An orange and cream lizard tilts its head and tail up

Animal Penises Can Tell Us a Lot About Evolution

There is a surprisingly large body of work regarding animal penis evolution.
Social Security cards and a sheet of budget numbers

Social Security at 75

The Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935.
Photo of Warren Hill

Sociologists Test Six Arguments For and Against Capital Punishment

The sociologists Michael Radlet and Marian Borg test out six arguments for and against capital punishment.
yellow-green image on a lake that is poisoned and polluted

The Latest Legacy of Acid Rain: Jellied Lakes

The impact of decades of acid rain (better known as acid precipitation) is causing North American lakes to turn to jelly.
Byzantine illustration from the 9th century; a robed figure is destroying an icon.

A Short Guide to Iconoclasm in Early History

In the 8th century, the Eastern or Orthodox branch of Christianity gave history the word iconoclasm, from the Greek words for "icon smashing."
A cavern in the deep ocean

Into the Challenger Deep!

Researchers surveying the deepest point on Earth, the Mariana Trench, also known as the Challenger Deep, made a number of remarkable discoveries.
Ghettoized book cover

Ghettoside: Murder & Justice in South LA

Detective Wallace “Wally” Tennelle was a rarity: a cop who actually lived in the South Los Angeles neighborhood where he worked.
Giant squid lurking in the depths of a deep, dark ocean

Squids Wearing Sweaters: What Could Be Better?

Three jumbo squids found themselves wearing fancy "sweaters" recently, thanks to a team of scientists from Stanford and the National Geographic Society
A waitress serves patrons at an upscale restaurant

What is Emotional Labor Worth?

Emotional labor is a concept that sociologist Arlie Hochschild developed in the 1983 book The Managed Heart.
Older covered circuit board

AT&T: Birth of the First Social Network

The first transcontinental telephone call was put through on January 25, 1915.