The Benin Bronzes and the Cultural History of Museums
What an 1897 exhibition at the British Museum can tell us about how African artworks were perceived in an era of imperialism.
Reliving the Wonder Years of Wonder Bread
This story is as enriching as the added nutrients in the legendary white bread.
Chien-Shiung Wu, the First Lady of Physics
Chien-Shiung Wu disproved a fundamental law of physics—a stunning achievement that helped earn her male colleagues (but not her) a Nobel Prize.
How Tribute Bands Celebrate Music History
They're not just cheese! For some people, seeing a band play note-for-note covers of classic songs goes beyond nostalgia.
Settlements and the Israel-Palestine Conflict: Background Reading
Scholarship about Israeli settlement in occupied Palestinian territories provides historical context for recent violence in the region.
The Truth about Lying
You can’t spot a liar just by looking, but psychologists are zeroing in on methods that might actually work.
Who Killed the Recumbent Bicycle?
How a dominant technology became viewed as the only option, with no need for better-designed competitors.
Airborne Viruses, Summer School, and Richard Wright
Well-researched stories from Wired, Vox, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Sergei Eisenstein and the Haitian Revolution
Why was the legendary Soviet filmmaker rebuffed in his vision of putting history's most consequential slave revolt on screen?
The Fancy Concerts of the Paris Commune
To the barricades! And then...to the opera!