Jef Rouner

Rice University's Synthesis X Center , in partnership with the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center , announced earlier this month the organizations would award $90,000 in seed grant funding to two projects that could help fight cancer. One would ease the pain of chemotherapy, while the other could change the way the progression of leukemia is tracked.

Childhood whimsy took a mortal blow this week as the Houston Toy Museum announced it would be closing its storefront on 19th Street at the end of August.

From a Satanic serial killer to a family trapped at home, August’s most intriguing premieres offer mystery, comedy, horror and superhero drama on Netflix, Apple TV and other streaming services.

An iconic holiday character is flying back to San Antonio's coolest event. Ice!, an immersive holiday experience featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, will return to the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in late November."Having welcomed tens of millions of guests over the years, this beloved holiday tradition continues to capture the spirit of the season, and we are proud to introduce our largest footprint to date, giving even more families the opportunity to experience how our resorts create extraordinary holiday memories," said Johann Krieger, regional vice president of Marriott International, in a release.Master artisans from Harbin, China will carve two million pounds of ice into 10 holiday scenes pulled from the 1964 stop-motion animated film Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. For those living under a rock, the classic features a reindeer bullied for his bright red nose by the other deer at the North Pole, who runs away with a would-be dentist elf named Hermey, having a variety of adventures (including meeting the Abominable Snowman) before returning to save Christmas from a fog advisory.

Saturday's festival at Houston Christian University spotlights shorts about or by filmmakers with disabilities.

The Texas landscape has inspired artists since time out of mind. Rebecca Pugh, often working with mixed media, is no exception.

A grant by Meta will help Easter Seals Greater Houston determine whether wearable smart frames make life easier for disabled Houstonians. The local nonprof

A grant from Meta will help Easter Seals Greater Houston determine whether wearable AI smart glasses improve accessibility for those with disabilities.

San Antonio-area schools start classes again as early as August 10, even if the sun insists that summer is far from over. For families, that means there are only a few precious days to cram in fond childhood memories before it’s back to worrying about fractals and Fitzgerald. Need a few ideas before the lazy, hazy days evaporate? Here are five things worth checking before the bell rings.Animal Crossing at Sea LifeSea Life at downtown’s Shops at Rivercenter has a splashy makeover thanks to Nintendo's Animal Crossing Aquarium Tour. Visitors get to pal around with costumed residents of the smash-hit video game, including Mayor Tom Nook. New aquarium signage and standups keep the illusion going.Aside from some visual additions and new gift shop loot, the Animal Crossing experience doesn't completely transform the experience, but younger fans are delighted by anything referencing the game. And besides, all Animal Crossing activities are included with general admission — and come with a free stamp card redeemable for 100 Platinum Points on your kids' (or your) Nintendo account.Zoorassic Park at the San Antonio ZooAsk any seven-year-old, and they'll tell you a primary failing of public education is that there simply aren't enough dinosaurs or Spider-men. Parents can solve the first problem by taking in Zoorassic Park at the San Antonio Zoo. For a limited time (through September 7), families will frolic with 22 different animatronic dinosaurs, including the mighty Tyrannosaurus, the Velociraptor, and Triceratops.The best news is that this exhibit is included in a general admission ticket, along with the new Congo Falls gorilla habitat. It's not every day you can cross off two Michael Crichton adventures in one day trip. And, hey, parents can sneak in a Zoogarita at Longnecks Bar & Grill.

If an event doesn't happen on Instagram, did it even really happen? In today's social media-driven age of branding and audience engagement, the answer increasingly is no.