History & Society

History & Society

Trace how culture, power, and ideas shape societies across time.

ss
Were Hitler’s SS henchmen willing executioners fueled by racial propaganda or mindless servants vying for promotions?
greek fresco
Paintings played an important role in these ancient civilizations. Unfortunately, pigment is not nearly as durable as marble.
ape sign language
The apes taught sign language didn't understand what they were doing. They were merely "aping" their caretakers.
The Spanish language has the ability to minimize and exaggerate by the simple addition of a suffix.
cryovolcanoes
We have long thought that Pluto was completely frozen solid, but the discovery of cryovolcanoes challenges that assumption.
Safety through technology is no bad thing—Nietzsche himself sought doctors and medicines throughout his life—but it can become pathological.
Equations that describe time travel are fully compatible and consistent with relativity — but physics is not mathematics.
climate change human evolution
The simulation gave researchers some of the first concrete data linking climate change to human evolution and speciation.
Agnieszka Pilat Boston Dynamics
The so-called "court painter of Silicon Valley" was shaped by her youth in communist Poland but looks forward to a future ruled by celebrity robots. 
math awe
Mathematics and religion both embody awe-inspiring, eternal truths.
John Templeton Foundation
ichthyosaur
They were more like blue whales with a mean bite.
meteors impact early Earth
Probably not. Even though we're still investigating the origin of life, the evidence suggests that cells came much later.
Mayan ruins San Bartolo
The Mayan calendar is revered for its impeccable accuracy. Now, a recent excavation in Guatemala reveals how the system developed over time.
is college worth it
Is college worth it? This question may seem a no-brainer, but there are many reasons why it is worthy of serious deliberation. Here are three.
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not to mark Mexican independence.
humans universe
All life forms, anywhere in our Universe, are chemically connected yet completely unique.