The Untold History of Lynching in the American West
In the aftermath of the Mexican-American War, people of Mexican ancestry were the target of intense racist violence.
The Woman Who Found the Earth’s Inner Core
Inge Lehmann was the seismologist and mathematician who figured out what the Earth's core was actually made of.
CRISPR Cows, Unscientific Medicine, and New Nuclear Energy
Well-researched stories from Wired, Pacific Standard, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Coexisting With Crocodiles
Conservation efforts have led to increased crocodile populations in areas like the Philippines. It's great news for the crocs. Not so much for the people.
How British Teens Blended Pop and Politics
In the 1970s, the National Front blamed immigrants for the UK's economic problems. Anti-racist groups formed in response, with the help of pop music.
Rotating Black Holes May Serve as Gentle Portals for Hyperspace Travel
Feel like visiting another star system or dimension? You can do this by traveling through a black hole.
The Inherent Drama of High Heels
How can a shoe communicate many different messages at once?
A Glimpse at Women’s Periods in the Roaring Twenties
A 1927 study by famed efficiency expert Lillian Moller Gilbreth revealed how American women dealt with menstruation -- and how they wished they could.
A Phrenologist’s Dream of an Octagon House
Orson S. Fowler thought houses without right angles would offer a better life, but his own architectural experiments did not end well.
Taking Children’s Art Seriously
Are children’s drawings meaningless scribbles or serious creative work? Western scholars and child psychologists have debated this topic for years.