The Surprising Historical Significance of Fortune-Telling
The possible futures predicted by fortune-telling happen just often enough to tantalize, preying on our deepest aspirations of catching a "big break."
Student Writing in the Digital Age
Essays filled with "LOL" and emojis? College student writing today actually is longer and contains no more errors than it did in 1917.
The First Celebrity Chef
Alexis Soyer frequently cooked for royalty and dignitaries, but also displayed a healthy social conscience.
A Belief in Ghosts: Poetry and the Shared Imagination
An essay from poet Dorothea Lasky on poetry, ghosts, and the shared imagination.
The Psychological Origins of Procrastination—and How We Can Stop Putting Things Off
The psychology behind procrastination involves how we perceive of value,
How to Read the Bones Like a Scapulimancer
In Shang Dynasty China, fortune-telling with oracle bones was the key to political power.
Fast Fashion Fills Our Landfills
Americans dispose of about 12.8 million tons of textiles annually. Fashion has a major impact on the environment. So what is the industry doing about it?
Stage Death: From Offstage to in Your Face
Death on stage has a long, gory history. From Ancient Greece to 19th century Paris to The Walking Dead. Why does theatre like death so much?
Dancing with the Amateur Stars
Amateur ballroom dance enthusiasts value dance not just as a hobby, but as an indelible component of their identity.
John Adams’ “On the Transmigration of Souls,” After 9/11
How to memorialize a national tragedy in music?