The Story of the Invention of the Potato Chip Is a Myth
Everyone knows the potato chip was invented in Saratoga Springs, NY in 1853. Except it wasn’t.
Race and Labor in the 1863 New York City Draft Riots
In July 1863, over a thousand Irish dockworkers rioted against the Civil War draft in New York City in a four-day upheaval, targeting black workers and citizens.
Does the “Prosperity Gospel” Explain Trump?
According to the Prosperity Gospel, wealth is a sign of God's favor. Trump Tower is not just his monument. It is seen as God's gift.
Why You Love the Smell of Old Books
Scent carries significant psychological meaning. A recent paper proposed that scent be included in a proposed intangible heritage list recognized by UNESCO.
Can College Cure Racism?
New reading requirements at Harvard have added fuel to an ongoing debate about diversity in curricula. At HBCUs these fights had a different dimension.
The Ongoing Practice of Female Genital Mutilation
Female genital mutilation seems totally foreign to the U.S., but versions of the long-outlawed surgery have seen a recent resurgence.
The Statistics of Coin Tosses for Theater Geeks
At the beginning of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, a coin toss lands as heads 92 times in a row, the odds of which are a mere 1 in 5 octillion.
Frederick Law Olmsted: The Complicated Man Behind Central Park & The Nation
Struck by something naturally beautiful in an American city? Odds are that you have stumbled across the work of Frederick Law Olmsted.
Why Egypt’s Coptic Christians Face Rising Sectarianism
Egypt’s Coptic Christians supported President Abdelfattah al-Sisi's overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood. Why do they still face discrimination?