Famous Poems Read By Famous Men

Classic poems by Auden, Wordsworth, Keats, and the like are even more of a treat when recited in the rich and resonant tones of such actors as Alan Rickman and Benedict Cumberbatch. Words off a page have never felt so alive.

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The judges of the 2013 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition have picked some real winners. 

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Which fictional character shares your birthday?

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A single man, formerly a monk, has spent the past half-century building a 131-foot cathedral with his own hands, but advancing age and the lack of a building permit could put an end to all of that.

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Ernest Hemingway wasn’t known for a particularly playful sense of humor, but a newly published satirical short story from the writer’s early years might help change that.

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Certain “unisex” names, like Leslie, Casey, Stacy, and Riley have been batted back and forth between genders over the years; their spikes and slumps over time form a fascinating picture of how easily “boy names” and “girl names” can change.

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The men behind the bizarre Twitter account @horse_ebooks and the equally strange YouTube channel Pronunciation Book have stepped forward and pled guilty to performance art.

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An international panel of scientists has weighed in: it is “extremely likely” – and they are 95% sure – that humankind is predominantly to blame for rising global temperatures. Better start apologizing to the Earth now.

The Many Deaths of The Joker. The villain is killed off time and time again, but he's too good to get rid of permanently.

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The Magazine That Started a Feminist Movement in Japan. Seitō was groundbreaking literature in 1911.

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Is Beaming Down in Star Trek a Death Sentence? We don't know whether the reassembled atoms at the other end are the real you.

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The True Story Behind Billie Jean King’s Victorious “Battle of the Sexes.” It was just one chapter in her campaign to elevate women in tennis.

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The Ultimate, Indisputable Ranking of Planets in the Solar System, with a justification for each. Earth needs some help to regain its formerly stellar reputation.

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The Delicate Art of the Amusement Park Caricature. The artist must negotiate the body image issues of strangers every day.

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America's Flood Epidemic. Houston has seen three "500-year floods" in just the last three years.

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11 Strange Battlefields Where the Cold War Was Fought. There was no competition too inconsequential for the U.S. And the Soviet Union.

The Magic of Making Marbles. An expert glassblower shows us how it's done.

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The Marriage of Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio. It burned brightly and then flamed out quickly.

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The 12 Best So-Bad-They're-Good Episodes of Star Trek. They come from four different series in the adventures of Starfleet.

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The Bizarre Case of New Zealand’s Exploding Pants. This illustrates the danger of new products that aren't thoroughly tested.

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Leather: Grown in a Lab, Without Cows. It's collagen produced by engineered yeast that is essentially the same as tanned animal skin.

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Watch a Rare Video of a Two-Faced Kitten. And learn what might cause a Janus cat to be born that way.

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5 Great Alarm Clocks for Reluctant Wakers. A novel idea could really get your attention first thing in the morning.

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Autumnal Equinox Traditions. How folks say goodbye to summer and hello to fall—at least in the Northern Hemisphere.