Origins of the UN: The US and USSR
The genesis of the United Nations came from the nations united as Allies against the Axis powers, but who really pushed the institution into being?
The Origins of the “Dinosaur Renaissance”
John Ostrom’s ideas were part of the so-called Dinosaur Renaissance, a paradigm shift that posited dinosaurs as the warm-blooded ancestors of birds.
Remembering Mavis Gallant
Shaped by her Canadian origins and early work as a journalist, expatriate Gallant used the short story to examine the sociopolitics of post-war Europe.
The Post-Millennial Poe, or, Edgar Allan Holmes?
In life, Edgar Allan Poe was best known as a literary critic. Today, he’s best remembered for his disquieting tales...but that may be changing.
Skylab, Sealab, and the Psychology of the Extreme
During the Cold War, small groups of Americans lived together in space and at the bottom of the sea, offering psychologists a unique study opportunity.
Why Peat Is a Key Ingredient in Whisky and the Climate Crisis
Approximately 80 percent of Scotch whisky is made using peat as a fuel source for drying barley during the malting process. Is that a problem?
Pulp Woman: Leslie F. Stone
Cloaked in an ambiguous pseudonym, Stone was one of the first women to write science fiction for the pulps.
Peter Kropotkin, the Prince of Mutual Aid
Let’s take a closer look at the Russian aristocrat turned anarchist who (literally) wrote the book on mutual aid.
Odette vs. Odile: A Tale of Two (but Not Opposing) Swans
The distinction between the leading female characters of Swan Lake—the swan princess and her “black” counterpart—initially wasn’t so sharp.
E. P. Thompson and the American Working Class
Published in 1963, Thompson’s influential The Making of the English Working Class quickly led to questions about the nature of the American working class.