The Ecosystem of the Used Mattress
Recently, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt directed staff to arrange for the purchase of a used mattress from a hotel. What's in a used mattress, anyway?
Did North America’s Longest Painting Inspire Moby-Dick?
Herman Melville likely saw the panorama “Whaling Voyage,” which records the sinking of the whaler Essex, while staying in Boston in 1849.
When Washington, DC, Became a Tourist Destination
When the U.S. federal government first moved to D.C. in 1800, the city was still largely swamp. Tourists didn't start to visit until many decades later.
What About the Art in “Apesh*t”?
Beyoncé and Jay-Z's new music video was filmed entirely at the Louvre museum. What messages hide in the histories of the featured artworks?
What’s Killing European Trees?
Soil fungi supply nutrients to trees, but as they wither from pollution, trees suffer too.
The Many Modes of Mummification
From Egypt to East Asia, ways of making mummies have varied. Sometimes, as a recent find reveals, mummification happens completely by accident.
The Talking Statues of Rome
Since the 16th century, anonymous authors have been posting provocative political messages on or near these Roman statues.
The Science of Fevers
Trying to bring down that fever? Studies show that most fevers are actually integral to effective immune responses.
The Women Who Tried to Prevent the Trail of Tears
In the 1830s, American women, including Catherine Beecher, worked to fight Andrew Jackson’s genocidal Indian Removal campaign.
Soccer and European Identity
Throughout Europe, soccer matches like the FIFA World Cup have become deeply significant, in part because that continent's identity is so complex.