The Forgotten Craze of Women’s Endurance Walking
Hardy athletes called pedestriennes wowed the sporting world of the nineteenth century. They also shocked guardians of propriety.
Turtle Soup: From Class to Mass to Aghast
During the days of the British Empire, soup made from sea turtles was a delicacy. Now it's almost unheard of. What explains the change?
Early Television in the Soviet Union
Communist Party officials saw potential in the new technology in the 1950s. So did ordinary people, but not always in the same way.
The Complications of “Outlaw Country”
Johnny Cash grappled with the many facets of the outlaw archetype in his feature acting debut, Five Minutes to Live.
Did Communists Really Infiltrate American Schools?
Fears that teachers were indoctrinating kids were rampant in the 1950s. But the reality was more complicated.
How to Gather the Oral Histories of COVID-19
The Federal Writers’ Project offers vital lessons for capturing the oral histories of ordinary Americans living through the coronavirus pandemic.
AIDS, from the Perspective of “Patient Zero”
We now know a great deal about how the man who's often blamed for the AIDS epidemic saw himself and his community. That's important.
Dry Ice Will Help Keep COVID-19 Vaccines Cold
A brief history of dry ice, aka solid carbon dioxide, shows why some coronavirus vaccines will benefit from its use.
Tab Cola, Advent, and Conspiracy Theories
Well-researched stories from The Conversation, Aeon, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
What Does It Mean to Be a Matriarchy?
Using the definition that European theorists invented in the nineteenth century may not work for every society, like the Khasi.