Cover of "Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village" by Ronald Blythe

The Re-Release of a Classic

A new American edition of Ronald Blythe's Akenfield reminds us why it became one of the founding texts of oral history.
George Costanza

Renegade and Folk Hero: The Lasting Appeal of George Costanza

Seinfeld's George Costanza holds a strange place in culture. He's loved, but unlovable. At the heart of that contradiction is his status as folk hero.
Photo credit: Migrants standing in line to embark CASTEL VERDE at a wharf in Trieste, Italy before departing for Australia, 1953-1954. (Australian National Maritime Museum)

Climate Change and Migration

Multiple research bodies show how climate change and natural disasters cause migration and refugees crises.
George Kennan 1885

The American Who Exposed the Tsar

American supporters of revolutionaries in Russia in the late 19th century contributed to the downfall of the Tsarism.
Fish Stick

The Ocean’s Hot Dog: The Strange History of Fish Sticks

Fish sticks fulfilled the need to repackage an abundance of frozen fillets. But did they become a consumer staple?
Charles Hatfield, the rainmaker, checking some equipment. (Copyright Bettmann/Corbis / AP Images)

When San Diego Hired a Rainmaker a Century Ago, It Poured

After Charles Hatfield began his work to wring water from the skies, San Diego experienced its wettest period in recorded history.
Frank Sinatra was arrested when he was 19 years old for the crime of "seduction" in New Jersey.

Frank Sinatra’s Radical Past

On the occaision of Frank Sinatra's centennial, we look into his radical past.
Devo onstage in their trademark bright yellow costumes.

Devo’s Brilliant Use of Irony

The New Wave band Devo mocked the music industry from within.
North American Nebula

The Search For Antimatter

Physicists, in recent years, have been trying to find evidence of antimatter in the universe. Its existence could overturn the Big Bang theory.
Antique illustration of northern crested newt (Triturus cristatus)

The Age of Amphibians

Tracing the remarkable diversity of the early amphibians, creatures that spanned the globe and preceded the age of dinosaurs.