Jura: George Orwell’s Scottish Hideaway
Discover the austere island retreat where Big Brother was born.
A Postcolonial Preah Vihear
The debate over who “owns” Preah Vihear dates to the early twentieth century, when the French government drew the border between Cambodia and Siam (Thailand).
Voting as a Tool for Environmental Justice
Casting a vote at your local polling place helps elect candidates who can enact environmental policies while in office. But is voting enough to bring change?
A Mother Superior’s Demons
What does it mean when an entire convent of Urusline nuns appears to be possessed by demons? Many things, as it turns out.
In the Palm of Your Hand
Palm reading, also known as palmistry or chiromancy, has fascinated us as a practice and a party trick for centuries.
Memphis: The Roots of Rock in the Land of the Mississippians
Rising on the lands of an ancient agricultural system, Memphis has a long history of negotiating social conflict and change while singing the blues.
Bye-Bye, Russian Gas!
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked an energy revolution, forcing European states to reconsider their dependence on Russian oil imports.
Gae Aulenti: An Independent, International Architect
One of the best-known female architects to come out of Italy, Aulenti found fame with her transformation of a dated Parisian train station into the Musée d’Orsay.
The Wild West of Papal Conclaves
In the sixteenth and seventeenth century, the death of a pope led to all sorts of chaos, from the destruction of art to armed violence in the streets.
In the Stereoscope, Another World
Developed in the nineteenth century, the stereoscope gave people a new way of seeing themselves and the world around them.