Walt Disney's radical vision for a new kind of city
Imagining new kinds of places to live is an American tradition.
September 29, 2021
153
Arts
R. Kelly was aided by a network of complicity – common in workplace abuse – that enabled crimes to g
The former R&B star faces the possibility of life in prison after being found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking.…
September 28, 2021
127
'The Activist' reality TV show sparked furor, but treating causes as commodities with help from cele
The producers are recasting the show as a documentary. The original version would have done more harm than good for the…
September 28, 2021
159
How conservative comic Greg Gutfeld became America's most popular late-night TV host
Critics have long pooh-poohed conservative comics. But in today’s fragmented media environment, right-wing comedy has…
September 24, 2021
71
How a team of musicologists and computer scientists completed Beethoven's unfinished 10th Symphony
When Beethoven died, all he left behind were some sketches for his 10th Symphony. Now, thanks to the help of artificial…
September 24, 2021
89
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
62
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
132
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
93
'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
134
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
108
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
121
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
59
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
68
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
89
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
60
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
66
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
79
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
121
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
63
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
179