Melvil Dewey’s Attempt at a Spelling Revolution
Melvil Dewey, of the Dewey Decimal system, thought we should have spelling reform.
Suggested Readings: Election Surprise, Historical Echoes, Archaeological Treasure
Extra Credit: Our pick of stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. ...
How Do White House Transitions Actually Work?
How do presidential transitions really work? Political science scholarship on White House staffers provides some insight.
A Brief History of the Credit Card
For now-ubiquitous consumer credit cards, bad early results had a hidden benefit.
The Problem With Nuclear Fusion
For decades physicists have pursued a long-shot approach to clean power—nuclear fusion.
How American Girl Dolls Teach History (And Revolution)
Can purchasing a doll be a revolutionary act? The franchise makes an effort to connect its characters with the realities of American history.
Drinking the Kool-Aid at Jonestown
Did you drink the Kool-Aid? The phrase has become such a part of the vocabulary that for many its origins have been obscured.
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky was born in Moscow on November 11, 1821. While he also wrote short stories and journalism, the politically-active ...
DADA at 100, or, I Zimbra!
The anti-art art movement Dada was born in 1916 in Zurich's Cabaret Voltaire.
Babies on Display
In the mid- to late nineteenth century, people showed off their infants at baby shows.