Super Mario, Homer’s Odyssey, and the Meaning of Marriage
Nintendo's Mario and Homer's Odysseus have more in common than you might think.
Was Lydia E. Pinkham the Queen of Quackery?
She developed an immensely popular, if questionably effective, herbal remedy for “female complaints.” Pioneer in alternative medicine or...?
What Star Trek: Discovery Can Tell Us About Tech and Social Progress
What makes Star Trek essential for any contemporary tech user is its role in helping us understand our relationship to technology.
Pioneers Were America’s Original Artisanal Bakers
Why were cowboys and pioneers so obsessed with their baked goods? A look at the birth of sourdough culture (har har) in the United States.
How Consumerism Created Bigfoot
People have long told stories about wildmen, creatures who straddled the line between human and animal. But Bigfoot himself first appeared in the 1950s.
The Story of the Invention of the Potato Chip Is a Myth
Everyone knows the potato chip was invented in Saratoga Springs, NY in 1853. Except it wasn’t.
The Shrines of September 11th
In the immediate aftermath of September 11th, impromptu shrines appeared.
What Are the Dog Days of Summer?
The "dog days of summer" are attributed to the rise of Sirius, the Dog Star, but research into the lore suggests another dog entirely.
How Jell-O Wobbled Its Way to Pop Culture Greatness
Jell-O reveals volumes about things that obsess, upset, and fuel Americans.
Are We Entering a New Golden Age of Guano?
A history of civilization could be written in fertilizers. And the history of guano—bird poop—tells us a lot about slavery, imperialism, and U.S. expansion.