Duncan Hines, Cake Mix Maker Extraordinaire
Duncan Hines was not created by a marketing department. Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1880, he became an amateur restaurant critic.
Edith Stein, the Jewish Woman Who Became a Catholic Saint
In 1998, Pope John Paul II made one of his most contentious canonizations, elevating a Jewish woman named Edith Stein to the status of saint.
The Healthcare Wars of 1920s Harlem
In the 1920s, Harlem’s population was growing quickly. A wide variety of “magico-religious workers” emerged to respond to the community’s needs.
Ancient Maps Are Mirrors for the Ancient Psyche
The Book of Curiosities of the Sciences, and Marvels for the Eyes, an eleventh-century Arabic geography, is still a wonder.
Alice Roosevelt: The Original First Kid
Alice Roosevelt set the tone for a more public first kid and laid the foundation for post-White-House activism like Chelsea Clinton’s.
What Star Trek: Discovery Can Tell Us About Tech and Social Progress
What makes Star Trek essential for any contemporary tech user is its role in helping us understand our relationship to technology.
Suggested Readings: Hurricanes, genetic testing, and the foods we hate
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.
What Makes Fish Swim Fast
How do fish swim? Having fins and tails help, But it takes more than that to be fast and avoid danger. Diving into fish physics.
What Does It Mean to Own an Animal?
Those who view animals as property misunderstand the nature of property, a legal scholar suggests.
After the Hurricanes, Who Cleans Up The Caribbean?
The Caribbean islands' plights have been reminders that despite their small size, overseas territories can be a big responsibility for governments abroad.