An artist's journey into the science of sweat
What is the smell of sweat? An artist recreates the pungent body odor as an art installation.
September 12, 2019
796
Arts
In dandelions and fireflies, artists try to make sense of climate change
Images of wildfires are powerful, but can make climate catastrophe seem like something spectacular and distant. So some…
September 11, 2019
563
The strange connection between Bobby Kennedy's death and Scooby-Doo
Demands for regulation of media violence reached a fever pitch after RFK's assassination, and networks scrambled to…
September 10, 2019
573
I wrote a book about email – and found myself pining for the days of letter-writing
Will there ever be an electronic equivalent of Martin Luther King Jr.’s 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' or Émile…
September 6, 2019
607
One skill that doesn't deteriorate with age
As we get older, our eyesight may dim and our recall may falter. But our linguistic abilities don't seem to erode.
September 4, 2019
501
Curious Kids: Why do we say 'OK'?
The word 'OK' has only been around for 180 years, but it's become the most spoken word on the planet.
September 2, 2019
489
A new solution for America's empty churches: A change of faith
In up-and-coming neighborhoods, old churches are often converted to apartments or offices. But what about the vacant or…
August 30, 2019
585
How male 'porn superfans' really view women
There's a strand of radical feminist thought that claims porn causes misogyny. So four researchers decided to test this…
August 27, 2019
479
Can sun umbrellas ever become fashionable again in America?
In Asian countries, many people wield umbrellas to protect them from the sun. American women used to as well – but then…
August 26, 2019
530
When does trash talking work?
Whether it frustrates or motivates your opponent can depend on the situation.
August 21, 2019
617
The misguided attacks on 'This Land Is Your Land'
Woody Guthrie’s anthem has become a rallying cry for immigrants. But did he really have a 'blind spot' for Native…
August 20, 2019
518
Too many people think satirical news is real
You might see a headline from The Onion or The Babylon Bee and, for a split second, think it's true. But many social…
August 16, 2019
538
Fifty years ago, Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock anthem expressed the hopes and fears of a nation
Before an exhausted crowd, Hendrix fused protest and horror with patriotism and optimism.
August 14, 2019
529
The journalist who exposed the Jeffrey Epsteins of Victorian London
W.T. Stead's 1885 account of the process by which wealthy Londoners procured teenagers for sex became a global news…
August 12, 2019
513
I traveled to American Samoa 5 times to study the secret to its football success
A key tenet of Samoan culture emphasizes community, deference to authority and confronting fears – a mindset that makes…
August 8, 2019
561
The 'warspeak' permeating everyday language puts us all in the trenches
Each spin of the news cycle hits us with another 'bombshell,' while everything from free speech to race has been…
August 6, 2019
518
As Herman Melville turns 200, his works have never been more relevant
Clear-eyed about the country's injustices, Melville never succumbed to cynicism. On the author's bicentennial, American…
August 1, 2019
501
What's really behind baseball's home run surge?
Recent changes to the ball seem to be juicing hitters' stats. But could other factors, like the climate and advanced…
July 22, 2019
570
Smokey (the) Bear is still keeping his watchful eye on America's forests after 75 years on the job
The iconic advertising campaign originated as a way to protect the nation from its WWII enemies. Today, critics are asking…
July 19, 2019
754
How the Volkswagen Beetle sparked America's art car movement
When the Beetle was first introduced, Americans had never seen anything like it. Among art car enthusiasts, it became the…
July 18, 2019
812