Kathak

Indian Classical Dance and the Power of “Oneness”

Kathak is a classical form of Indian dance. Its practitioners use movement and gesture to tell stories, transcending gender and selfhood.
A falling leaf

Eleven Poems for Fall

Cozy up to autumn with verse from Dylan Thomas, Rainer Maria Rilke, Robert Frost, Rita Dove, and more.
A banana on a pink surface

The Beloved, Bedeviled Banana

The Cavendish banana is currently threatened by a fungal disease. A similar disease all but wiped out its predecessor, the Gros Michel banana.
Three women wearing corsets

How Colonialism Shaped Body Shaming

When did heaviness and curviness in women become connected with the idea of "savagery"? It has a lot to do with 19th-century imperialist world views.
A red popsicle beginning to melt

The Buggy Truth about Natural Red Dye

The slightly disgusting secret ingredient that has historically made food dye, lipstick, and even the cloaks of Roman Catholic cardinals so vibrant.
A schematic of manganese nodules mining on the deep sea floor.

The Potential Pros and Cons of Seabed Mining

Concentrations of iron manganese nuggets and other metals in the deep seabed have stirred up interest in mining. But at what cost?
A little girl playing superhero

Why Playing Superhero Is Good for Kids

It's hard to know how to respond to imaginative play that looks violent. Some experts say it's best to go ahead and let little kids play superhero anyway.
Robotic Arm Holding Blue Felt Tip Pen

Can Artificial Intelligence Be Creative?

Machines can write compelling ad copy and solve complex "real life" problems. Should the creative class be worried?
A road beside some mountains and a lake

Why Plastic Roads Lead to a Cleaner Ocean

To prevent several millions tons of plastic from flushing into the ocean every year, engineers are paving roads with it.
Mexican seasonal labor contracted for by planters, picking cotton on Knowlton Plantation, Perthshire, Mississippi Delta, Mississippi

Early Mexican Immigrants Blurred Color Lines in the Southern U.S.

In the 1920s, Mexican immigrants to the United States challenged the country's notions of who was white and who was not.