Humanities
Critical analysis and thought in the fields of history, law and philosophy
Should You Trust Nate Silver’s March Madness Bracket?
Everybody's favorite predictor of the future - Nate Silver - has his own analysis of the tournament over at the New York Times
March 20, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Top Ten Most Influential Travel Books
Even before there were armchairs, voracious bookworms traveled the world just by reading
March 20, 2013 |
By Tony Perrottet
A Partial History of Headphones
Modern headphones have their origin in opera houses, military bases and a kitchen table in Utah
March 19, 2013 |
By Jimmy Stamp
The Vengeance of Ivarr the Boneless
Did he, and other Vikings, really use a brutal method of ritual execution called the "blood eagle"?
March 18, 2013 |
By Mike Dash
After Twenty-Three Years, FBI Says It Finally Knows Who’s Responsible for the Largest Unsolved Art Heist Ever
Twenty three years ago today, thieves pulled off one of the greatest art heists in history - and the FBI might have just finally caught them
March 18, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Nixon Prolonged Vietnam War for Political Gain—And Johnson Knew About It, Newly Unclassified Tapes Suggest
Nixon ran on a platform that opposed the Vietnam war, but to win the election, he needed the war to continue
March 18, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Perils of Wearing Clothes
From toxins in textile dyes to torturous corsets, beauty has a long history of coming at a high cost
March 18, 2013 |
By Emily Spivack
Surfer Kelly Slater Searches for the Perfect Wave in New 3-D Film
Mixing science and surfing, "The Ultimate Wave Tahiti" joins the world champion in the hunt
March 15, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Albania Has No Idea What to Do With All of These Leftover War Bunkers
Albania's 700,000 war bunkers aren't going anywhere soon, so locals are turning them into hostels, animal sheds and make-out spots
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Town Featured in ‘Erin Brockovich’ Still Has a Bunch of Pollution in Its Water
The chromium pollution is spreading, and Hinkley's residents are at a loss for what to do
March 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Is Corned Beef Really Irish?
The rise and fall and rise of the traditional St. Patrick's Day meal
March 15, 2013 |
By Shaylyn Esposito
Cannibals of the Past Had Plenty of Reasons to Eat People
For a long time cannibalism was a survival technique, a cultural practice, and a legitimate source of protein
March 14, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Hey Vegans! There May Be Fish Bladder in Your Guinness
Isinglass, a gelatine collected from the air-bladders of freshwater fish like the sturgeon, is used in the clarification process of some stouts
March 13, 2013 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
The Most Audacious Australian Prison Break of 1876
An American whaling ship brought together an oddball crew with a dangerous mission: freeing six Irishmen from a jail in western Australia
March 12, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
A Batarang, A Golden Ticket and a Green Gremlin: Treasures from Warner Bros.
Warner Brothers added to its collection of donated items with more than 30 new items to the American History Museum
March 11, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
The European Union Wants to Ban Pornography
But the resolution is relatively vague on what exactly pornography is
March 11, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Did Benjamin Franklin Invent Daylight Savings Time?
The creation of DST is usually credited to George Vernon Hudson, a New Zealand artist and amateur bug collector, but 100 years earlier, Benjamin Franklin pondered a similar question.
March 08, 2013 |
By Angela Serratore
The Secret Plot to Rescue Napoleon by Submarine
In 1820, one of Britain's most notorious criminals hatched a plan to rescue the emperor from exile on the Atlantic isle of St Helena -- but did he ever try it?
March 08, 2013 |
By Mike Dash
Two-Time Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas Talks Big Dreams, Big Wins and Having Fun
Douglas discusses her recent donation of her leotard and other items from the 2012 London Olympics
March 07, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
