A woman in the kitchen in front of a Christmas tree

The Gendering of Holiday Labor

Women in heterosexual relationships still do most of the domestic work. During the holiday season, the tasks multiply.
An angry mob in front of a computer screen

Cancel Culture Is Chaotic Good

Cancel culture may prove to be the most memorable linguistic trend of the past decade.
Empress Joséphine holding a Jacquemus Mini Le Chiquito handbag

Our Best Stories of 2019

Tweety bird linguistics, tiny purses, Beowulf's monsters, and the evolution of beauty.
Asian Indian and Caucasian Friends Talking in Coffee Shop

There’s No Template for Emotional Intelligence

A templated response to any situation is the antithesis of an emotionally in-tune reaction.
A classroom of young women

The End of Men, in 1870

In 1790, U.S. men were about twice as likely as U.S. women to be literate. But by 1870, girls were surpassing boys in public schools.
Franz Boas

The Life and Times of Franz Boas

The founder of cultural anthropology, Franz Boas challenged the reigning notions of race and culture.
A family around a thanksgiving dinner table, colored red and blue

Talk about This, Not That

Looking to avoid politics at the holiday dinner table? Food trivia, ground-up mummy pigment, and snake jaws ought to do the trick.
A climate protest

How to Sell Climate Denial

Climategate began with the leaking of emails sent to and from climate scientists. Climate skeptics quickly seized on just a few of them
Two paper hearts

The Lies We Tell on Dating Apps to Find Love

The lies most people tell on dating apps do serve a purpose.
A Little White Wedding Chapel, Las Vegas

The Decline of the Vegas Wedding

The Little White Wedding Chapel's changing fortunes are emblematic of the state of matrimony and romance.