In Defense of the Humanities
Why studying literature and philosophy remains essential in a world increasingly focused on career-ready skills.
Why Ancient Doctors Prescribed Disgusting Remedies
Greek and Roman physicians used bodily waste to treat illness. The disgust it inspired may have been part of the appeal.
How to Cite Sources on JSTOR
Not sure how to format your references? Learn how to use JSTOR’s citation tool and avoid common mistakes.
The Art and Science of Disney’s Fantasia
Before Disneyland, Fantasia brought imagineering to life through an ambitious experiment in animation.
How the Phone Book Taught America to Ask for Answers
A collection of Texas directories from 1913 to 1959 shows how phone books—and the people who used them—helped invent “information” as we know it.
Why We Cringe
What makes someone else's behavior so embarrassing? The answer lies in our expectations of how people should act.
The Disappearing History of America’s Nuclear Weapons
Once a key site of Cold War arms production, Rocky Flats is now a wildlife refuge. What happened to its troubled past?
The Rise and Fall of Shanghai’s “Sing-Song Girls”
How did celebrated entertainers become associated with a profession increasingly defined by exploitation?
London’s Railway for the Dead
As London's graveyards overflowed, a private company proposed a remarkable new way to bury the dead.
How Telepathy Helped Build the Russian Internet
During the Cold War, Soviet scientists pursued an unlikely way to communicate with the outside world.