How Much Would You Pay for a Nonexistent Dress?
Not too long ago, digital-only clothing might have been decried as a scam. But our "extended selves" are increasingly invested in virtual goods.
How Local TV Made “Bad” Movies a Thing
Weekly shows on local TV stations helped make the ironic viewing of bad movies into a national pastime.
The Incredibly True Story of Fake Headlines
Are you still reading? Editors frequently use this space to include important contextual information about a news story.
Who Really Discovered How the Heart Works?
For centuries, the voice of the Greek doctor Galen, who held that blood is produced in the liver and filtered through tiny pores in the heart, went unchallenged.
What Happened to Tagging?
Tags decentralized and democratized the organization of information. What became of "social tagging?"
When and Where Did Abraham Lincoln Write the Gettysburg Address?
Theories abound. Historian William H. Lambert considers the origin of the address and the mythology surrounding its composition.
Dementia, Cancer, and Adorable Wildlife
Well-researched stories from Scientific American, Wired, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
The Lavender Scare
In 1950, the U.S. State Department fired 91 employees because they were homosexual or suspected of being homosexual.
A History of Human Waste as Fertilizer
In eighteenth century Japan, human excrement played a vital role in agriculture. Can similar solutions help manage waste today?
Sour Grapes: The Pisco War
Peru and Chile both produce the grape brandy called pisco, and they both consider it their national drink.