After the Lava Stops
When volcanos erupt, the type and location of the lava determines what habitat will develop after it stops flowing.
Henrietta Lacks, Immortalized
Henrietta Lacks's "immortal" cell line, called "HeLa," is used in everything from cancer treatments to vaccines. A new portrait memorializes her.
Lesbianism (!) at the Convent
Mother Superior Benedetta Carlini, a visionary nun of Renaissance Italy, was accused of heresy and “female sodomy.”
The Bright Future of Bangladesh: Researching The Storm
An interview with Arif Anwar, whose debut novel covers sixty years of Bengali history in five love stories.
Can Consumer Groups Be Radical?
Historian Lawrence Glickman looked at the consumer movements of the 1930s to find out.
Alligators on Beaches May Become the Norm
As conservation efforts succeed, wolves, leopards, alligators, and other predators colonize new lands.
Amazon’s Mechanical Turk has Reinvented Research
Online services like Amazon's "Mechanical Turk" have ushered in a golden age in survey research. But is it ethical for researchers to use them?
How Female Singer-Songwriters Taught Us to Love in the 70s
Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon offered a way to imagine more modern ideals of romance and sexual relationships.
Crab Blood, Queer London, and Kidnappings
Well-researched stories from the Atlantic, Longreads, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Black Youths Aren’t Broken
The graduation rate gap between black and white kids is a major issue. One organization emphasizes social identity, media literacy, and youth development in redressing the problem.