JSTOR Daily Friday Reads

Marie Howe

Marie Howe has a new collection of poetry out. Get to know the beloved poet with these 7 poems, available for free PDF download.
insect in amber

Should We Worry About Ancient Pathogens Being Revived?

Accidental exposure to bacteria trapped inside a crystal is unlikely. Frozen ancient pathogens, however, are another matter.
A row of empty office cubicles.

“Deaths of Despair”: What’s Really Killing Americans

Why a large swath of middle-aged, middle-class white Americans, especially those with lower levels of education, are dying more "deaths of despair."
TRAPPIST-1 planet illustration

M-Dwarves and the Search for Life

In recent years, astronomers have broadened their search for habitable planets to include previously ignored stars like M-dwarves.
Waco compound in flames

How Religious Literacy Might Have Changed the Waco Tragedy

Religious scholars argue that the Waco raid was not justified and that with more understanding of theology, the loss of life could have been avoided.
Spam emails

Our Spam Emails, Ourselves

More money, more hair, less belly fat, better health: our spam emails expose our worries and weaknesses.
Stanley Fish

Stanley Fish’s Academic Clickbait

The “renegade” scholar Stanley Fish is really a bit dramatic.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort celebrating his company in the 2013 film, Wolf of Wall Street

Are the Rich More Selfish Than the Rest of Us?

When it comes to selfish behavior, a new study suggests rich and poor are divided more by circumstance than character.
spam emails

Why Can’t We End Spam? Ask An Economist.

Law enforcement recently took out a bot network capable of sending 1.5 billion spam emails a day. So what are the economic incentives—and costs—of spam?
JSTOR Daily Suggested Readings

Suggested Readings: Crucifixion, Distrusting Computers, and Trump Tower

Well-researched stories about the symbolism of the cross, AI you can trust, and the global gig economy.