How to Get People to Vote
In United States midterm elections, it is common for as few as 40% of eligible adults to vote. Why it matters, and some possible solutions.
The Curious Voyage of HMS Endeavour
Captain James Cook had secret orders to to search for a predicted Southern Continent. He ended up claiming New Zealand and part of Australia for the U.K.
There’s Someone Buried under the Floor!
The story of a building that will not stand until a living human being is imprisoned in its foundations is so common as to form it own genre.
The Invisible Struggles of the Civil War’s Veterans
Many Civil War veterans like Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain came out of combat with injuries and lasting disabilities that no one could see.
The Case for Lowering the Voting Age
If the standard we hold for who can vote is the consent of the governed, why shouldn’t children be included?
The Anthropology of the Office Email
Researchers learn a lot from studying office workers' email. But the question remains: do they learn more about the people, or about the medium itself?
Has the Internet Weakened Our Political Institutions?
According to our columnist, the internet has destabilized many of the informal institutions that underpin our democracy.
How Victorian Mansions Became the Default Haunted House
Quick: Picture a haunted house. It's probably a Victorian mansion, right? Here's how these structures became signifiers of horror, haunting, and death.
Angry Women, Captive Jaguars, and Brainy Catholics
Well-researched stories from the New Yorker, Pacific Standard Magazine, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
When Artists Painted with Real Mummies
The popular paint pigment called “mummy brown” used to be made from—yep—ground-up Egyptian mummies.