How to Summon Spirits
The Spiritualist, a newspaper published from 1869-1882, is filled with tales of supernatural phenomena and tips for communicating with the dead.
Coping with Climate Anxiety
A psychologist suggests ways of giving young people hope for the future of the planet—and themselves.
Mexico’s First Liberated City Commemorates Its Founding
The City of Yanga was founded after a group of enslaved Africans, led by Gaspar Yanga, rebelled against colonial rule.
Plant of the Month: Jackfruit
The newly hot alternative to meat has a long history.
The Rise and Fall of the Liberty Cap
What happened to the revolutionary headgear that symbolized freedom from enslavement? Meet the sectional politics of the early republic.
Upsides of Horror, Census Trouble, and Unmanly Drinking
Well-researched stories from Aeon, Nursing Clio, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Why Mystery Fiction Is So Engaging
Tracking down the killer appeal of the hit show Only Murders in the Building.
Do Vampires Really Exist?
And how would we know? Let's ask the Enlightenment.
Wang Wei, Poet of Buddhist Emptiness
Focusing almost exclusively on nature, the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei expressed the philosophy of the Chan school.
What’s in the Box? The Art of Reliquaries
The cult of relics dates back to the second and third centuries, when Christian martyrs were often killed in ways that fragmented the body.