The Danish Kids’ Hunt for Tardigrades (Smithsonian Magazine)
by Paulina Rowińska
Tardigrades are tiny, incredibly hardy, and found everywhere. And now, thanks to the work of thousands of Danish schoolchildren, scientists are aware of nine previously unknown species of them.

Is Extroversion Right for You? (Vox)
by Olga Khazan
For introverts, deliberately seeking out social situations can feel both inauthentic and deeply unpleasant. But when people try it out, the results often surprise them.

A World of Pepper (Atlas Obscura)
by Andrew Coletti
Think “pepper” means the grinder that sits next to the saltshaker? It turns out the things we call pepper extend way beyond our standard peppercorns, including botanical ingredients from around the world, some of which have little in common except being spicy.

The Heavy Metal Bands of Patagonia (Sapiens)
by Erin Wheeler Streusand
In Argentina, official policy has often erased Indigenous identities. Members of some Patagonian Native nations are insisting on theirs, using heavy metal as a tool of rebellion.

The Traders Who Shaped Modern Europe (Works in Progress)
by Agree Ahmed
The Hanseatic League wasn’t a state. It had no territory and no leader and was essentially a cartel of merchants. But it signed treaties, waged war, and transformed European trade in ways that ushered in the modern era.

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