When Harvard Students Couldn’t Get Warm
The early heating systems of New England kept Harvard students cold until the early twentieth century.
Why Narendra Modi Presents Himself as a Guru
Drawing on traditions of monastic power, Modi’s party is trying to promote the image of India as a vishwaguru, or teacher to the world.
Mesmerizing Labor
The man who introduced mesmerism to the US was a slave-owner from Guadeloupe, where planters were experimenting with “magnetizing” their enslaved people.
The Disappearance of Japan’s “Third Gender”
Gender roles in Edo Japan recognized an in-between position for young men, called Wakashu, that was erased as Japan westernized.
Women in Science Textbooks
A team of scholars examined the seven most popular ecology textbooks. Guess what they didn't find?
Who Does the Drudge Work? Answers from Edwardian Britain
In 1909, Kathlyn Oliver called for the creation of a servants' trade union that was “as important to the community as the worker[s] in any other sphere."
Slumber Parties and Folklore
Slumber party rituals are indeed alive and well, and being passed down to the next generation in person and online.
Message in a Button
A dive into the the University of Connecticut Pins and Button Collection gives a wearable history of progressive causes.
Why Do We Fall for Scams?
People want to believe that the person they trust with their money, or their hearts, is telling the truth. The con artist relies on that.
How Social Upheaval Gave Rise to the Picaresque Novel
How did the arcadian shepherd and chivalric knight-errant, centuries-old fixtures of European literature, give way to this witty rascal, the pícaro?