Indigenous Kings in Londontown
In 1710, Queen Anne of England feted four Native American dignitaries—would-be political allies. Their presence at a performance of Macbeth caused a stir.
What Skulls Told Us
The pseudoscience phrenology swept the popular imagination, and its practitioners made a mint preying on prejudices, gullibility, and misinformation.
Chimpanzees, End Times, and the Letter R
Well-researched stories from Sapiens, Black Perspectives, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me
Rock and R&B have been considered separate genres for decades. But why?
Humans As Drivers of Evolution
“Anthropogenic,” meaning of human causes, is generally used to refer to climate change. But it also covers the powerful evolutionary force that is humanity.
Hidden Charms
Why is there a shoe in your wall?
Marianne Moore: Master Mentor
A widely published poet with deep editorial experience, Moore turned out to be the perfect mentor for a Vassar student named Elizabeth Bishop
Book Thieves Take the Story and Run with It
Book theft: the books may be rare, but the crime is not.
When Gravity Sucked, According to the Plutocrats
After Einstein’s general theory of relativity was proven during a 1919 solar eclipse, quantum and nuclear physics pushed it aside to hog the limelight.
Know This About Net Zero
The term "net zero" remains ill-defined among the public. So what is it? Why is it necessary, and how does it fall short of solving all our climate woes?