Athanasius Kircher’s “Musical Ark”
The first algorithmically generated music came to us in the seventeenth century, courtesy of Kircher and his Arca musarithmica.
The Invention of the Gifted Child
The National Defense Education Act of 1958 meshed with white anxiety about the desegregation of schools.
A Boatload of Knowledge for New Harmony
Leaders of the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences voyaged down the Ohio River in 1825–1826, taking academic education on a journey in search of utopia.
Digital Ethnography: An Introduction to Theory and Practice
The rise of the internet age and digital spaces has created a whole new world for ethnographic investigation.
The Existentialism of Style vs. Substance
Camus, Sartre, and Beauvoir were misread, misunderstood, and misperceived by English-speaking readers due to interventions of publishers and editors.
Reaching New Spiritual Heights Through Hula Hooping
The post-World War II hula hooping craze is back...and this time it's got religion.
Artificial Intelligence and Education: A Reading List
A bibliography to help educators prepare students and themselves for a future shaped by AI—with all its opportunities and drawbacks.
Yelp and the Quest for Authentic Cuisines
How do affluent urban diners judge the “authenticity” of an eatery? By relying on certain stereotypes, if their Yelp reviews are anything to go by.
Teaching Barbie: Scholarly Readings to Inspire Classroom Discussion
Barbie is having a(nother) moment. Researchers have been studying the famous doll for years.
