Afghanistan's war rug industry distorts the reality of everyday trauma
War rugs are more reflections of market forces than memorials to suffering.
September 21, 2021
2
Arts
Underneath all the makeup, who was the real Tammy Faye?
The subject of a new biopic, Tammy Faye was a televangelist icon. But she also represented another side of the evangelical…
September 16, 2021
26
A new platform lets you invest in shares of blue-chip paintings – but is art a wise investment?
Art is a risky investment, with estimated long-run returns, on average, below stocks. But investing in artworks may provide…
September 14, 2021
17
'Imagine' at 50: Why John Lennon's ode to humanism still resonates
Regularly topping lists for ‘greatest song of all time,’ the former Beatle’s classic 1971 song is taken by many as…
September 13, 2021
27
How 'sissy men' became the latest front in China’s campaign against big tech
Pronouncements made by the Chinese government often cloak a hidden agenda.
September 10, 2021
38
The science of product placements – and why some work better than others
Global spending on product placements is expected to top $23 billion in 2021, about a 14% increase over the previous year.
September 8, 2021
38
The women who appear in Dante's 'Divine Comedy' are finally getting their due, 700 years later
One citation at a time, a professor and her students are crafting a more complete picture of Dante’s women.
September 7, 2021
16
An entire generation of Americans has no idea how easy air travel used to be
Since 9/11, billions have been spent beefing up airport security. Was it worth it?
September 2, 2021
19
TikTok, #BamaRush and the irresistible allure of mocking Southern accents
There’s plenty to critique about sorority culture. But going after Southern accents is punching down.
August 27, 2021
42
I studied people who think leisure is a waste of time – here's what I found
‘Hustle culture’ is so pervasive in U.S. society that not even the coronavirus pandemic could shake the urge to prioritize…
August 25, 2021
17
How Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts infused one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands with a litt
Charlie Watts was the Rolling Stones’ drummer for almost six decades. A scholar of music – and a Stones fan – describes…
August 24, 2021
21
In 'Rumors,' Lizzo and Cardi B pull from the ancient Greeks, putting a new twist on an old tradition
The classical tradition has long excluded anyone who wasn’t white. But a succession of Black female artists have attempted…
August 24, 2021
30
What a baker from ancient Pompeii can teach us about happiness
While they weren’t living through a pandemic, citizens of ancient Pompeii weren’t strangers to societal stress.
August 20, 2021
43
The story of Nearest Green, America's first known Black master distiller
Black Americans’ contributions to some of the country’s most iconic dishes and spirits are finally starting to be recognized…
August 17, 2021
16
How religious fervor and anti-regulation zealotry laid the groundwork for America's $36 billion supp
The FDA has largely lost its ability to regulate the myriad pills, powders and potions that promise to grow muscle, shed…
August 13, 2021
80
How gay men justify their racism on Grindr
When gay men were confronted about writing ‘no Blacks’ or ‘no Latinos’ on their profiles, many of them became defensive.
August 12, 2021
31
Taxing bachelors and proposing marriage lotteries – how superpowers addressed declining birthrates i
Go back to 17th- and 18th-century England and France and you’ll see the same sort of handwringing over birthrates that…
August 9, 2021
28
4 Haitian novels that beautifully blend history, memory and reality
Confronted with centuries of exploitation by their country’s ruling class and foreign powers, Haitian writers warn against…
July 26, 2021
45
What would the ancient Greeks think of an Olympics with no fans?
Athletes and spectators were lured to Olympia by a longing for contact with their compatriots and their gods.
July 23, 2021
53
There's a long history of dances being pilfered for profit – and TikTok is the latest battleground
In choreography, the gray areas of copyright law make it difficult to determine what constitutes copyright infringement…
July 23, 2021
44