The igloo is an icon of the far north, especially the Arctic regions of Alaska, Greenland, and Canada. The term is from an Eskimo word meaning "house," and igloos still serve as temporary winter homes for... Read more
Sushi has been described as "seasoned rice that is shaped," or as rice, meat, and vegetables rolled in a sheet of dried seaweed. The presentation of the dish - how it looks - is considered to be very... Read more
The piñata often serves as a symbol of Mexico. These colorful, candy-filled stars, animals, or cartoon characters are regular features at parties, called... Read more
Thor is a "deity common to all the early Germanic peoples, a great warrior represented as a red-bearded, middle-aged man of enormous... Read more
Mittens are a staple of both wintertime and childhood imagery. Mittens are a type of glove that group four of the fingers together in a single pocket, separating only the thumb in an... Read more
During the 1400s, fishermen's wives on the English island of Jersey knitted wool garments for their husbands. Because of wool's natural oils, the garments kept the men warm even in... Read more
The hammer is one of the oldest tools in existence. Archaeologists have discovered stone hammers that are thousands of years old... Read more
Golf is a popular sport in which players strike a ball with a club. The object of the game is to get the ball into a series of holes while making as few strokes... Read more
A lantern is a device that has been around for millennia. The term lantern describes any case used to contain a lamp, thereby protecting the lamp from the... Read more
Stairs go by many names. Depending on where you are from, you may refer to them as a stairwell, a staircase, a stairway, or a flight of stairs... Read more
A scarf is a piece of fabric worn around the neck or head. Scarves are an ancient garment, and they aren't just for girls... Read more
Many modern artforms strive for a three-dimensional appearance. What does it mean to be 3D? An image is considered 3D when it appears to have depth - just as we view truly three-dimensional objects in... Read more
What is an impossible object? Also called impossible figures or undecidable figures, these drawings are a type of optical illusion. The two-dimensional figure appears three-dimensional, yet the geometry is unlike... Read more
Impossible stairs - also called Penrose stairs, Penrose steps, continuous staircase, or the impossible staircase - is a type of optical illusion called an impossible object. The illusion is created as the brain tries to perceive the two dimensional drawing as a... Read more
The word cookie comes from a Dutch word meaning "little cake." Cookies are generally flat sweet pastries. Outside of North America, cookies are often called... Read more
What is an impossible object? Impossible objects, such as this impossible heart, are optical illusions. Our brains are programmed to interpret two-dimensional drawings such as this one as... Read more
What is an impossible object? Also called impossible figures or undecidable figures, these objects are two-dimensional drawings that create an optical illusion... Read more
The impossible trident, also called the impossible fork, blivet, or devil's tuning fork, is a type of impossible object... Read more
The impossible square is a type of impossible object, also known as an impossible figure or undecidable figure. It is a type of optical illusion in which a three-dimensional drawing is interpreted by the eyes and brain as a... Read more
What is an impossible cube? Also called an irrational cube, this optical illusion was created by Dutch artist M. C. Escher in 1958. His lithograph print Belvedere depicts a building, based on the impossible cube, that seems to defy the laws... Read more