toy train

Why We Give Children Toys for Christmas

Giving children toys for Christmas first became a thing in early nineteenth century England.
Anders Celsius

The Legacy of Anders Celsius

Happy birthday, Anders Celsius! The astronomer and geographer was born on November 27th, 1701, in Uppsala, Sweden. Most ...
Kirchner, Berlin Street Scene

The Weimar Republic: Gone But Not Forgotten

The Weimar Republic is famous for failing, but considering its turmoil and crisis, it's surprising how long it actually lasted.
Wounded Knee march

Remembering Wounded Knee at Standing Rock

Have you been wondering about the history of Standing Rock protests and the American Indian Movement? Learn why and how we “Remember Wounded Knee.”
The Simpsons

“The Simpsons”: More Than Just a Cartoon

"The Simpsons" is the longest-running scripted series in television history, full of canny satire and the occasional prophecy.
A panda chewing on a stalk of bamboo

Why Do Pandas Have Thumbs?

Some panda species have strange thumb-like appendages, but their thumbs evolved for strikingly different reasons.
Hasty Pudding

Hasty Pudding: The Original American Comfort Food

Puddings can be surprisingly nationalistic.
Double exposure image of woman, imagination concept

Synesthetic Adjectives Will Make You Eat Your Words

Fragrant. Sweet. Tangy. Certain synesthetic adjectives actually trigger cognitive simulations of eating.
Black Sea Shipwreck

A Black Sea Shipwreck Trove

A remarkable discovery has been made in the Black Sea: 42 extremely well-preserved ships spanning a millennia from the ninth to the nineteenth century CE.
Still Life

Thanksgiving Is a Feast of Things Forgotten

Thanksgiving is a feast so complex and semiotically dense that things are very often forgotten and rarely go according to plan.