhere near you. It is a near-universal symbol of hospitality. But why?
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The Indian village learning to live in harmony with snow leopards

To stop snow leopards killing valuable livestock, villagers in Himachal Pradesh have changed the way they manage land to increase the endangered cat’s wild prey, while an insurance scheme offers compensation for lost stock.
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How Clementine Churchill Wielded Influence As Winston's Wife

Biographer Sonia Purnell says Clementine once remarked that she "would have loved to have been a statesman in her own right if only she had been born with trousers rather than petticoats."
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The Labor of Sound in a World of Debt

Now, even less than in decades and centuries past, it cannot be denied that sound and music are deeply embedded in economic and material networks of exponentially increasing complexity. Sound and music are not abstract concerns, floating free from a politically charged context of labor, power and society, and neither are the messages and joys they bring. It is dependent on, determined by, and reflective of the work that made it and the world into which it is born.
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Classic New Year’s Eve Rock Posters

Four decades of New Year's Eve art
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Locked away: Egypt’s forgotten Jewish literary heritage

Inside a library of a synagogue in downtown Cairo, hundreds of Judaic books dating from the medieval ages to the 20th century are shelved, unread and un-indexed. Despite a center dedicated to their preservation, government ministries have stalled, eschewing responsibility for what would be an expensive project to review and record the manuscripts digitally.
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An Illustrated Study of Black Cats, the “Little Aliens” of the Feline World

All Black Cats Are Not Alike, by writer-illustrator duo Amy Goldwasser and Peter Arkle, is a true feat in the age-old tradition of cat art.
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Nice December Day

Almost record breaking heat.... just a few degrees below the all-time high. Tok,Alaska
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The food desert of the north

Despite living in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, the majority of homes Canada's Nunavut territory suffer from chronic food insecurity. Without relief in sight, survival sometimes comes down to killing a narwhal.
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New CISA Law: Big Brother Writ Large or No Big Deal?

CISA was slipped inside an unrelated spending bill before Christmas and it passed. The new law gives the NSA renewed and broadened rights to surveil America. [analysis]
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Raw: Sydney Rings in 2016

Thousands of people gathered in Sydney to celebrate the start of 2016 with a spectacular fireworks display at the city's harbor. (Dec. 31)
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Why Mormons identify with Syrian refugees

They were religious exiles once too.
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A Human(ist) Revolution

There is a piece being circulated widely in the past few days which appeared in the Opinion pages of the New York Times on Christmas Day. It is entitled, “The Christmas Revolution,” and makes the case that much of what can be considered secular humanist values have grown out of Christian theology and practice. Ryan Bell examines this claim.
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Putin's son-in-law boosted by $1.75 billion Russian state loan

The son-in-law of Vladimir Putin stands to benefit from $1.75 billion in cheap finance from the Russian state, a Reuters examination of public documents shows. The money will help fund a petrochemical project at a company in which Kirill Shamalov, husband of Katerina Tikhonova, the Russian president's younger daughter, has a significant interest. Shamalov is a major shareholder in Sibur, Russia's largest processor of petrochemicals.
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Why did China hold a cremation competition?

Earlier this week the Chinese government hosted an unusual competition. More than 50 of the country's best battled it out to be crowned the country's top cremator.
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Which countries are the world's most linguistically diverse?

Mapped: The 7,000 languages across the world. Many countries are home to hundreds of languages, sometimes despite having very small populations.
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5 New Year's Resolutions for Gardeners

Consider putting gardening at the top of your list New Year's resolutions.
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Mexican marijuana farmers see profits tumble as U.S. loosens laws

He started growing marijuana as a teenager and for four decades earned a modest living from his tiny plot tucked at the base of these rugged mountains of western Mexico. He proudly shows off his illegal plants, waist-high and fragrant, strategically hidden from view by rows of corn and nearly ready to be harvested. "I've always liked this business, producing marijuana," the 50-year-old farmer said wistfully. He had decided that this season's crop would be his last.
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Sun, surf and skin: Australian depictions of the beach

On the Beach brings together 76 works reflecting the diversity of Australian stories on sandy, sea-washed shores
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A healthy breakdown

A wide variety of fruits and vegetables contain oxalate. But humans and most other animals lack the ability to metabolize this molecule — that is, to break it down while digesting it. And so for some people, a buildup of oxalate is associated with kidney stones, arthritis, and even kidney failure.
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Dave Barry’s Year in Review

The sad thing is, we’re not making this up!
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The best Australian photos of 2015

Here are some of the most memorable, newsworthy, creative and talked-about images from professional and amateur photographers alike
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Mold-A-Rama: An Affordable Art Machine That’s Survived Half a Century

In zoos, museums, and other attractions around the United States, visitors can still get a retro souvenir for just a couple of bucks.
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The Nearsightedness Epidemic

While not the kind of epidemic you're used to hearing about, nearsightedness is becoming a major health issue in many places. Learn about how scientists are finding out the reasons behind the increase in myopia, and how sunlight might be an important component.
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The God Distraction, Chapter One: Arguments

Brian Dalton (aka Mr. Deity) examines the issue: can arguments settle the question of God's existence?
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Resolutions

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Open to Inspection: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the age of surveillance.

