A dad laughing at his own joke.

The Dubious Art of the Dad Joke

Is it really only dads who can tell dad jokes? And is this corny humor universal? Our linguist takes a deep dive.
Protestors from lesbian, gay and bisexual rights charity Stonewall, carrying a banner reading 'Lesbian & Gay Rights are Human Rights' during the Gay Pride parade in London, England, United Kingdom, 6 July 1996

The Stonewall Riots Didn’t Start the Gay Rights Movement

Giving Stonewall too much credit misses the movement’s growing strength in the 1960s, sociologists note.
Map of Warren County, KY

Maps Showed People Their Worlds

In the 19th century, most Americans weren't used to seeing maps of their communities. New forms of color lithography changed all that.
Lou-seal being released

The Seal That Flew 1000 Miles To Get Home

Found stranded on a subtropical beach, the mystery seal finally comes home to its North Atlantic waters.
Several slinkys, with one that stands out in the middle

How to Cure Groupthink

"Groupthink" describes the systematic errors groups can make when facing important collective decisions. How can it be avoided?
An Omaha Beach landing craft on D-Day

D-Day, Cricket Gourds, and Modern Lesbians

Well-researched stories from Longreads, the New York Times, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
An archerfish shooting water at a bug

The Amazing Eyes of the Archerfish

The archerfish has an unusual skill: it spits water directly at its prey, knocking the bugs out of the sky. But how?
Orphan asylum boys picking currants

When Foster Care Meant Farm Labor

Before current foster care programs were in place, Americans depended on farmers to take care of kids in exchange for hard labor.
A geometrid moth caterpillar

Camouflage Gets Weird

Some animals use chemical camouflage, even altering the way they smell in order to avoid predation.
A variety of vintage orange plastic items

The Revolutionary Past of Plastics

When plastics were first invented, they seemed to promise a utopian future.