Publicity photo of Michael Myers for Halloween (1978)

Mental Hospitals at the Movies

The horror films of the 1970s captured a cultural shift from fears of institutional abuse to anxieties about psychiatric patients living freely.
Lantern slide of people on path up from boat dock in Palisades Interstate Park, 1917

How Big Oil Shaped America’s Parks

John D. Rockefeller Jr. wanted Americans to experience nature from their cars. His vision helped transform conservation.

Teaching Students to See What They Miss

A classroom exercise in slow looking uses art to sharpen observation skills and encourage more attentive listening.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22A_Thrilling_Hallowe%27en.%22_(Three_black_cats_flying_through_the_air_with_Jack-o-lanterns).jpg

Ghosts, Witches, and Other Halloween Stories

A spine-tingling roundup of historical mysteries, supernatural folklore, and the strange things that have frightened us for centuries.
An ad for the Coffield Electric Washer, 1920

Why Washing Machines Took Decades to Catch On

Early electric laundry appliances promised to make housework easier. But convincing American households to buy them was another matter.
Women performing the Kecak, or “monkey chant.”

The Women Breaking the Rules of Balinese Dance

Middle-aged performers are taking on roles once reserved for men, challenging expectations about age and gender in Bali.

Ten Poems about Sleep and Dreaming

Visions of the unconscious by Emily Dickinson, Louise Glück, Lucille Clifton, Carl Phillips, and more.
A police training officer takes part in a demonstration of the Meggitt Training System at the City of Miami Police Department's Training Center in 2018.

What Do Cops Train For?

Research on police training finds that realistic simulations may reinforce expectations of violence instead of preventing it.
Canis familiaris var. lagopus

Why English Colonists Called Indigenous Dogs Wolves

A 1621 encounter reveals a history of Native animal domestication that colonial accounts obscured.
Hands working on laptop

How to Keep Track of Your Sources on JSTOR

Learn where to find bibliographic information so you have the details you need when it’s time to cite your research.