Looming Impeachment, Cheap DNA, and Emoji Linguistics
Well-researched stories from NPR, Public Books, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Volcanic Ecosystems in the Deep Ocean
Undersea volcanoes, like Hawaii's Kīlauea, foster diverse ecosystems in an environment far from sunlight—and as acidic as lemon juice.
Can American Expansion Continue Indefinitely?
Or will continued abundance require serious changes in consumer behavior?
The Rise and Fall of the Pet Bird
Pet birds were considered ideal role models for middle-class life.
Branding the Breast Cancer Narrative
Do those ubiquitous pink ribbons stand for women’s health concerns... or for normative concepts of beauty?
The “Downton Effect” on the English Country House Tour
The show Downton Abbey spurred a renewed interest in English country estates.
The Jim Crow Roots of the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Relationship
Americans started pouring into Saudi Arabia in the 1940s to develop the oil fields. They brought their ideas about segregation with them.
The Race to Name New Species
Habitats are being destroyed so rapidly that species can go extinct before they are even named.
Burn This Book!
Li Zhi’s exasperation with the corruption, greed, and superficiality of the powerbrokers in his society fueled his rebellious writing.
T.S. Eliot
Remembering the famous modernist poet T.S. Eliot with his poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock."