The World’s Fair That Ignored More Than Half the World
The spectacle of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 was unrivaled in its time. But it hardly represented the "world" of women and African-Americans.
What Makes a “Beautiful” Federal Building?
A new draft executive order requiring classical architecture in government buildings negates principles established during the Kennedy administration.
Plant of the Month: Turmeric
The plant’s golden color has inspired a long—and potentially deadly—fascination.
Would Formerly Incarcerated People Vote Democratic?
Conventional wisdom says that Republicans don't want to give ex-felons voting rights because they'll end up voting for Democrats. But is this true?
Virus Paradox, Men at Work, and Electronic Chores
Well-researched stories from The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
How the Rothko Chapel Creates Spiritual Space
Fourteen colossal black paintings by the modern artist Mark Rothko are installed in an octagonal room in Texas. Visitors say the chapel brings them peace.
New Jersey Let (Some) Women Vote from 1776 to 1807
Historians Judith Apter Klinghoffer and Lois Elkis argue that this wasn't oversight. New Jersey legislators knew exactly what they were doing.
The True Costs of Managing Pandemics
The fear of the next global virus isn't just media indulging in catastrophizing; it's a collective concern for global economic and political health.
The Invention of the “Healthy” Caribbean
Europeans used to believe that "bad air" caused diseases, so they distrusted the Caribbean's air quality and land features like swamps.