Cabinet of Curiosities
The Tangled History of Weaving with Spider Silk
Spider silk is as strong as steel and as light as a feather, but attempts to industrialize its production have gotten stuck, so to speak.
Suggested Readings
Real Placebos, Brutal Progress, and Paleolithic Myths
Well-researched stories from Longreads, The Atlantic, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Lingua Obscura
The Hidden Life of Modal Verbs
A linguist explains why we get so distracted by the fiery language of politics, while ignoring urgent information reported by scientists.
Roundup
Thanksgiving Stories
Americans are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, the middle entry in the Halloween-Thanksgiving-Winter holidays trifecta. Plate up with some ...
Most Recent
How Masks of Mutilated WWI Soldiers Haunted Postwar Culture
In the age before plastic surgery, masks were the best option for veterans with faces scarred by war. The end results, however, were somewhat uncanny.
The Pros (And Cons) of Probiotics
Probiotics are a hot topic--and big business--these days. But do they really work?
Gender Identity in Weimar Germany
Remembering an early academic effort to define sexual orientation and gender identity as variable natural phenomena, rather than moral matters.
The New Meaning of Monuments
Huge monuments to national pride are regaining popularity. One scholar suggests this might also indicate a larger cultural shift.
