Maria Popova

Science vs. religion – 50 famous academics on "God"

So great! @SciStarter lets you get involved in real science projects as a citizen scientist (HT @story_collider)

"We have this notion that the scientist and science are two separate entities. That's not the case at all." Joy Hirsch at @story_collider

The art-science of walking the fine line between keen and crass – New Yorker covers you were never meant to see

"Good science is more like Proust than Mr. Popper's Penguins." Adam Gopnik on science and storytelling

Wow. Yesterday's annular solar eclipse in 68 seconds – timelapse of 700 telescope pictures taken by a science teacher

Are you on board with #bookspinepoetry yet? Here's a "poem" on the meaning of life

Map of Life – highly addictive new interactive biodiversity mapping tool from leading research institutions

The meaning of life #bookspinepoetry

The meaning of life, in book spine poetry

So great – 8 bits of life-wisdom for artists from @neilhimself

How Up, the British documentary series that began half a century ago, is affecting the lives of those featured in it

Happy birthday, Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle! Celebrate with the story of his friendship with Houdini

What happens when "for better or for worse" hands you the "worse" part – poignant, heartbreaking story #longreads

"Adults are not deceived by science-fiction; they can be deceived by the stories in the women's magazines." C.S. Lewis

Ken Burns on what makes a great story

The Sorcerers and Their Apprentices – the untold story of MIT Media Lab

If you missed it, it's a must:." C. S. Lewis on why "school stories" and the media deceive us more than fantasy

When Einstein met Tagore – be a fly on the wall of one of history's most intellectually riveting conversations

How the chicken went from mystical animal to kitchen staple – a fascinating 10,000-year-history from The Smithsonian

In 1927, Mussolini sent a happy message to America and helped change film history

Ordering the Heavens – a visual history of mapping the universe

Scientists reconstruct the most famous case study in the history of modern neuroscience

The history of The Avengers, 1963-2010, beautifully visualized

How to break out of a destructive DIY mentality and adopt a healthier support structure approach +(The+99+Percent) #guiltyascharged

How to own a Warhol for $5

Advice from Hemingway on how to live comfortably in Paris on $1,000/year

How music defines our humanity And how to learn to listen to it

Noam Chomsky releases new pamphlet on #Occupy, with advice on how to protest without getting arrested

Ah, yes. How to write a Dan Brown Novel, in a flowchart

Beautiful photographs of vintage signage by Marc Shur (↬ @ucllc)

Beautiful hand-colored vintage photographs of ethnic diversity in Russia 100 years ago

Love these vintage kindergarten photos from St. Louis circa 1905

Old but gold: Wheels of Change – how the bicycle empowered women, with rare vintage photos

Old but gold: Radioactive - Marie Curie's story of science and romance, illustrated in stunning vintage cyanotype

How to Become a Magician – weird and wonderful vintage book circa 1882, free online