Is There a Witch Bottle in Your House?
In the 16th-18th centuries, vessels filled with nails, thorns, hair, and other materials, were used as a form of ritual protection against witches.
How to Clean Up After a Nuclear Disaster
Workers are still cleaning up after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant partial meltdown. There's a lot of contaminated material to contend with.
Style Tips from the Harem
When 19th-century American women visited Turkish harems, they came home with very different impressions than their male counterparts.
What Ever Happened to the Beetheads?
A lighthearted look at Americans' nicknames of yore, from master humorist H. L. Mencken.
When an Argument Over Macbeth Incited a Bloody Riot
On May 10th, 1849, protestors rioted at Astor Place Opera House, leading to the deadliest civic insurrection in American history up to that time.
The Military Response to Poaching
Is militarizing rangers really the best way to cut down on poaching? It's more complicated than you might imagine.
Woodstock: Sex, Drugs, and Zoning
It's the 50th anniversary of the famous Woodstock festival, which was fraught with controversy before it even happened.
When Big Business Backed Social Security
Contemporary conservatives call for the U.S. government to ditch Social Security in favor of private savings. But it wasn't always this way.
The Rise and Fall of Hologram Art
Major artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Louise Bourgeois have experimented with holography, but it has yet to be taken seriously as an art form.
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, “The Black Swan”
Born into slavery, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield broke barriers with every note she sang.