How Basquiat Used His Surroundings as a Canvas
Jean-Michel Basquiat created art that commented on New York City, while also contributing to its architecture and style.
Root Canals, Cargo Cults, and Laser Mapping Notre Dame
Well-researched stories from Topic, Scientific American, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Five Steps to Making Your Garden a Carbon Sink
If the 81 million U.S. households with yards adopt these practices, they could absorb more carbon and help combat climate change.
What’s Wrong with Planet Earth?
According to one critic, the BBC documentary inspired more appreciation for HD television than it did for engaged environmentalism.
How Harmonicas Came to America
Harmonicas were invented in Europe in the 1820s as an aid for tuning pianos, but they didn't really take off until they crossed the Atlantic.
Why Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue” Is So Beloved
A music scholar suggests that Miles Davis combined the blues with the musical avant garde in a manner reflecting the integrationist spirit of the era.
The New Legacy of Casimir Pulaski
New findings reveal that the Polish war officer who aided the American Revolution may have been intersex.
Seeing Black Holes
Two of the scientists on the huge team that eventually captured the world's first image of a black hole discuss the particular challenges of the task.
Sudan’s Revolution and the Geopolitics of Human Rights
Sudan's former president Omar al-Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide. Why isn't he on trial?
Why Did the Victorians Harbor Warm Feelings for Leeches?
Medical authorities wrote about leeches as if they sucked blood out of the goodness of their hearts.