Samuel Beckett and the Theatre of Resistance
The dark, absurdist humor of Samuel Beckett's work was directly informed by his time in the French Resistance during World War II.
When Home Ec Classes Borrowed Babies
In the early-to-mid 20th century, foster children in Canada and elsewhere were placed in practice homes and cared for by home economics students.
Facts and Fancies About Amber
It's taken scientists a long time to figure out what amber is made of, and what we can learn from it.
White Women’s Role in School Segregation
White American women have long played significant roles in maintaining racist practices. One sociologist calls the phenomenon "social mothering."
Can a Supernova Cause Mass Extinction?
Since the 1950s, scientists have been proposing supernovae as catalysts for mass extinctions. But can it be proven?
William Faulkner Goes to Hollywood
The curious, forgotten connection between William Faulkner and Charles de Gaulle.
When Europeans Feared the Wind
In early modern Europe, various sorts of winds were associated with illness and even death.
The Best of Suggested Readings from 2018
Every week we compile well-researched stories that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. These were the ones you clicked on most in 2018!
When Shoes Were Fit with X-Rays
Fluoroscopes were used in shoe stores from the mid-1920s to 1950s in North America and Europe -- even though the radiation risks of x-rays were well-known.
Makeup in the Technicolor Age
When Technicolor changed the face of the film industry, it also altered the cosmetics industry, sparking the great Hollywood Powder Puff War of the 1930s.