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American Impressionism’s often been seen as a pale copy of the French Impressionism that flowered in the late 19th century. Although American Impressionists early on copied their French counterparts (and even made pilgrimages to Monet’s Giverny garden and home), the exhibition The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887–1920, at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts through May 24, 2015, proves that American Impressionism quickly blossomed into something distinct—and distinctly American—by the turn of the 20th century. Capturing aesthetically a moment of contradictions as American nativism threatened to close borders while women’s suffrage struggled to open doors, The Artist’s Garden demonstrates the power of flowers to speak volumes about the American past, and present.

Scientists predict the majestic glaciers that cap the Canadian Rockies will lose 70 percent of their volume by 2100.

A significant study showed more spinach and kale in your diet may help slow cognitive decline.

In my personal auditory life, and apparently in that of many of my fellow humans right now, there’s a podcast revolution going on. Why this? Why now? 

Mindfulness meditation is at risk of being separated from its beneficent roots, which grounded the practice in ancient philosophical/religious systems that emphasized ascetic virtues.

A recent study shows the importance of breaking a sweat every once in a while during your workouts, especially for those of middle age or older — it may just prolong your life.

Words of wisdom from Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues: “In order to achieve great things, we must live as though we were never going to die.”

“We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.”

Words of wisdom from Marie Curie: “One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.”

Few people know of them. That’s why they’re called the Happy Isles. 

The brain is a wonder of computational power, and engineers want to replicate it by creating a better neural network.

The Dallas Zoo is preparing to celebrate the birth of a baby giraffe — a very special event in the life a zoo. And to share their enthusiasm with the public, a live feed has been created.

Use humor to draw someone out of their shell.

Here’s a problematic new study: Women looking for marriage still find narcissistic traits alluring.

Massive data centers in the world require massive amounts of energy, not just for processing power, but also for cooling. While big companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are looking into a variety of ways to make the cooling process greener, one particularly clever solution is coming from a Dutch startup called Nerdalize. 

The study of when too much of a good thing can kill you — about 16 glasses every day.

No matter how much animosity you hold against your future former employers, making a spectacle is never worth the risk of backlash.

We instinctively feel safer about anything natural and more worried by anything human-made, but instincts may not lead to choices that do human or environmental health the most good.

Despite the apparent rise in people with no religion, the overall percentage of non-believers is expected to decline as a share of the world’s population, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.

Smiling changes how the brain processes other people’s emotions. As the Louis Armstrong song goes, “When you’re smilin’, the whole world smiles at you.”

NASA is considering the moon as a kind of galactic pit stop for astronauts to refuel before they go to Mars.

Exercise — not diet — has the greatest impact on our waistlines as we age. So, while foregoing the bacon cheeseburgers of your youth is a good step, you’ll need to go further to stay fit.

It burns so hot and intense, it’s probably already gone. But what a sight! “The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.” –Lao Tzu Image credit: NASA, […]

Incredible canvases, created with the burning ends of incense sticks. “Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.” –Pablo Picasso When it comes to the art we make, […]

Some well-placed eyeliner can make a look, but put it on the waterline of your eye and, well, you might as well be drawing it onto your cornea.

Some people believe generous welfare benefits make people more dependent — not so, according to researchers.

Independent bookstores aren’t able to compete with Amazon on price, but they do offer something the online giant can’t — a beloved community space.

This past week, the Colima volcano in Mexico erupted spectacularly.César Cantú captured it like never before. “It’s tempting to go to the throat of the volcano to get the data, […]

No one likes it when resources are rationed, but Californians may force the state or federal government’s hand if they don’t voluntarily cut their water usage.

New research out of Johns Hopkins University suggests babies whose expectations are challenged by surprise tend to learn more efficiently.