Robert Goddard at chalkboard

Robert H. Goddard, the Forgotten Father of Rocketry

Robert H. Goddard is acknowledged by many as the "father" of rocketry, but it's a strange paternity since he had so little influence on his contemporaries.
Clothing Rack full of T-Shirts at a Thrift Store

How Thrift Stores Were Born

According to the Association of Retail Professionals, about 16 to 18 percent of Americans shop at thrift stores in any given year.
Black Noddy Terns Nesting in Pisonia Trees at Lady Musgrave Island Queensland Australia

The Bird-Catching Pisonia Trees

Found mainly on Caribbean islands, Pisonia trees resemble any typical large, tropical tree. Typical, that is, until you notice the bones.
Official Macron portrait

Louis XIV, Napoleon, and Macron: The Choreography of Portraits

Official portraits have been a means of communicating intention and creating image throughout history. Consider three of France's iconic leaders.
Cast of Transparent

What Does Jesus Christ Superstar Have to Do With the Show Transparent ?

Jesus Christ Superstar is a global phenomenon, and with Transparent’s recent use of and even reboot of the rock opera, its fanbase is sure to keep growing.
uncomfortable chairs

Character-Building With Uncomfortable Chairs

Chairs were a subject of much debate as far back as the nineteenth century, pitting health and technology against propriety and aesthetics.
Electric eel

5 Shocking Facts about Electric Eels

First things first: eels are fish.
Bonnie Nardi avatar

Bonnie Nardi

Welcome to Ask a Professor, our series that offers an insider’s view of life in academia. This month we interviewed Bonnie Nardi.
Martin Shkreli

Is a Fair Trial Possible in the Age of Social Media?

Is it possible to have a fair trial or an impartial jury in an age when anyone is just a viral tweet or a Facebook search away?
Richard Thaler

Richard H. Thaler

Richard H. Thaler was awarded the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. More on his theory that when it comes to money, people are irrational.