A greater exposure to democracy leads to a higher level of self-reported happiness.

Well-researched stories from Aeon, Public Books, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.

The catastrophic eruption of Japan’s Ontake-san allowed residents to reconsider and reinvent their relationships to the mountainous landscape.

The film critic’s unconsidered observation about Doom touched off a firestorm that continues to burn for gamers and digital media critics.

In a tale with as many false identities as supposed crimes, investigative reporter Annie “Londonderry” Kopchovsky gets her man (maybe).

Periods of concurrent economic downturn and high food price inflation can exacerbate health threats for infants and children in developing countries.

An expansive collection of postcards captures the evolving cultural landscape of Southern California—particularly greater Los Angeles—in the twentieth century.

Neither supernatural forces nor Soviet censors were able to suppress individual creativity and determination.

The ornamented tools used to ensure fair market transactions also conveyed the stories and values of the Akan peoples.

The methods of Sufi meditation were regarded as secret during the early Mughal empire. Why, then, did Dara Shikoh feel the need to write them down?