Skateboarders: The Shock Troops of Gentrification
In Philadelphia's Love Park, gentrification had an unlikely face.
How Do I (Not) Look? Live Feed Video and Viral Black Death
When we have the choice to look, we are bound ethically and politically to what we witness and what we do with what we have seen.
The Serious Subtext of Japan’s “Cute” Culture
The real reasons behind Japan's culture of kawaii, or "cute."
Did The 1965 Watts Riots Change Anything?
Sociological data from immediately after the riots in Watts, Los Angeles, in 1965 show major disparities in attitude by race.
How Olympics Host Cities Hide Their Homeless
Olympic host cities have historically cleared away and marginalized their homeless in advance of the games.
What Are the Dog Days of Summer?
The "dog days of summer" are attributed to the rise of Sirius, the Dog Star, but research into the lore suggests another dog entirely.
What We Saw Under the Microscope’s Lens
The lens, a tool technology that helps make the invisible world visible, brought a revolutionary perspective to our descriptions of nature.
What Beauty Product Trends Really Mean
American beauty products were once widely exported abroad and seen as representations of freedom and modernity.
Gay Culture: Ancient Wonder or Modern Creation?
Even at more open-minded times, gays and gay culture is always seen as a frivolous—a decorative, added bonus of civilization.
An Object History of the Persian Carpet
The famous Persian carpet, woven by female artisans in southwestern Iran, may be going extinct. Its story can be told in spindles and whorls.