“Meet John Doe” Shows the Darkness of American Democracy
Meet John Doe, Frank Capra’s 1941 drama, carries forward the populist themes of his other movies, only with a much darker premise.
The Case of the Thinning Eggshells
How the proliferation of pesticides like DDT almost undid the Peregrine falcon.
Why Do Governments Target Protest Masks?
The galvanizing power of the ideology behind a protest mask is a palpable thing.
The First U.S.-China Trade Deal
The Treaty of Wanghia formalized the burgeoning ties between the two countries, opening the door to new commercial and cultural exchanges.
The End of the Country Road
When “good roads” first became a political issue, rural people were decidedly not the ones advocating for them.
How Did Kashmir’s 72-Year-Old Conflict Begin?
The proposal to partition British India along religious lines was put forward as early as 1940. The resulting constitutional provision endured until 2019.
How to Carve Up a Cow, Sustainably
The industrial method of meat harvesting wastes a lot of food. Eco-conscious butchers are changing that.
What Did the Winners of the Nobel Prize in Medicine Discover?
The 2019 Nobel Prize for Medicine honors a discovery that may make it possible to prevent or even reverse the damage from cardiovascular disease.
Suicide, Sectarianism, and Short Sleepers
Well-researched stories from Aeon, NPR, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
How the Great Pumpkin Became Great
The origins of Linus's pumpkin deity, who "rises out of the pumpkin patch and flies through the air and brings toys to all the children in the world."