Master Violinist Goes Unrecognized

Joshua Bell emerged from the Metro and positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket. By most measures, he was nondescript—a youngish ...

Boy Skips National Spelling Bee for God

Elliot Huck, a 14-year-old from Bloomington, Indiana, decided to skip a preliminary to the National Spelling Bee. Though he placed 45th out of more than ...

Superpower Fantasies

The top single superpower adults would most like to have:

To read minds: 28 percent To fly: 15 percent To be invisible: 11 percent To possess super ...

Alonzo Mourning Relishes Second Chance

Alonzo Mourning terrorized and dominated many opponents in the National Basketball Association during most of the 1990s. Then Mourning was diagnosed with ...

German Long Jumper Refuses Gold Medal

On March 5, 2005, German long jumper Bianca Kappler created a stir in the world of indoor track and field. Plaudits abounded for Kappler on that day, ...

Arthur Rubenstein Linked Attitude to Ability

"You cannot play the piano well unless you are singing within you."

—Concert pianist Arthur Rubenstein (1887–1982)

Rembrandt's Vision Defect Enhanced His Ability

Researchers suggest that the 17th-century Dutch master Rembrandt may have suffered from a vision condition that contributed to his success. After analyzing ...

Counterfeiter Misused Artistic Talents

As a counterfeiter, Emanuel Ninger is legendary. When arrested on March 28, 1896, The New York Times reported that a search of the suspect turned up $244.25 ...

Stradivari's Skill Is a Mystery

Perhaps the greatest of all Stradivarius mysteries is why no modern violinmaker has been able to replicate Stradivari's work. The violins of Stradivari's ...

Charles Simeon's Long-Term Leadership

Even before finishing his degree, and still lacking pastoral experience, Charles Simeon put his name forward for the pastorate of Cambridge's Holy ...