Robert FitzRoy and the Laws of Storms
When FitzRoy distributed barometers to local fishing communities, he empowered individual sailors to use their own judgment about the weather forecast.
Caitlin D. Wylie on the Hidden Labor of STEM Research
An interview with Caitlin D. Wylie, a social scientist who analyzes “behind-the-science work” to understand how knowledge is produced and who produces it.
Popular Science—but Make It North Korean
In the 1950s, science in North Korea was presented in a way that fired children’s imaginations and encouraged youth to develop ideas that served the state.
Neocolonial Minecraft
One of the world’s best-selling video games, Minecraft conceals problematic assumptions about coloniality and power, argues educator Bennett Brazelton.
Hoe History: Complex and Knotted
The plantation hoe, a simple, ubiquitous, and historically ignored farming tool, was specific to the Atlantic colonial project, shows historian Chris Evans.
The Making and Meaning of Greenland: A Reading List
A selection of research reports and peer-reviewed articles offers insight into the history and potential future of the autonomous territory of Greenland.
Skylab, Sealab, and the Psychology of the Extreme
During the Cold War, small groups of Americans lived together in space and at the bottom of the sea, offering psychologists a unique study opportunity.
On The Fragility of Our Knowledge Base
Historian Glenn D. Tieffert shows how state interests in the People’s Republic of China can be protected by editing online databases and collections.
The Arecibo Message Fifty Years Later
In November 1974, astronomers used the radio telescope at Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory to send a hello to the universe.