The Early History of Human Excreta
When humans stopped being nomadic, we could no longer walk away from our waste. We’ve been battling it ever since.
How to Hear Images and See Sounds
Artists Shannon Finnegan and Andy Slater talk accessibility, transdimensional hearing, alt-text as poetry, sound descriptions, and Instagram captions for McSweeney’s Audio Issue.
Space Medicine for the Inexperienced Astronaut
The promise of commercial spaceflight raises questions about how untrained travelers will endure the extreme hostility of space.
The COVID-19 Vaccines Arrived at Warp Speed
Are they safe if they were developed so quickly? Research-backed answers to your virus questions.
The Death of Steve Biko, Revisited
Like the death of George Floyd, the South African activist Steve Biko’s death galvanized a global movement against racism.
9 Reasons You Can Be Optimistic That a Vaccine for COVID-19 Will Be Widely Available in 2021
Experts are confident that there will be a vaccine next year.
Screen Time Guilt During the Pandemic?
Consider this: people once thought too much reading was bad for kids.
Plant of the Month: Peony
Peony's effectiveness as an ancient cure translated into a tool of statecraft in the eighteenth century.
This Is How They Wiped Themselves in Ancient Rome
A very gross but extremely informative look at the archaeology of toilet hygiene.
Why Do Police Use Tear Gas When It Was Banned in War?
The development of chemical warfare around the time of World War I led to the use of tear gas as a weapon by civilian police forces.