All Videos — February 12, 2011

Lincoln’s Wild White House Seances

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Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln held seances in the White House trying to contact the spirit of their dead son Willie. Or was it a calculated political move?

The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Man in a dark shirt smiling against a purple background with black scribbles and a white rectangle, reminiscent of "The Year of Living Biblically," embracing the chaos with serene humor.

Books

What happens when you follow the Bible literally for a whole year?

A.J. Jacobs looks back at what he learned about religion, himself, and modern American culture during “The Year of Living Biblically.”

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: What right do we have to colonize other worlds?

In all the known Universe, Earth is the only planet known to have native life. What should guide us in expanding humanity beyond our world?

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Couldn’t COVID-19 have originated in a Chinese lab?

In theory, scientists could’ve produced a deadly virus that accidentally infected lab workers. In practice, we know that didn’t happen.

People in early 20th-century attire gather outside a building, as an intriguing green geometric pattern overlays the scene. This blend of classic and modern elements evokes the innovative spirit of AI art.

High Culture

The cinematograph, the “noematograph,” and the future of AI art

Hugo-winning author Ken Liu explores what early cinema and Chinese poetry can teach us about AI’s potential as a new artistic medium.

Graph titled "The Post-WWII Boom 1945-1970" shows intersecting curves labeled "The Old World Is Dying" and "The New One Struggles To Be Born," with "JFK Was Here" marked at 1960.

The Past

America is going through its every-80-year reinvention

Americans have gone through three historic junctures like what we’re witnessing today — and they happen on an uncanny 80-year cycle.

Up Next

Politics & Current Affairs

The Day after Tomorrow

Today, the morning after, it is time to ask ourselves some questions about what comes next for the Middle East, especially in Yemen, the base of operations for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.