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History & Society
Trace how culture, power, and ideas shape societies across time.
Through humility, the old arrogance of infallibility crumbles. And in that there is genuine hope to prevent wrongful convictions.
Out of the four rocky planets in our Solar System, only Earth presently has plate tectonics. But billions of years ago, Venus had them, too.
These astounding inventions show that civilizations of the past were a lot more advanced than we might have thought.
What worked before won’t necessarily work this time — and the best leaders will adapt.
"Burke's the butcher, Hare's the thief, and Knox the man who buys the beef." Read the story of 19th-century Scotland's corpse dealers.
The history of hell doesn't begin with the Old Testament. Instead, hell took shape in the 2nd century from Mediterranean cultural exchange.
"Time Warp" all the way back to 1800s spiritualism, magic performances, and spook shows.
We've heard this argument before.
Tikal, one of the biggest cities the Maya ever built, was home to a vast and flourishing society.
If someone can make you feel insecure, incomplete, and inadequate, they then can present themselves as the solution you need.
Einstein's theory of general relativity introduced the concept of space having a shape. So, what is the shape of space?
Using peach and eggplant emojis as shorthand for sex may seem like a new thing, but Renaissance artists were experts at using produce to imply intercourse.
"If we find just one other example of biology out there, then life is not an accident."
There's a quantum limit to how precisely anything can be measured. By squeezing light, LIGO has now surpassed all previous limitations.
A true scientific view of if, where, and when extraterrestrial life exists is within our grasp thanks to biosignatures and technosignatures.
According to the CDC, 50 countries worldwide have drinkable tap water. But look closer, and the picture is more nuanced.
A woman’s name would undermine the credibility of the mission. Names of former Nazis, however, were no problem.
“To take this in, you need to ride inside the mathematical symbols.”
Science and philosophy seem to be separate fields, but philosophical advancements have made the world more accepting of debate and unorthodox ideas.
The great philosopher spent the final portion of his painful life in a vegetative state. Did illness get him there, or was it his own philosophy?