American sculptor Alexander Calder in a studio surrounded by his work, c. 1955

Alexander Calder, Sculptor

Calder was known for both his delicately balanced kinetic sculptures and the massive steel abstractions he designed for public squares around the world.
Peer review illustration

The History of Peer Review Is More Interesting Than You Think

The term “peer review” was coined in the 1970s, but the referee principle is usually assumed to be as old as the scientific enterprise itself. (It isn’t.)
A colorized photograph of Abraham Lincoln in February of 1865

Abraham Lincoln’s Labor Theory of Value

Abraham Lincoln was no Marxist, but his ideas about the relationship of labor and capital mirrored Marx’s in some ways—albeit with a rural American flavor.

Brunei: A Tale of Soil and Oil

With an economy based almost exclusively on the oil industry, Brunei offers its citizens a high standard of living—but it comes with limitations.
A Ford crash test dummy is shown at the Crash Barrier Dearborn Development Center March 10, 2014 in Dearborn, Michigan.

Designing the Dummies

The science behind using crash test dummies to determine the effects of car crashes on the human body only dates to the 1960s.
From the Chaozhou Museum, a branch of The Overseas Chinese History Museum of China

Going Postal at the Qiaopiju

The Chinese Qiaopiju, or “overseas letter offices,” lasted for a century, ending only when the foreign governments implemented anti-communist banking controls.
Digital generated image of futuristic cubes connecting.

Why Architects Need Philosophy to Guide the AI Design Revolution

Architecture in the age of AI—argues professor Nayef Al-Rodhan—should embed philosophical inquiry in its transdisciplinary toolkit.
An image of Sonya Pritzker beside the cover of her book, Learning to Love

Inside China’s Psychoboom

In Learning to Love, linguistic and medical anthropologist Sonya Pritzker examines the efficacy of group therapy in contemporary China.
A magazine stand on a subway platform in New York City, 1974

The Numbers vs. the Lottery

Between the 1960s and 1980s, state governments created lotteries to supplant illegal gambling operations that brought revenue to marginalized communities.
A plate with mashed potatoes, tomato, asparagus, and a blue steak

How Do You Like Your Steak? Rare, Medium, or Bright Blue?

In 1973, an experiment with dyed food and colorful lights had participants vomiting up their half-finished meals. But did it really happen?