Smelly Science, Gross Bread, and Whale Life
Well-researched stories from Smithsonian Magazine, Public Books, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
The True Story of Grizzly Adams
In order to invent a legendary hero of the Wild West, John Adams shook himself free from his life as shoemaker in Massachusetts.
The Fashion of the Salvation Army
Regulated dress promoted unity with the organization and distanced members, especially women, from both secular life and conventional Protestantism.
Falling Cats, Favela Life, and Brain Magic
Well-researched stories from Sapiens, Psyche, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
African Swimmers in American Waters
Although most enslaved people worked in the fields, captive workers with strong swimming and diving skills were also exploited by plantation owners.
Did Photography Really Kill Portrait Painting?
While some viewed photography as a competitor for their customers, Dutch portrait painters reaped the benefits of the emerging medium.
Australian Mammals, Dry Rivers, and Upending Settler Colonialism
Well-researched stories from Yale Environment 360, Public Books, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Priests and Cars in Milwaukee
The popularity of the car reshaped Catholicism in the city, forcing churches to adapt their worship practices to attract newly mobile parishioners.
Street Harassment in Victorian London
Middle- and upper-class women complained about “so-called gentlemen” who stared at them, blocked their paths, and followed them as they tried to shop.
Cell Shapes, “Poet Voice,” and Learning to Read
Well-researched stories from Aeon, Atlas Obscura, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.