The Invention of Pets
Pet are a relatively recent invention. In the 18th and 19th centuries, pethood arose in the split between farm animals and home animals.
The Hidden Subtext of Vagrancy
In recent years, activists in cities across the country have repeatedly clashed with municipal officials over anti-vagrancy laws.
George Orwell’s 1984
George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984 finds itself at the top of the best-seller lists this week, the first of Trump's presidency.
The Enduring Humor of New Yorker Cartoons
With 90 years of New Yorker cartoons, readers learn much about changing trends in political and social history, all while celebrating through laughter.
The Sexual Lessons of 1980s Teen Magazines
Teen magazines put girls in charge by inverting the male gaze
How Do We Know What Human Organs Do?
Apparently humans have a new internal organ. How can this be, and what does this "new organ" do?
Changing the Way We Die
Dying may seem like a straightforward business, but there are almost as many ways to approach the end of life as there are to approach life itself.
“Inner City” Myths and Realities
The history behind why urban black neighborhoods face much higher rates of poverty, crime, and overburdened schools than white suburban areas do.
Millennia of Mosaics
The mosaics in New York City's new 2nd Avenue subway stations follow a tradition thousands of years old.
Suggested Readings: Crowd Numbers, Baby Jokes, Magic Blood
Extra Credit: Our pick of stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.