Will Chocolate Survive Climate Change? Actually, Maybe
The forecast has been bad for domesticated cacao. But some environments in Peru might hold the key to the future of the world's sweet tooth.
Strawberries and British Identity Forever
Even though they occupied much of South Asia, British civil servants and their wives wanted a taste of home. Strawberries, for instance.
The Serpents of Liberty
From the colonial period to the end of the US Civil War, the rattlesnake sssssssymbolized everything from evil to unity and power.
How Computer Science Became a Boys’ Club
Women were the first computer programmers. How, then, did programming become the domain of bearded nerds and manly individualists?
How Ornithologists Figured Out How to Preserve Birds
A very nineteenth-century-science problem: lots of decaying avian specimens.
Richard Nixon’s Fantasy Baseball Team
It might have been a ploy to garner Democratic votes, but the president took his dream team seriously.
A Holy Trinity in Ancient Egypt
The ancient Mediterranean was full of religious expression, and Kemetic culture's concept of a divine family influenced early Christians.
The Changing Meaning of “Mysticism”
People who don't follow organized religion sometimes describe themselves as spiritual. But this idea isn't a recent invention.
A War of Liberation for Afghan Women?
The Taliban's gender-based repression was part of the US argument for invading Afghanistan.
Latin Literature’s Problem with Invisibility
Ancient Romans saw the rituals of professional sorcerers as foreign and suspicious. But how else were you supposed to become invisible?