Harry Potter, the Arthurian Romance
Perhaps the Harry Potter stories are so potent because they rework the iconic hero stories of medieval French Arthurian romances.
Burying NYC’s Forgotten Dead at Hart Island
A few miles off the coast of the Bronx is Hart Island, a potter's field where New York City's poor and unclaimed dead are buried.
How Global Colonialism Shaped Segregation
One of the first U.S. municipal laws demanding residential segregation, passed in 1910 in Baltimore, has roots in European colonial policies.
The Overlooked Importance of Parasites
Parasites can be creepy, but according to some ecologists, parasites may substantially impact entire ecosystems—for the better.
Child Sacrifice in the Ancient Americas
At various sites throughout Peru and Argentina, archaeologists have found remains of child sacrifices.
American Film’s Disappearing Lesbians
In the 1990s, lesbian characters were repeatedly transformed into "close friends" in film adaptions of LGBTQ-themed books.
Edward S. Curtis: Romance vs. Reality
In a famous 1910 photograph "In a Piegan Lodge," a small clock appears between two seated Native American men. In a later print, the clock is missing.
The French Perfume Boom
The marketing of scents through clever branding, rather than real differences in what’s being sold, originated in nineteenth-century France.
After the Lava Stops
When volcanos erupt, the type and location of the lava determines what habitat will develop after it stops flowing.
Henrietta Lacks, Immortalized
Henrietta Lacks's "immortal" cell line, called "HeLa," is used in everything from cancer treatments to vaccines. A new portrait memorializes her.