Even if the spy, Allen Dulles, should arrive in heaven through somebody’s absentmindedness, he would begin to blow up the clouds, mine the stars, and slaughter the angels. —Ilya Ehrenburg
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Poor people in the Deep South are on their own

In the Deep South’s cities, simply applying for a job exposes a particularly pervasive and isolating form of poverty. By Chico Harlan.
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The Guardian: The best photographs of 2015 – in pictures

Blood moon eclipses, volcano eruptions, Usain Bolt’s Segway crash and Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair cover ... photographers explain how they got their shots. Selection by Karin Andreasson.
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2015: Another Bad Year for Blasphemers

From the horrific January 7 Charlie Hebdo attack and Saudi Arabia’s first flogging on January 9 of blogger Raif Badawi (who was found guilty of insulting Islam in 2014 and sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison), there were early signs that 2015 would be another year where blasphemy would be punished harshly by governments and vigilantes alike.
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No Visible Bruises: Domestic Violence and Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury is only starting to be addressed in the domestic-violence community. By Rachel Louise Snyder.
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Landays: Cries of the Pashtun Women

The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is a lawless no-man's-land where violence and suffering rage, and no one has it harder than the region's 21 million Pashtun women. Their mode of rebellion? Short-verse poems called landays. By Eliza Griswold. (Apr. ’14)
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A Strange Tale of Fruitcakes and the Collin Street Bakery

Sandy Jenkins was a shy, daydreaming accountant at the Collin Street Bakery, the world’s most famous fruitcake company. He was tired of feeling invisible, So he started stealing—and got a little carried away. By Katy Vine.
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Do Dogs Know Other Dogs Are Dogs?

This is not a philosophical riddle. Despite their highly variable appearance, dogs can recognize each other by sight alone. By Julie Hecht.
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A Renowned, But Forgotten, 17th-Century Japanese Artist Is Once Again Making Waves

Long neglected, the 17th-century Japanese artist Tawaraya Sōtatsu influenced Western art 400 years later.
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Gone in 2015: Commemorating Ten Outstanding Women in Science

These notable researchers who passed away during the year just ending made key contributions to ecology, planetary science, medicine, chemical engineering, and more.
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Americans support religious freedom for Christians, but not Muslims: Poll

WASHINGTON — Americans place a higher priority on preserving the religious freedom of Christians than for other faith groups, ranking Muslims as the least deserving of the protections, according to a new survey. Solid majorities said it was extremely or...
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Bill Cosby Charged in Sexual Assault Case

The authorities in Montgomery County, Pa., announced criminal charges on Wednesday against the entertainer Bill Cosby stemming from a woman’s accusation that he drugged and abused her at his home in Cheltenham Township, a suburb north of Philadelphia, in 2004.
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The Destruction of Workers’ Compensation

Over the past 25 years, the giant meatpacking company Tyson Foods has taken a lead in pushing for changes in workers’ comp in state after state—often to the detriment of workers. By Michael Grabell. (Dec. 15)
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Marhan & Mohammed’s Furious Fight for the Family Land

As the democratic promise of the Arab Spring slowly fades, two Tunisians battle to win back the property stolen from them through decades of imprisonment, torture and abuse.
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A New Chapter for Saffron

It is often said that saffron is worth its weight in gold because it is so difficult and labor-intensive to cultivate and harvest. Many Iranians believe that in its pure form, saffron works as an antioxidant, an antidepressant and a culinary weapon against Alzheimer’s, cancer and degeneration of the eyes.
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Specials drummer John Bradbury dies

John "Brad" Bradbury, drummer with The Specials, has died at the age of 62. The ska group tweeted the news: "It is with deep regret that we say goodbye to our great friend, the world's greatest drummer, our beloved Brad. RIP." Bradbury joined The Specials in 1979, and continued with the reversioned band The Special AKA, who had a top 10 hit with Free Nelson Mandela. Bradbury took part in The Specials reunion tour in 2009. He also headed up a band called JB Allstars.
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Melbourne man wins National Geographic's 2015 Photo Contest

Melbourne photographer James Smart wins National Geographic's 2015 Photo Contest with a shot of a tornado in the United States.
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Why Does the CIA Keep Its Art Collection Secret?

Twenty-nine abstract Washington Color School paintings hang in the halls of the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia. But unless you’re one of the CIA’s undisclosed number of employees, your chances of ever seeing these paintings, or even digital images of them, are pretty slim.
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The wild and rugged beauty of Patagonia

In pictures: the rugged and captivating beauty of Patagonia and its wildlife
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Liver hormone may be the off-switch for sweet-tooth, cocktail cravings

Gimmicky diets, flavor fakery, and sham sweets all try to bamboozle the brain out of wanting sugary treats and calorie-packed happy hour drinks. But scientists may have found an all-natural way to simply switch off those corrupting cravings. When researchers gave mice and monkeys an added dose of a mammalian liver hormone called Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), both species voluntarily went off sweets, even artificial ones.
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