Super Bowl LIII and the soul of Atlanta
The country's 'Black Mecca' is hosting the Super Bowl. With the NFL's national anthem controversy still…
February 1, 2019
558
Arts
How Jackie Robinson’s wife, Rachel, helped him break baseball's color line
Rachel was by Jackie's side during his most trying moments. Throughout a journey that required self-control, grace and…
January 30, 2019
537
3 ways that big data reveals what you really like to watch, read and listen to
For decades, advertisers and marketers struggled to predict the consumption of leisure products such as movies and books.…
January 29, 2019
555
Sylvia Plath's new short story was never 'lost' – so why is the media saying it was 'just discovered
The media trope negates the work done by archivists, who are often well-aware of the existence of 'long-lost' letters,…
January 28, 2019
530
I studied buttons for 7 years and learned these 5 lessons about how and why people push them
Buttons don't always make things easier – and using them can be fraught with peril and troubling power dynamics.
January 25, 2019
934
Not so long ago, cities were starved for trees
In 1910, along one 45-block stretch of New York City's Fifth Avenue, there were only 13 trees.
January 24, 2019
696
Inside the Kingdom of Hayti, 'the Wakanda of the Western Hemisphere'
In 1811 a former slave named Henry Christophe anointed himself 'First Monarch' of the 'New World.' For 10…
January 23, 2019
617
Razor burned: Why Gillette's campaign against toxic masculinity missed the mark
Gillette isn't the only male-centric brand to have recently challenged masculine stereotypes. But advertising research…
January 18, 2019
646
Want better tips? Go for gold
Studies show a weak relationship between tip amounts and quality of service. But the color gold seems to have a way of making…
January 17, 2019
568
The biggest nonprofit media outlets are thriving but smaller ones may not survive
Memberships, subscriptions and small donations are reducing reliance on big grants, but mainly for the outlets that were…
January 17, 2019
540
The Prohibition-era origins of the modern craft cocktail movement
Something needed to be done to mask the taste of bootleg alcohol that could include ingredients ranging from dead rats to…
January 15, 2019
605
The forgotten legacy of gay photographer George Platt Lynes
Lynes was a highly sought-after commercial and fashion photographer in the 1930s and 1940s. But he had to keep his most…
January 11, 2019
512
With foreign bureaus slashed, freelancers are filling the void – at their own risk
Gone are the support, preparation and security typically granted to staff correspondents.
January 10, 2019
568
What's behind our appetite for self-destruction?
Edgar Allen Poe, Sigmund Freud and cognitive scientists have all wrestled with the human tendency to behave in ways that…
January 8, 2019
606
The bizarre phenomenon of vacation surprise videos
With the surprise meticulously planned, all eyes – and lenses – turn to the kids. All they have to do is react as expected:…
January 7, 2019
550
Why does it feel good to see someone fail?
Whether schadenfreude arises out of envy or a sense of justice, some psychologists believe a darker impulse is at play.
January 4, 2019
532
The rise of modern loneliness: 4 essential reads
As people have grown closer and more connected, the old definition of loneliness slipped away – and a new one has emerged.
December 21, 2018
578
Of the trillion photos taken in 2018, which were the most memorable?
Each day, readers are bombarded with shocking, inspiring and informative images. In their overwhelming volume, they can…
December 21, 2018
537
The humble origins of 'Silent Night'
Two hundred years ago, an Austrian priest teamed up with a schoolteacher to perform the first rendition of 'Silent Night.'…
December 19, 2018
549
In 'Mary Poppins Returns,' an ode to the gas lamp
The lamps that once lit London's streets have come to symbolize a certain time and place in British history.
December 18, 2018
783