The Bold Future of the Outer Space Treaty
With President Trump calling for a “Space Force” and private enterprise increasingly invested in space, what of the dream of international peace?
America’s First Woman Astronomer
Maria Mitchell became famous when she discovered a comet in 1847. She didn't stop there, fighting for education and equality for women in the sciences.
New Study Finds Insects Speak in Different “Dialects”
Different fruit flies species can learn each other’s language to warn against parasitic wasps.
Meat Allergies, McCarthyism, and World Leadership
Well-researched stories from the Conversation, Atlas Obscura, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
The Pirate Creed
Examining the 18th-century social contract of Captain Bartholomew Roberts and his men shows just how organized and codified pirate societies could be.
The Horse Skulls Hidden in the Dance Floors of Ireland
Old houses in Ireland often have horse skulls buried beneath the floors, but folklorists and archaeologists disagree on exactly why.
Africa’s Mighty Baobabs
Sub-Saharan Africa's iconic baobab trees are experiencing die-offs at an alarming rate. What makes these distinctive trees so unique?
What Exactly Is Jane Austen’s Sanditon?
An unfinished, fragmentary Austen novel is being adapted for television. Can we ever know what Austen meant for this book to eventually become?
Why Europeans Have Such Long Summer Vacations
In the 1920s, politicians saw workers’ time off as a way to mold society, encouraging workers to engage in politics and patriotism during their time off.
Maroon Societies, Down Syndrome, and Food Justice
New books and scholarship from academic publishers.