The Vast Influence of Ibn Sina, Pioneer of Medicine
In the 11th century CE, science was rapidly advancing in the Islamic world. The scholar Ibn Sina (Avicenna) synthesized its medical wisdom.
We Consume a Spoonful of Plastic a Week
You've heard about all the microscopic plastic in our water supply. But did you know there are ways to limit how much you ingest?
The Measles Might Make Your Body “Forget” Its Own Immunity
Scientists have found that sometimes people infected with measles later develop "immune amnesia": their bodies don't remember being sick, even with other viruses.
Goth Won’t Die, but It Wants a Funeral Anyway
Like its celebrated vampires, the Goth subculture has roots in a fascination with death and cultural transgression.
Just How Unrepresentative Are the Iowa Caucuses?
There's no denying the whiteness of the state. But scholars cite other qualities that make Iowa more like the rest of the country.
Can CRISPR Save Tufty Fluffytail?
The native red squirrel population in the UK has been decimated by the encroachment of its American cousin, an invasive species. Could a "gene drive" help?
Bulldozers Versus Biodiversity, Then and Now
Trump's border wall threatens habitats in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. What happened when the area was bulldozed in the 1950s?
How Comparative Religion Took Root in the 19th Century
Many Americans considered faiths outside Christianity and Judaism to be "pagan." Unitarian minister James Freeman Clarke argued otherwise.
Why John Baldessari Burned His Own Art
The artist's "Cremation Project" of 1970 marked a liberation from the tradition of painting and a step toward a more encompassing vision.