The Not-So-Misunderstood Earwig (Knowable Magazine)
by Tim Vernimmen
Few people enjoy seeing an earwig, and learning about their strange mating habits and cannibalistic proclivities might not change that. But their complicated social lives make them fascinating creatures anyway.

Is This the World’s Largest Lifeform? (Big Think)
by Frank Jacobs
A fungus in Oregon’s Blue Mountains may be older than Stonehenge and cover an area five times the size of Monaco. And it’s eating the trees.

The Hard Work of Accepting Death (Nursing Clio)
by Jessi Benson
The hospice movement transformed the care of people suffering from terminal illnesses by focusing on emotional health and taking the radical step of listening to patients.

Teaching Literature in Troubled Times (Literary Hub)
by W. Ralph Eubanks
As colleges face the potential for crackdowns on what students are taught, courses on Black American literature are particularly vulnerable. They also have the potential to be particularly relevant for anyone trying to understand the country right now.

Elephant Shower Drama! (Ars Technica)
by Jennifer Ouellette
Shutting off the water while your roommate is showering is petty behavior, but it may not just be humans who engage in that kind of thing. A new study of elephants reveals both how individual animals pick up different uses of tools and how that may relate to inter-elephant drama.

Got a hot tip about a well-researched story that belongs on this list? Email us here.