The Lure of the Chili Pepper (Sapiens)
by Gideon Lasco
As they spread from the Americas beginning in the sixteenth century, chili peppers transformed culinary cultures around the world. They’ve also acquired meanings tied to politics, gender, personality, and more.

Becoming Someone New (Wired)
by Mike Mariani
After a traumatic brain injury, a young woman began acting utterly unlike her old self. The transformation made her question her life plans and the way she understood intelligence, personality, and identity.

Cooling it in Rwanda (The New Yorker)
by Nicola Twilley
The “cold chains” that keep food fresh from farm to market are complex and environmentally costly. Could Rwanda leapfrog the rich countries of the world and create something better?

No, Fatwa Doesn’t Mean “Death Sentence” (The Conversation)
by Myriam Renaud
Many Americans’ only point of reference for the term “fatwa” is Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s call for the murder of Salman Rushdie. But fatwas are rarely anything like that. They’re part of complex systems of religious jurisprudence designed to answer everyday questions.

Paul Robeson: Chinese Hero (Aeon)
by Gao Yunxiang
In the 1940s, Paul Robeson embraced Chinese political song as part of a global fight against colonialism, imperialism, and capitalism. Revolutionary China embraced him right back.

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