Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and former Russian President Boris Yeltsin attend an inauguration ceremony for Putin May 7, 2000 in the Kremlin in Moscow.

Russia and the Soviet Union: A Syllabus of Background Readings

These readings from our archive provide context for the developing conflict in Ukraine.
J.P. Ball's Great Daguerrian Gallery of the West

Introducing “Archives Unbound”

In her new column, Dorothy Berry offers an inside look at the work of the digital archivist, while highlighting forgotten figures in Black print culture and public life.
The radioactive plume from the bomb dropped on Nagasaki City, as seen from 9.6 km away, in Koyagi-jima, Japan, August 9, 1945.

Hiding The Radiation of the Atomic Bombs

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U.S. came with censorship and obfuscation about the effects of the radiation on those who were exposed.
blue aerial view of Chicago streets with red flashes that indicate gun shots

What Happens When Police Use AI to Predict and Prevent Crime?

With the dawn of artificial intelligence, a slew of new machine learning tools promise to help protect us with data.
Cretan rockrose

Plant of the Month: Cretan Rockrose

Cretan rockrose has been used as a medicine for millennia. Its unusual harvesting methods were documented by the ancient historian Herodotus.
Freedmans Village near Arlington Hights, Va., July 10th, 1865.

The Long Afterlife of Freedman’s Village

Freedman's Village, created in Arlington, VA at the end of the Civil War, became a thriving community of Black residents as part of Reconstruction.
A person meditating in the snow

Life in the Cold, New Not-Normals, and Weird Numbers

Well-researched stories from The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Four Immortals Saluting Longevity. T

The Trouble with Immortality

Stories about immortality are present in many cultures throughout time. How cultures perceive immortality—as a blessing or a curse—can differ widely.
Flaring off gas at the Flotta oil terminal on the Island of Flotta in the Orkney's Scotland

Marketed as Natural, this Gas is Complicated

The substitution of natural gas for coal is not a simple matter. The same concerns about climate and environment remain, along with new impacts.
A cafeteria in Reeves County Detention Complex, Pecos, Texas

The Surprising Answer to Who Eats Kosher in Prison

24,000 incarcerated people in the U.S. eat kosher meals. Even some neonazis. Why?