In praise of doing nothing
Technology has made many aspects of daily life much easier. So why do we still feel so overwhelmed?
May 31, 2018
602
Arts
Why ABC reacted so swiftly to Roseanne's racist tweet
Incidents that may have been mere hiccups a few years ago can go viral in an instant today. ABC seems to have learned from…
May 30, 2018
966
5 Latino authors you should be reading now
Spanish-speaking writers have made exceptional contributions to American literature. Here are the best Latin American and…
May 30, 2018
538
Philip Roth's journey from 'enemy of the Jews' to great Jewish-American novelist
With the Holocaust still on their mind, many American Jews were highly sensitive to portrayals of Jews in popular culture.…
May 26, 2018
529
How one 'Rosie the Riveter' poster won out over all the others and became a symbol of female empower
During the war, few Americans actually saw the 'Rosie the Riveter' poster that's become a cultural icon.
May 25, 2018
539
How 'media snacks' – from HQ Trivia to Candy Crush – are transforming the workplace
Thanks to a burgeoning procrastination economy, developers are creating content that can be consumed in short spurts. What…
May 24, 2018
509
The right-wing origins of the Jerusalem soccer team that wants to add 'Trump' to its name
Beitar Jerusalem has always attracted the outsiders, the oppressed and the victimized – Israel's 'forgotten Jews.'
May 23, 2018
648
In the US, fairy-tale royal weddings clash with reality
Royal weddings have shaped how Americans imagine their own dream weddings. Unfortunately, they don't come cheap –…
May 17, 2018
674
Tom Wolfe elevated journalism into enduring literature
A journalism scholar and biographer of Tom Wolfe looks back at a literary great's life of challenging cultural standards.
May 16, 2018
564
Supreme Court delivers a home run for sports bettors – and now states need to scramble
With leagues lobbying for their share, a thriving illegal market that needs to be stifled, and bettors chomping at the bit,…
May 16, 2018
639
Bangladeshi rappers wield rhymes as a weapon, with Tupac as their guide
In voicing youthful outrage over inequality and violence, Bangladeshi rappers are creating a powerful form of protest music…
May 15, 2018
596
What can we learn from the way graduates are decorating their caps?
A few years ago, a folklorist started gathering data on the creative ways graduates were embellishing their caps. From student…
May 14, 2018
552
The science of the plot twist: How writers exploit our brains
Our minds are wired to anticipate what's coming next – and fill in the gaps when we don’t have all the information.
May 11, 2018
522
Mad Magazine's clout may have faded, but its ethos matters more than ever before
Today's media consumers are being bombarded with bias and sensationalism – and could use a dose of Mad's media…
May 11, 2018
527
How one early 20th-century performer defanged her fat-shamers
'I Don't Want to Get Thin,' singer Sophie Tucker proclaimed – an attitude that was decades ahead of its time.
May 9, 2018
579
Touch forms the foundation of the powerful human-horse relationship
Humans and horses have developed a unique interspecies language based on physical contact.
May 5, 2018
551
Are North Korean media outlets signaling that the regime is getting serious about diplomacy?
The reclusive country’s media is tightly controlled and choreographed. But a close look at the tone and focus of the coverage…
May 4, 2018
535
From the Middle East to the Kentucky Derby, the mint julep has always been about staying cool
'Take a silver cup – always a silver cup' and 'fill it with ice pulverized to the fineness of snow,' a…
May 3, 2018
524
In Brazil, patients risk everything for the 'right to beauty'
Who's really benefiting from a health care system that provides free or low-cost plastic surgeries for the poor?
May 2, 2018
547
Feminist activists today should still look to 'Our Bodies, Ourselves'
Like their predecessors, today's feminists can get mired in disagreements over strategies and goals. The celebrated…
May 2, 2018
599