Smells Like Divine Spirit
The 4th century was a turning point for the role of scent in the Christian church.
A Century After They First Appeared, Electric Boats Are Making a Comeback
In the late 1800s, electric boats were a promising new technology. They are now enjoying a revival.
Celebrity, Video Games, and Refugee Law
Well-researched stories from Vox, Yale e360, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Restaurants Built Modern Japan’s Identity
In the early 20th century, Japan's embrace of exotic cuisines helped strengthen its connections both to China and to the West.
The High Environmental Costs of Cruise Ships
Cruise ships pose many environmental concerns, from waste disposal to toxic paint to the creation of noise that can harm marine life.
Why Cheerfulness Mattered in the Antarctica Expedition of 1912
Often associated with stoic masculinity, Robert Falcon Scott's British Antarctic Expedition was in fact defined by cheerfulness and friendly homemaking.
Art Is Good for Your Brain
The field of neuroaesthetics uses neuroscience to understand how art affects our brains, both when we're making it and when we're viewing it.
Sor Juana, Founding Mother of Mexican Literature
How a 17th-century nun wrote poetry, dramas, and comedies that took on the inequities and double standards women faced in society.
Why Did Ousted Egyptian President Morsi Lose Power?
Mohamed Morsi was elected president in 2012, in Egypt's first free elections. His death has put his brief presidency back in the spotlight.