The Early American Origins of Political Terms
What does stump speech and pork barrel mean? A short lexicon of American political terms.
The Origin of Quarantine
Such forms of enforced isolation are referenced as far back as the Old Testament, while the word "quarantine" itself dates to the late medieval Plague.
Laika: The First Earthling in Space
The first Earthling was Laika, a Russian mongrel found on the streets of Moscow.
Remembering and Representing Alan Turing
A 1955 obituary of Turing from the Royal Society is fascinating for what it leaves out of the first draft of history.
Long-Distance Migration: Everybody’s Doing It
The birds do it. The butterflies do it. And now we know that the dragonflies do to it, too: long-distance migration.
Melville Reborn, Again and Again
A scholar traces Herman Melville's reputation in American and British literary circles.