Public Baths

Public Baths Were Meant to Uplift the Poor

In Progressive-Era New York, a now-forgotten trend of public bathhouses was introduced in order to cleanse the unwashed masses.
NOAA image of Irma Jose and Katia

Is This Triple-Hurricane Image the Sign of the New Norm?

There are currently three hurricanes swirling over the Atlantic Ocean, and meteorologists are saying they have never seen anything like.
Victorian era dog

The Victorian Debate Over Rabies

Rabies began a contentious debate between Victorian pet owners and veterinary experts about how to regulate dog health. Rough.
New River Gorge Bridge

Why There’s A West Virginia

West Virginia declared its independence from the secessionist state of Virginia in the middle of the Civil War and became the 35th state.
dehydration and climate change

Climate Change is Turning Dehydration into a Deadly Epidemic

A mysterious kidney disease is striking down laborers across the world and climate change is making it worse. Meet the doctors who are trying to stop it.
Cairo street scene

Is it Smart To Cut Foreign Aid Because of Human Rights Abuses?

Recently, the US denied Egypt nearly $96 million in international aid, as chastisement for the country's abysmal human rights record.
Prince Rupert Drops

Prince Rupert’s Drops of Mystery

400 years of trying to solve the mystery of Prince Rupert's Drops, bizarrely hard beads of glass that have long captivated scientists.
Natchitoches meat pies

How Delicious Meat Pies Put Natchitoches on the Map

The Natchitoches meat pie, a crimped half moon hiding a pocket of spiced meat, exemplifies “culinary place making."
Derek Bentley

Sentenced to Death (and Other Tales from the Dark Side of Language)

One cold morning in 1953, Derek Bentley, a nineteen-year-old youth in the wrong place with the wrong words, was hanged for a murder he did not commit.
Nogales Arizona Mexico

The Case for Open Borders

Is a world without borders an idea so crazy it just might work? Scholars weigh in on how open borders might solve the world's immigration problem.