The Fear That Synthesizers Would Ruin Music
A German musicologist complained in 1954 that they reminded him of "barking hell-hounds."
Robert Brandom, a Philosopher’s Philosopher
Robert Brandom’s A Spirit of Trust, a groundbreaking new book on Hegel, seeks to unite analytic philosophy with continental.
Plant of the Month: Agave
The international popularity of tequila threatens the quantity, health, and biodiversity of all species of agave.
How Medieval Surgeons Shaped Sex and Gender
Our ideas about surgically “correcting” intersex conditions go back to a shift in the profession of surgery seven centuries ago.
2030, Australia Ablaze, and Tricky Knots
Well-researched stories from NPR, The Conversation, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
The Dinosaur Bone Wars
1877 was a banner year for American dinosaurs: three major finds in the West turned the region into a "paleontologist's El Dorado."
Quiet Struggle Means Resistance without Protest
A lone resister is easy to take down, but there is safety in numbers, in conspiracies of silence, in refusals to testify against one's neighbors.
Stuck in the Midden with You
A midden is, among other things, a refuse site outside an octopus' home. (Release the Køkkenmødding!)
Poor Charleston
Letters from desperate mothers to the nation's first public orphanage.
What Does It Take to Survive Impeachment?
A look at impeachment proceedings in foreign nations sheds light on when a sitting president is likely to remain in office.