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History & Society
Trace how culture, power, and ideas shape societies across time.
A single knife is sometimes worth more than a thousand armies.
Long before the birth of Julius Caesar, the Roman Republic appointed all-powerful dictators to protect their state in times of crisis. They were remarkably self-restrained and obedient to the Roman Constitution.
Some 13.8 billion years ago, the Universe became hot, dense, and filled with high-energy quanta all at once. Here's what it was like.
'Six Persimmons,' an ink painting by the Chinese monk Mu Qi, has long been hailed as the poster child of Zen Buddhism. But is its reputation deserved?
Exile is a kind of death of who you once were.
Scientists have been chasing the dream of harnessing the reactions that power the Sun since the dawn of the atomic era. Interest, and investment, in the carbon-free energy source is heating up.
To see a true cross-section of American society, head to Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Chili’s, and Olive Garden.
This necropsy represents an early entry in what would become a tradition of performing autopsies to consider an individual’s sanctity.
After my father died, my journey of rediscovery began with the Czech language.
Two of the answers add a dimension to physics that doesn’t belong there. Maybe we could call it "astrotheology."
The term "zero-point energy" has at least two meanings, one that is innocuous and one that is a great deal sexier (and scammier).
In a remarkably similar way, conspiracy theories around the world cast doubt on the existence of real places.
Gladiators fought in rounds, and there were referees to enforce rules. Only rarely were gladiators killed.
Bang bang all over the Universe.
In our competitive world, fortune does not appear to favor the humble — but a strong counter-narrative is emerging.
There are many things in life that cannot be improved with greater effort. Sometimes, life requires that you step back.
Borrow the same technique that produced McDonald’s, the Hawaiian pizza, the Beatles’ greatest hits, and Shakespeare’s rhetorical flair.
In 1667, a core-collapse supernova happened right here in the Milky Way, invisible to all humans. ~350 years later, here's what JWST sees.
Various environmental phenomena can play tricks on our brain.