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Black and white headshot of author Matthew Wills

Matthew Wills

Matthew Wills has advanced degrees in library science and film studies and is lapsed in both fields. He has published in Poetry, Huffington Post, and Nature Conservancy Magazine, among other places, and blogs regularly about urban natural history at matthewwills.com.

coffee
Politics & History

Why Coffee is Sometimes Called Mocha

Coffee. Everybody's favorite stimulant has many nicknames, and every one of these words has a story to tell. Consider "mocha."
Bison herd
Plants & Animals

Was America’s Wildlife Ever As Abundant As We Imagine?

Once the bison covered the plains. But how many were there really? Turns out historical animal abundance figures are tricky.
Immigrants Arriving in New York City, 1887 Engraving
Politics & History

Constructing the White Race

How race is historically and culturally defined. 
Spock and Kirk
Arts & Culture

Star Trek’s 50th Star Date Anniversary

September 8 marks the 50th anniversary of the first season of Star Trek, the NBC science-fiction series produced by Gene Roddenberry.
Thomas Edison with lightbulb
Politics & History

Thomas Edison and the War of the Currents

Thomas Edison had a big stake in the AC/DC war of the currents and would say anything to win. 
Tintype portrait
Science & Technology

Fast, Cheap, and Totally Popular: Tintypes

Tintypes were an early, accessible, cheap form of photography, just the thing for on-the-go Americans.
Pages from the Voynich Manuscript
Arts & Culture

The Voynich Manuscript: Crowd-Sourcing An Uncrackable Cipher

The Voynich Manuscript has mesmerized people ever since the man it's named after, bibliophile Wilfred Voynich, brought it up for sale in 1912.
1896 Presidential Ballot
Politics & Government

Ballot Position: It Matters

Did you know that ballot position can have an effect on voting? The first-listed candidate is more likely to be voted for.
Dorothy Parker
Arts & Culture

How Dorothy Parker Changed Lyric Love Poetry Forever

Today is Dorothy Parker's birthday, so you should probably have a martini or two in celebration. 
Albert Einstein, 1921
Natural Science

Why No One Believed Einstein

Einstein's theory of relativity presented a direct challenge to the notion of ether.
Conspiracy theories
Politics & History

The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories boil down to a rejection of the absurdity, meaninglessness, and randomness of life and history.
Bosch Strawberry, from "Garden of Earthly Delights"
Art & Art History

500 Years of Hell With Hieronymus Bosch

Hieronymus Bosch died 500 years ago, but we can't take our eyes off of his paintings.
women world leaders
Politics & History

Women Leaders on the International Front

With the real possibility of the first woman being elected president of the U.S., let's take a look at the situation around the globe.
Constitutional Convention, 1787
Politics & Government

Electoral College 101

They don't campaign and very few know who they are, but you'll be voting for them this November: introducing the Electors. Again.
Chagos Islander
Politics & History

The Story and the Songs of the Chagos Islanders

For almost half a century, Chagos Islanders have been attempting to get back to their homeland in the Indian Ocean. Nostalgia may not be helping them.
private beach
Science & Technology

Can Anyone Own the Beach?

The perennial battle of beach access: who owns the beach front? 
Sir Roger Casement
Politics & History

Why Was Roger Casement Hanged?

A century after being executed as a traitor, Roger Casement continues to fascinate.
Census worker
Politics & Government

The U.S. Census and Politics

The US national census has always been political, and has a large part to play in determining political representation and power.
Aleppo marketplace
Politics & History

Making Sense of Syria

Can Syria's history help us understand the situation there today? 
Mondale/Carter
Politics & Government

What Does the Vice President Do?

Even the people with the job used to disparage the Vice Presidency. That's changed in the modern era.
John R. Brinkley
Politics & History

This Doc Was Really Nuts

Nuts! is a new documentary about John R. Brinkley, whose claim to fame was transplanting goat testicles into men in the 1920s.
Fireflies
Natural Science

The Nuptial Gifts of the Firefly

Fireflies, lightning bugs, glowworms: the evocative insects of summer reveal some surprising new insights into biology.
Emilie Chatelet
Politics & History

Émilie Du Châtelet: Heroine of the Enlightenment

Émilie Du Châtelet was one of the great figures of the Enlightenment in France.
Bryan Sewall campaign poster
Politics & Government

Populism for Beginners

If the appeal of Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, and Brexit can all be described as "populist," then what is populism?
Abel Meeropol
Arts & Culture

The Unlikely Origins of “Strange Fruit”

The man behind the anti-lynching anthem "Strange Fruit" was a white, Jewish, Communist named Abel Meeropol.

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