The Secret Sign Language of the Ottoman Court
Deaf servants were favored companions of the Ottoman sultan, and their facility in nonverbal communication made them indispensable to the court.
Restoring the Prehistoric Horse
It’s the National Day of the Horse! Do You Know Where the Real Wild Horses Live?
How Forensic DNA Evidence Can Lead to Wrongful Convictions
Forensic DNA evidence has been a game-changer for law enforcement, but research shows it can contribute to miscarriages of justice.
How to Build a City That Doesn’t Flood? Turn it Into a Sponge City
Cities encourage potentially devastating floods by laying down asphalt and pavement. Could this be avoided by making them "spongier" and more absorbent?
Do We Have Moral Obligations to Robots?
The recent film Blade Runner 2049 engages with questions raised by Karel Čapek and Isaac Asimov: What do we owe our creations (and what do they owe us)?
Why We Need to Start Listening to Insects
The study of wingbeat has come an incredibly long way and could lead to breakthroughs crucial for human populations facing insect-borne disease and pests.
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...?
Don’t Buy Into the Authenticity Scam
We choose products and services partially based on how they make us feel, on meanings we derive from our choices.
The Rise of the City Bee—How Urbanites Built the 21st-Century Apiculture
Urban apiculture is a booming trend. But many metropolitan beekeepers also believe that bees fare better in cities than they do in the countryside.