Did Communists Really Infiltrate American Schools?
Fears that teachers were indoctrinating kids were rampant in the 1950s. But the reality was more complicated.
AIDS, from the Perspective of “Patient Zero”
We now know a great deal about how the man who's often blamed for the AIDS epidemic saw himself and his community. That's important.
Dry Ice Will Help Keep COVID-19 Vaccines Cold
A brief history of dry ice, aka solid carbon dioxide, shows why some coronavirus vaccines will benefit from its use.
What Does It Mean to Be a Matriarchy?
Using the definition that European theorists invented in the nineteenth century may not work for every society, like the Khasi.
Debt Forgiveness and Jubilee 2000
Erasing student loans is a hot topic of conversation now. In the 1990s, debt forgiveness was an international movement.
The History of the Black Seminoles
The community's resilient history speaks of repeated invasions and resistance to enslavement.
The Forgotten Radicalism of Black Light Posters
Fluorescents have fascinated artists for millennia, but the 1960s and '70s saw a generation of revolutionaries experiment with black light.
The Lettuce Workers Strike of 1930
Uniting for better wages and working conditions, a remarkably diverse coalition of laborers faced off against agribusiness.
Plant of the Month: Cascarilla
Epidemics revive old remedies and accelerate experimentation with new ones.