I Spent Three Hours Staring at an Anthill
And all I got were these fascinating observations of parasitic ants that kidnap other ants.
Antibiotics Are Getting into Everything
How does a wild dolphin end up resistant to antibiotics?
Following Haajar’s Footsteps to a Feminist Reading of Islam
A personal experience with the Hajj brought to life the iconic figure of Haajar, whose tenacity and stoicism highlight the importance of women in Islam.
The Offensive Joke Trap
The audience for a joke has options. They can “support” a joke—for example by laughing at it—or they can respond with “unlaughter."
The Origins of the Word “Barbecue”
The skinny on the Q.
A Roman Feast… of Death!
The banquet hall was painted black from ceiling to floor. By the pale flicker of grave lamps, the invited senators coud make out a row of tombstones.
The Allure of the Millionaire Family Drama
The reason we put aside our personal dislike of rich TV families, people we might deeply resent if they were real, is two-fold.
How Much Carbon Will It Cost to Read This Story?
Just how significant is the internet’s carbon footprint?
Why MLK Believed Jazz Was the Perfect Soundtrack for Civil Rights
Jazz, King declared, was the ability to take the “hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.”
What We Lose When We Lose Indigenous Knowledge
By mistaking a culture’s history for fantasy, or by disrespecting the wealth of Indigenous knowledge, we're keeping up a Columbian, colonial tradition.