Newspaper clipping about the Haymarket Riot from Harpers Weekly, 1887

Demonizing Immigrants in the 1880s

American newspapers portrayed members of immigrant groups as potential anarchists, linking the ideology to other anxieties and stereotypes about foreigners.
James R. Schlesinger, 1973

Politicizing Intelligence: Nixon’s Man at the CIA

James R. Schlesinger was only head of the CIA for six months, but he nevertheless ranks as the least popular director in the agency’s history.
A man stands alone at a party

What Did the COVID Pandemic Do to Our Minds?

The pandemic’s transformation of daily lives around the world led to a loss of the bodily feeling of social trust across entire communities at once.
Policia Nacional Civil de Guatemala, 2024

Police Misconduct and State Legitimacy in Central America

In countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, police corruption and misconduct have eroded public support for the political order.
Two black holes merge into one

Lite Intermediate Black Holes

Meet the supermassive black hole’s smaller, much more mysterious cousin.
In this aerial view the 'Sycamore Gap' tree on Hadrian's Wall lies on the ground leaving behind only a stump in the spot it once proudly stood, on September 28, 2023 northeast of Haltwhistle, England. The tree, which was apparently felled overnight, was one of the UK's most photographed and appeared in the 1991 Kevin Costner film "Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves."

An Untimely Death at Sycamore Gap

The outcry over the violent felling of a beloved tree in 2023 affirms the power trees hold in our cultural memory.
Scene of Three Witches from Shakespeare's Macbeth by George Cattermole, 1840

King James I and the Macbeth Witches

The ever-pragmatic Shakespeare added witches to the Scottish play to please his new patron, King James I of England.
Jane Murfin with Strongheart, 1922

A Canine Star, Micrometeorites, and Superconsciousness

Well-researched stories from Smithsonian Magazine, Eos, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbul, 1792

Hamilton’s Real Immigration Story

The popular musical poses Alexander Hamilton as a symbol of the value of immigrants brought to America, but over time, his party became increasingly xenophobic.
Activists during the Solidarity Day march in protest at President Reagan's economic and social policies in Washington DC, 1981.

Moral Economy and the Causes of Wage Inequality

How important are labor unions for combating wage inequality in the United States?