Social Sciences
The social sciences study cultural artifacts, innovations, language and behaviors to discover how humans relate to each other and to society
The Swimsuit Series, Part 5: Olympic Athletes, Posing
Vintage styles cycle in and out of favor among medal-winning racers
August 08, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Packing List Series, Part 2: An Artist’s Illustrated Guide
With a watercolor sketchbook guide, Adolf Konrad drew on his talents to record his belongings
August 01, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
When LBJ Ordered Pants From the White House
Johnson liked his Haggar slacks slack—and colorfully described a special custom-cut
July 30, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Is This the Oldest Cave Art on the Planet?
Underneath a massive rock slab which rests on dozens of narrow stilts researchers have found the world's oldest stone axe, and a vast collection of painted artwork.
July 30, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The Long Journey of Chief Joseph’s War Shirt
Important Native American artifact seen in Smithsonian portrait fetches $877,500 at Nevada auction
July 25, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
New Study Suggests Humans, Not Climate, Killed Off Neanderthals
Roughly 40,000 years ago, the Neanderthals that lived in the Mediterranean disappeared. Whether they simply up and left, or died off, is anybody’s guess. They were still a common sight in western Europe for another 10,000 years, so outright extinction is off the table. In trying to understand what lead to the Neanderthal’s decline, archaeologists [...]
July 24, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The Bra Is 500 Years Older Than We Thought
Victoria has been keeping secrets for a long, long time. Hidden away in an Austrian castle archaeologists uncovered four 600-year old linen bras, a find that shouldn't have been.
July 19, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Why Procrastination is Good for You
In a new book, University of San Diego professor Frank Partnoy argues that the key to success is waiting for the last possible moment to make a decision
July 13, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
In Scotland, Two Mix-and-Match Mummies Contain Parts of Six Corpses
Two 3,000 year old bodies discovered in a Scottish bog turned out not to be two bodies at all. The ancient skeletons are stitched together from the remains of six individuals.
July 10, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Viking’s Most Powerful City Unearthed in Northern Germany
Archaeologists working in northern Germany may have found one of the most important cities in Viking history—Sliasthorp, where once sat the first Scandanavian kings.
July 06, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Nerd Love and Why It's Better For Everyone
In a new study, evolutionary biologist Sergey Gavrilets makes a fascinating claim for how monogamy took root several million years ago
July 06, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Wearing Wool, All Summer Long
Layered, corseted summer garments kept women proper and fashionable, if not cool
July 03, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Temple Grandin on a New Approach for Thinking About Thinking
The famed author and advocate for people with autism looks at the differences in how the human mind operates
July 2012 |
By Temple Grandin
What is So Good About Growing Old
Forget about senior moments. The great news is that researchers are discovering some surprising advantages of aging
July 2012 |
By Helen Fields
World’s Oldest Purse Adorned with Dog Teeth
The world's oldest purse features a decoration that doesn't look so different from modern beading. It's just way more gruesome.
June 29, 2012 |
By Sarah Laskow
The Swimsuit Series, Part 2: Beauty Pageants and the Inevitable Swimsuit Competition
In the latest chapter of the series, we look at how bathing suits came to be an integral part of the Miss America competition
June 28, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Greek Subway Dig Uncovers Marble Road from Roman Empire
The vast network of roads built by the Romans spanned from England to India and is considered one of the main drivers of the expansive reach of the Empire. Eighteen hundred years later, Greek workers digging a new subway line in the city of Thessaloniki have stumbled across a 230-foot long stretch of a Roman marble [...]
June 27, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
When Did the Human Mind Evolve to What It is Today?
Archaeologists are finding signs of surprisingly sophisticated behavior in the ancient fossil record
June 26, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
The Indelible Mister Rogers
Besides how to be a good neighbor, Mr. Rogers taught us other lessons, especially about the impact of a comforting change of clothes
June 25, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
How Bathing Suits Went From Two-pieces to Long Gowns and Back
Bikinis may have been illegal in 1900, but they were all the rage in ancient Rome
June 22, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
