How math gets made (The New Yorker)
by Dan Rockmore
How does a mathematician come up with a really new idea? Answers include weightlifting, daydreaming, Ritalin, and, well, spending a lot of time studying mathematics.

There’s no such thing as a virginity test (The Cut)
by Amanda Arnold
Rapper and actor TI sparked a wave of outrage when he explained that he accompanies his daughter to the doctor to make sure she’s still a virgin. This kind of test is surprisingly widespread. Doctors say it’s uncomfortable, degrading, and a total sham.

Pad Thai was born to boost Thai identity (Atlas Obscura)
by Alex Mayyasi
Threatened by Japanese colonialism and facing questions about the nation’s identity in an increasingly globalized world, the World War II-era Thai government turned to a promising tool of national identity: sweet noodles with egg and fish sauce.

What do we really want our kids to care about? (The Atlantic)
by Adam Grant and Allison Sweet Grant
American parents say they want their kids to be caring people. But they often end up teaching them to value achievement over kindness. Is there a better way to talk to kids about values?

Did the Medieval Church create individualism? (NPR)
by Rhitu Chatterjee
A new paper suggests that the unusual psychology we call “western individualism” might be built on Medieval church policies that broke up large, kin-based social institutions.

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