Plant of the Month: Peony
Peony's effectiveness as an ancient cure translated into a tool of statecraft in the eighteenth century.
How Will a Coronavirus Vaccine Work?
Four different ways researchers use the virus's own structure to train our immune systems to exterminate it.
T. rex Physics, Lost Vegetables, and Coming Dystopias
Well-researched stories from Wired, Atlas Obscura, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Meet Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective
Fictional detectives usually reflect conservative values. But the first "lady detective" story written by a woman broke boundaries.
The Surgeons Who Said No to Gloves
In the late 1800s, doctors in German-speaking countries were having trouble agreeing on one simple thing: whether to wear gloves during surgery.
When the Truman Campaign Used a Song from an All-Black Show
"I'm Just Wild about Harry" originated with the songwriting team of Sissle and Blake and first appeared in the Broadway musical Shuffle Along.
This Is How They Wiped Themselves in Ancient Rome
A very gross but extremely informative look at the archaeology of toilet hygiene.
Bella Abzug Began Her Career as an Anti-Racist Lawyer
As an outspoken lawyer, the future congresswoman defended a Black man accused of raping a white woman.
Socially Sanctioned Love Triangles of Romantic-Era Italy
Eighteenth-century Italian noblewomen had one indispensable accessory: an extramarital lover.
The Newport Rebels and Jazz as Protest
In 1960 a group of jazz musicians organized an alternative to the Newport Jazz Festival, which they saw as too pop and too white.