How Global Warming Is Threatening Genetic Diversity
The meltwater stonefly, an insect on the leading edge of climate change, is in danger because its frigid mountain habitat is rapidly disappearing.
Power, Resistance, and Katy Perry’s Hair
It's not just Katy Perry's "breakup haircut." A woman's hair is always symbolic of something, whether it's an attitude towards femininity or a power play.
The Craziest Ways Animals Escape Their Predators
From shedding skin to making slime to shooting blood out of their eyes, these animals have defense mechanisms that are convincing, to say the least.
Elizabeth Bishop
Exploring the text and subtext of Elizabeth Bishop's poems, inspired by a new biography called Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast.
The History of Outlawing Abortion in America
Abortion was first criminalized in the U.S. in the mid-19th century. A key argument was that too many white women were ending their pregnancies.
How World’s Fairs Helped Train Southern Suffragists
There’s no cultural touchstone quite like an exhibition or fair—think the Great Exhibition of 1851, which introduced the ...
Does the U.S. Need a Department of Education?
The U.S. Department of Education has been controversial since President Jimmy Carter started it in 1979. Now many are wondering if it needs to exist.
The Candid Appeal of the Advertising Show Card
A hand-painted show card evokes a certain nostalgia and humanity that machine-made signs can never arouse: It suggests honesty.
How to Bathe Like a 18th-Century Queen
18th-century bathing was controversial. Some argued bathing was healthy, while others argued it could damage one's health.
How Tech Companies Got In the White House
What role will technology companies—and tech CEOS—play in Donald Trump's White House?