Scientists and weather forecasters have been trying to understand tornadoes for over 100 years, but the average advanced warning is still only 14 minutes.

“Judge not, lest ye be judged” comes from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7 of the King James Bible. How has it become a harmless aphorism?

How the American Art-Union brought fine art to the people, via a subscription service, in the 1840s.

Does an increase in satellites mean we soon won’t be able to see the stars?

Is it really only dads who can tell dad jokes? And is this corny humor universal? Our linguist takes a deep dive.

Giving Stonewall too much credit misses the movement’s growing strength in the 1960s, sociologists note.

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

Found stranded on a subtropical beach, the mystery seal finally comes home to its North Atlantic waters.

"Groupthink" describes the systematic errors groups can make when facing important collective decisions. How can it be avoided?

Well-researched stories from Longreads, the New York Times, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.