Scientists are Gene-Editing These Berries To Be the Next Superfood
Using CRISPR, scientists try to turn an obscure plant into the next favorite crop, groundcherries.
Human Rights, Coffee Rust, and Dead Mammals
Well-researched stories from The Conversation, 99 Percent Invisible, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
The “Queer Innocence” of the Brady Bunch
The squeaky-clean Brady Bunch family symbolized the avoidance of the sexual revolution, feminism, and other social forces that were coming to the fore.
The Key to Environmentally-Friendly Urban Planning
Manhattan and Dubai are both bustling, crowded cities with dense populations. So do Manhattanites have smaller ecological footprints?
What Does Archaeology Have to do with Nationalism?
Many nations have adopted origin stories in order to link themselves more closely to heroic, historical figures.
The Gender-Bending Style of Yankee Doodle’s Macaroni
The outlandish "macaroni" style of 18th-century England blurred the boundaries of gender, as well as class and nationality.
Why Are U.S. Borders Straight Lines?
The ever-shifting curve of shoreline and river is no match for the infinite, idealized straight line.
How to Get People to Vote
In the United States midterm elections, it is common for as few as 40% of eligible adults to vote. Why it matters, and some possible solutions.
The Curious Voyage of HMS Endeavour
Captain James Cook had secret orders to to search for a predicted Southern Continent. He ended up claiming New Zealand and part of Australia for the U.K.
There’s Someone Buried under the Floor!
The story of a building that will not stand until a living human being is imprisoned in its foundations is so common as to form it own genre.