How World War I Put Boys on Bikes
The first modern bicycles were for adults. Ads for boys’ bikes drew from, and fed into, a changing vision of boyhood during World War I.
The Mysterious Pre-Columbian Settlement of Cahokia
Cahokia was the largest pre-columbian settlement north of Mexico. It collapsed centuries before Europeans arrived in the region. What happened?
Suggested Readings: American Fascism, North Korea’s Nukes, and Diet Soda
Well-researched stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. Brought to you each ...
Does Disunity Hurt the Left?
Does disunity harm a political party? An account of the organizing by unemployed workers in the 1930s may offer some clues.
Kate Lingley and the Art History of China
Looking for an insider’s view of life in academia? We interviewed Kate Lingley, a Professor in the Art Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
Crows Are Even Smarter Than We Thought
If crows like the New Caledonian Crow can plan out and create a specialized tool, then they seem to have smarts that rival those of early humans.
West Coast Infernos, Midday Mudslides, and the Little Cool Beans that Might Save the World
Wildfires and public health, predicting floods, and substituting beans for beef were top stories in environmental news this week.
When You Eat Matters As Much As What You Eat
Trying to lose weight? A new study suggests that our bodies may react just as much to when we eat, as to what food we are consuming.
Can We Live Without Air Conditioning?
Air conditioning is a profoundly paradoxical technology: the hotter it gets the more we use it, and the more we use it the hotter it gets.
How Baseball Became a Profession
Sports historian Steven A. Riess writes that the process that transformed baseball into a high-paid profession began in the 1860s.