Mad Men and Its Obsession with Frenchness
Mad Men’s in-universe fascination with Frenchness was so frequent and important to the plot(s) that it might as well have been a main character.
10 Villanelles by Modern and Contemporary Poets
Read these recursive, nineteen-line poems by Elizabeth Bishop, Paisley Rekdal, William Logan, Agha Shahid Ali, and more.
Online Reading, African Archaeology, and Inca Literacy
Well-researched stories from Undark, NPR, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Send in the Clowns
Lulu Adams came from a long, illustrious line of circus performers and was credited—even if wrongly—with being the world’s first female clown.
Fifty Years of Fractals
A half century ago ago, Benoit Mandelbrot coined the word "fractal" and pioneered a new type of geometry.
Transplanting Nutmeg
Nutmeg originated in the Maluku islands of what’s now Indonesia, but Barbados became known as the Nutmeg Island. Why did the tree wander?
Where Do Economic Statistics Come From?
Many ways of measuring the economy came about in the decades between the American Civil War and World War II. We’ve been arguing about them ever since.
Eswatini: At the King’s Pleasure
Wedged between South Africa and Mozambique, Eswatini is the last absolute monarchy in Africa.
We Love Libraries
Honoring the libraries and librarians that have shaped the way we live, learn, and fight.
Super-Resolution Microscopes Showcase the Inner Lives of Cells
Advanced light microscopy techniques have come into their own—and are giving scientists a new understanding of human biology and what goes wrong in disease.