The Political History of Hip Hop (Black Perspectives)
by Mickell Carter
Growing up in the Bronx, African American Studies scholar Mark Anthony Neal witnessed and participated in the early years of hip hop. Today, his scholarship connects that music and subculture with the long history and future of Black political art.

The Return of Fire (Wired)
by Matt Simon
For much of human history, fiery disasters were a constant possibility, with whole cities devastated on a regular basis. More than a century after Americans overcame that danger, fire is back. How can we learn from our past successes?

How Hindu Texts Shaped Oppenheimer (The Conversation)
by Vasudha Narayanan
Robert Oppenheimer’s most famous quote comes from the Bhagavad Gita. But Christopher Nolan’s biopic doesn’t really address the physicist’s deep engagement with Hindu philosophy or the ways those ideas relate to the history and future of the nuclear bomb.

A Fishy Story of Global Trade (Hakai Magazine)
by Ashley Braun
In the 1950s and ’60s, agriculture in Europe was transformed by a surprising force: fish meal from Peru. The consequences—for humans, animals, and the environment—are still unfolding.

The Trouble With Sex-Based Medicine (Vox)
by Kelsey Ichikawa, Kai De Leon DeJesus, and Marina DiMarco
When the FDA mandated that Ambien prescribers use different dosing standards for men and women, many advocates saw it as a victory in a medical world that had long undervalued women’s health needs. The reality is a lot more complicated.

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