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History & Society
Trace how culture, power, and ideas shape societies across time.
In the philosophy of Star Wars, the Sith are evil because they surrender to passion. But is a life of total rationality a “good” life?
Is "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch a condemnation of sin or a celebration of hedonism? Art historians still aren’t sure.
Mammals have a history stretching back 325 million years. To study that ancient history is to know our own origins.
"Politics is weird. It’s the only business in the world in which you take a really, really important position, and you give it to someone with no qualifications." —Tony Blair
Like humans, stars die. The James Webb Space Telescope's early images already give us a lot of information about how this happens.
Gradualism rejects the idea of a "bright line" in the abortion debate.
The fictitious 31st-century world portrayed by the series is actually quite a bit like our own in the 21st century.
Astronomy's roots rest in the very origins of humanity. We have always looked to the skies for answers. We are starting to get them.
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“This is much deeper than just ‘let’s figure out how we can get both sides to get along.’”
In the early 1900s, some Americans feared that teddy bears would not instill maternal instincts in girls, thereby causing "race suicide."
In the wake of the pandemic, the crystal industry boomed, with customers hoping the stones might relieve a little anxiety.
Predatory dinosaurs with big skulls tend to have tiny arms. Researchers propose there might be a direct link between those traits.
We often laugh at inappropriate things, but not when we are emotionally invested. Laughter cannot be serious. So, can we ever laugh at death?
When you're a genius, how do you make ends meet?
The role of the Devil’s advocate was to argue against the beatification of mystics. Contrary to popular belief, they did not wear Prada.
It is all too easy for humans to fall into the cognitive trap of thinking that an entity that can use language fluently is sentient or intelligent.
Long before tobacco arrived from the Americas, ancient civilizations in the Old World were getting high off hemp smoke and opium.
One might think that people who started poor and became rich might be more sensitive to the plights of the poor. Not so, suggests a new study.
It might seem like science and faith are at war, but the two have a historical synergy that extends back in time for centuries.
John Templeton Foundation