Political Correctness Redux
The conservative anti-PC movement of the 1990s has its roots in a backlash against the Civil Rights movement.
The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theories boil down to a rejection of the absurdity, meaninglessness, and randomness of life and history.
Suggested Readings: Ancient Sharks, Fast Runners, and Dirty Water
Our editors pick stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. This week: microbiomes, Jamaican runners, Greenland sharks.
What Do People Think of the Insanity Defense?
John Hinckley Jr., who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has been released from the psychiatric hospital where ...
The Natural Resources You Didn’t Know You Needed
Fossil fuels might get all the attention, but a recent discovery in Tanzania is a reminder of the other, less-heralded natural resources that we use.
500 Years of Hell With Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch died 500 years ago, but we can't take our eyes off of his paintings.
When Refrigeration Was Controversial
What the ordinary egg has to do with your refrigerator.
Who Really Buys New Age Stuff?
Is the New Age Movement only for wealthy white women?
A Brief History of US Drinking
In 1770, the average colonial Americans consumed about three and a half gallons of alcohol per year, about double the modern rate.
Women Leaders on the International Front
With the real possibility of the first woman being elected president of the U.S., let's take a look at the situation around the globe.