Why Air Pollution Is a Socioeconomic Issue
Too much pollution can pose a health risk to anyone, but whether it is lethal or not mostly depends on the person's underlying health—and economic—status.
Rereading the Story of the Crack Epidemic
As policymakers seek solutions for the ongoing opioid epidemic, it's worth remembering how sensationalist reporting can lead to troubling responses.
The First Moral Panic: London, 1744
The late summer crime wave of 1744 London sparked an intense moral panic about crime that burnt itself out by the new year. But not before heads rolled.
Suggested Readings: Sleep, Sugar, and Giant Prime Numbers
Well-researched stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. Brought to you each Tuesday from the editors of JSTOR Daily.
A Primer on e-DNA
eDNA is DNA that an animal sloughs off into its environment through feces, shedding, or lost skin. The technology can detect invasive species.
What Retirees Can Learn from the RV Community
A look at the RV community, where retirees support one another in the face of illness, mechanical breakdowns, or sudden financial shortfalls.
Why Facebook Can Be Good For Your Health
Is Facebook bad for your mental health? Researchers have been studying the profound impact social bonds can have on health since the 1970s.
How Anti-Catholicism Created an American Saint
Elizabeth Ann Seton is known today as the first American Roman Catholic saint. Her road to canonization was no easy path.
The Surprising Frequency of Interspecies Mating
Sometimes different but related species can reproduce. When two different species successfully mate, the resulting offspring is called a hybrid.
Jan van der Heyden and the Dawn of Efficient Street Lights
17th-century Amsterdam was the first city in Europe to have an efficient system of street lighting—thanks to a Golden Age painter called Jan van der Heyden.