When Did We Start Paying to Park Our Cars?
A Curious Reader asks: When and why did parking become monetized?
The Online Lie Detector Is No Better Than the Polygraph
People love the idea of a machine that tells us who to trust. But the historical analog of the online lie detector also didn't work.
Go West, You Nervous Men
The "Rest Cure" for women is notorious. But the "West Cure" for men, though little known today, is a fundamental part of American mythology.
Blaming Women for Infertility in the 1940s
In the early days of fertility treatments, some doctors theorized that women’s unconscious hatred of their husbands kept them from conceiving.
The Drone Will See You Now
As drones become normalized, companies like Zipline are using them to deliver life-saving medicines to faraway places.
Ruth Page, the Ballerina Who Danced Poems
In the 1940s, American dancer Ruth Page combined poetry, performance, and personal reflection to create a new type of dance.
How Non-Mammals “Nurse” Their Young
Some birds feed their young with "crop milk," while discus fish feed their fry with a special mucus. It may not seem as cute as nursing, but it works.
Greek Gods and Game Theory
Game theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic interaction. Connecting it with famous stories makes it easier for students to grasp.
The Destruction of a Civil Rights Center
The Highlander Research and Education Center is "the most notable American experiment in adult education for social change." One of its buildings recently burned down.
The Many Meanings of Yellow Ribbons
The strange and convoluted history of why yellow ribbons became a symbol of the Gulf War in the 1990s.