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History & Society
Trace how culture, power, and ideas shape societies across time.
Steam cars hit the U.S. market in the 1890s but were largely extinct by the 1930s. Will technology bring them back?
We bring multifaceted selves to our interactions, and in these interactions co-create each other again and again.
Estonia has long been seen as a pioneer in digitizing the democratic process.
Always look on the bright side of death.
The utilitarian “greatest happiness principle” has remained popular for two centuries — is it time for a rethink?
The cathedral is being explored as never before.
"Not my circus, not my monkeys."
Mercury, Venus, and Mars are all uni-plate planets, and may always have been. Here's what's known about why Earth, uniquely, has plate tectonics.
Parking lots are about one-fifth of all land in U.S. city centers, making them "easy to get to, but not worth arriving at."
To what extent will our psychological vulnerabilities shape our interactions with emerging technologies?
Brian C. Muraresku, New York Times best-selling author of "The Immortality Key," unpacks ancient evidence for the widespread ritual use of psychoactive plants.
Researchers discovered something modern humans had never before seen—a flashy Neanderthal horn collection.
Lots of people have seen lots of bizarre events and phenomena that defy our conventional experience. But is there a scientific explanation?
Temperatures in the Sun's core exceed 10 million degrees Celsius. But how on Earth did we actually come to know that?
Yoga is more than just standing on your head. It's about uniting with the divine.
Pick up the paintbrush and get to work.
Monsters have always represented societal fears, but narrative art also casts doubt on whether we fully understand our monsters — and their slayers.
Bees learn and culturally transmit their communication skills.
From grave robbing to giving your own body to science.
Some classic books, like Mark Twain’s "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," remain controversial to this day.