Strange, Inglorious, Humble Things

Dorothea and Gladys Cromwell fled the constrictions of high society for the freedoms of the literary world. Ravenous for greater purpose, the twins then went to war.
A painted reed frog clambers on a small branch in Zambia

Froggie Genetics, Nature in Miniature, and Paddington Bear

Well-researched stories from Quanta Magazine, Black Perspectives, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Mothers' Crusade for Victory over Communism

Moral Panics: A Syllabus

Research-backed stories that consider how and why moral panics begin and spread, who they serve, and what becomes of them in the end.
close up of $1 US dollar banknote

Why is the US Dollar So Strong?

Not only did post-World War II policy give the United States a managerial position in the world order, it gave it an outsize role in shaping the global economy.
Tammy Kernodle and Stephanie Shonekan

The Scholars Charting Black Music’s Timeline: Tammy Kernodle & Stephanie Shonekan

Kernodle and Shonekan explore the contributions of Black Americans to classical music and the importance of music and song for social justice movements.
Laurence Harvey and Frank Sinatra in John Frankenheimer's cold war thriller 'The Manchurian Candidate', 1962.

How Films Can Teach History

By viewing movies like The Manchurian Candidate, students can see one version of history that they can then use to dig deeper, explore more.
J. Edgar Hoover, 1932

The FBI and the Madams

J. Edgar Hoover saw the political effectiveness of cracking down on elite brothel madams—but not their clients—in New York City.
The death mask of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt, circa 1960

The Discovery of King Tut’s Tomb

A century ago, a lost tomb was uncovered on the west bank of the Nile River. The scarcely studied Pharaoh Tutankhamun immediately became an icon.
Art class at the Portland, OR YMCA, 1899

Scandal at the YMCA

Troubles grew at the Portland institution when one of its older residents attempted to poison himself after being questioned by police about same-sex relations.
An illustration of a man holding his face in his hands

Is There a Cure for Information Disorder?

Researchers are concerned not only with our exposure to mis- and disinformation but with the depth of confidence people have in their inaccurate beliefs.