Mad About Nixon
No other personality appeared more often on the cover of Mad during the first fifty years of the satirical magazine’s life.
When Language Goes Viral
How do innocuous words become insidious in the face of a public health emergency?
Dating Apps Are Intensifying Online Partisanship
Some social scientists argue that dating and mating patterns may be the real drivers of polarization.
To Predict the Role of Fake News in 2020, Look to Canada
Canada has taken steps to address the potential for online misinformation ("fake news") in its upcoming election, but the internet changes rapidly.
Is Alcoholism a Moral Failing?
Cultural explanations for alcoholism have changed significantly throughout the years, sometimes blaming social problems, sometimes psychological.
A Critical Theory of Binge Watching
We didn't know we loved to binge until Netflix made it irresistible. To understand the new model, we should look back to Theodor Adorno.
The Dirtiest Piece of Writing in Print
The 1968 DNC was overshadowed by anti-war demonstrations. The Walker Report describing the events became controversial for the obscenities it contained.
Why Deleting Facebook isn’t the Answer to Data-Driven Targeting
We have to become smarter news and advertising consumers, and learn to resist the unceasing stream of slanted messages that come our way.
Do We Tip Because of Good Service or Low Wages?
The question of whether or not to tip can be vexing, particularly when a type of service, like ride-sharing, is relatively new.
What Do People Think of the Insanity Defense?
John Hinckley Jr., who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has been released from the psychiatric hospital where ...