Artifacts from a 19th century American brothel

What Reformers Learned When They Visited 1830s Brothels

Middle class members of the New York Female Moral Reform Society visited brothels to save women from sin. What they actually encountered surprised them.
A teacup meant to symbolize Brexit.

The Many Metaphors of Brexit

How do metaphors shape political perceptions? And what do they mean for the future of Europe?
A stack of books by Virginia Woolf

Was Modernism Meant to Keep the Working Classes Out?

In the 19th century, more working class readers started partaking in contemporary fiction. Modernist literature, however, was specifically not for them.
An Australian fur seal pup.

Give These Adorable Seals More Privacy!

When viewing boats come too close, seals and their pups stampede into the water. Scientists say it exhausts the animals.
A dog wearing sunglasses.

Animal Actors, Kids’ Jokes, and Pickup Artists

Well-researched stories from Vox, NPR, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
A flood in St Mark's Square in Venice

Our Sinking Cities

From Venice to Tehran to Shanghai, many cities are steadily sinking into the earth. There might not be any way to stop it.
Alan Watts

When Buddhism Came to America

Buddhism was embraced by the Beats of 1950s America. But some Buddhists felt these converts were engaging with the practice in a shallow way.
Samuel Beckett

Samuel Beckett and the Theatre of Resistance

The dark, absurdist humor of Samuel Beckett's work was directly informed by his time in the French Resistance during World War II.
Student with practice baby at Cornell University

When Home Ec Classes Borrowed Babies

In the early-to-mid 20th century, foster children in Canada and elsewhere were placed in practice homes and cared for by home economics students.
A piece of polished amber

Facts and Fancies About Amber

It's taken scientists a long time to figure out what amber is made of, and what we can learn from it.