The Woodchuck’s World (Nautilus)
by Brandon Keim
For a common rodent, the groundhog is surprisingly understudied. But one Michigan couple is doing their best to change that. They’ve been documenting the lives of generations of woodchucks in their yard for two decades and counting.
The Magic of Silk (Works in Progress)
by Hiawatha Bray
For thousands of years, humans have valued silk for its elegance and strength. Now, some researchers say it could solve a mind-boggling array of problems, from keeping fruit fresh to offering pain-free injections.
Who Says What Culture Means? (ARTnews)
by Chidinma Iwu
“Encyclopedic” museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art have long positioned themselves as authorities about the whole world. Now, cultural institutions in Africa are challenging that approach with new ways of sharing culture.
America, Land of Divorce (Literary Hub)
by Lyz Lenz
From the time of the first European colonies, Americans permitted divorces more readily than their overseas counterparts. But, just as with marriage, its availability and its meaning has varied greatly depending on who you are.
Making a Path Through the Internet (Aeon)
by Monica Westin
When the World Wide Web was new, most of its contents were inaccessible unless you knew exactly where to look. Solving the problem required computer scientists to get together with librarians. What they came up with still shapes the internet today.
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