The many lives of punctuation marks (Aeon)
by Florence Hazrat
For hundreds of years, written language went without punctuation. Since their invention, the semicolon, the comma, and even the humble period have caused all sorts of controversies and conflicts. Today, punctuation is evolving like never before.

The incredible, terrible world of the Vikings (Slate)
by Rebecca Onion
Those ships! Those myths! Those fancy swords! Plenty of us are fascinated with Vikings. But if we took a closer look at the Viking world, would we like what we saw?

Will we ever get over this year? (USA Today)
by Paul Davidson
Beyond the devastation of lost lives, closed businesses, and vanished paychecks, a new study suggests that this year’s pandemic could cause decades of economic damage as we come to terms with a world of unnoticed risks.

Natural herd immunity is…not a thing (The Atlantic)
by James Hamblin
You know the idea that countries can achieve herd immunity from COVID-19 through the natural spread of the disease, without a vaccine? Not only is that a dangerous plan, but it’s one that’s never been achieved, with any disease.

A conspiracy theory in Congress, in the 1830s (The Conversation)
by Sophie Bjork-James
QAnon’s conspiracy-fueled brand of political-power building might be bizarre, but it’s not unprecedented. Meet the Anti-Masonic Party of the 1830s.

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