More than one self-experiment has resulted in a Nobel Prize. Against all odds, and sometimes in spite of the damage they cause, these crazy gambits pay off.

In 2004, two researchers analyzed the New York Times obit section between 1977 and 2002 in an attempt to understand how the obituary section portrayed American librarians.

Astronomers who noticed a slight blip in space's background radiation got an insight not just into the early stars but into the age and nature of the early universe.

Decades after Charles Knowlton died, his book would be credited with the reversal of population growth in England and the popularization of contraception in the United States. 

It took three more decades of Soviet rule before the archives dealing with Stalin and his times could be explored. And then the doors were shut again.

When YouTube entered the scene in 2005, it made sharing amateur entertainment both instantaneous and global.

Scientists are "digitizing" water to better manage the precious resource. What does that mean and how is it helping?

Academics are studying what makes a good company culture. These have involved everything from ranking hierarchies of needs to sociological explanations of group mentalities.

Since Donald Trump was elected, national news stories dominate our attention and our social media feeds—at the expense of local news.

Well-researched stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. Brought to you each Tuesday from the editors of JSTOR Daily.