Vaccine Hesitancy in the 1920s
As Progressive Era reforms increased the power of government, organized opposition to vaccination campaigns took on a new life.
How Oysters Became a Food Fad Way out West
Oysters in Wyoming and Arizona? In the nineteenth century? Yes, and mighty tasty too!
The Return of Hemp
Even though it's made from cannabis plants, you can't get high on hemp. But it was classified as an illicit drug for nearly 50 years.
How Do Scientists Define a Heat Wave?
It seems that every summer brings record temperatures. But there's more to a heat wave than daytime highs.
The “Stone Face” of Racism
On October 17, 1961, Parisian police attacked a group of Algerians. The event would be lost to French history until a Nazi collaborator was exposed.
The Nice Married Couple Who Inspired People to ’Shroom
In the 1950s, Gordon and Valentina Wasson encountered magic mushrooms. Then they wouldn't stop talking about them.
The Bitter Truth About Bitters
A bottle of bitters from about 1918 had significant amounts of alcohol and lead—and not a trace of the supposed active ingredient.
Fear of an Insect Planet
"Big bug movies" of the 1950s have been interpreted as projections of nuclear anxieties. But what if they were about...actual fear of bugs?
How Archaeologists Use Parasites to Track Urbanization
Historical patterns of parasitic infection show up differently depending on the class status of a neighborhood.
How Two Kansans Invented the Safari Documentary
Martin and Osa Johnson were celebrities in their day, but their vision of Africa was way out of touch with reality.