History & Society

History & Society

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

Late Night Show with David Letterman
Late-night shows, developed during the "golden age" of TV, are no longer as relevant in the age of streaming services and Donald Trump.
primordial slime
Bathybius haeckelii was briefly thought to be the link between inorganic matter and organic life.
Black cerebral blood vessels are shown against a red background, resembling a brain scan or angiogram image.
7mins
The ultimate definition of trauma, explained by leading psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk.
John Templeton Foundation
Many have argued that morals are relative, but Russia's war crimes reveal the hollowness of that belief. Morality is universal and objective.
flight shame
Environmental activists want us to feel "flight shame" if we can take a train, instead. But this isn't entirely realistic, even in Europe.
quantum entanglement
Maybe our understanding of quantum entanglement is incomplete, or maybe there is something fundamentally unique about consciousness.
Many Americans aren't rejecting spirituality, just practicing it differently.
liquid water
There are at least 15 different types of solid water (ice). Now, scientists believe that there might be a second type of liquid water.
blue ocean
Science is for everyone, even those possessing strongly held beliefs that seem to conflict with the best available evidence.
IceCube just found an active galaxy in the nearby Universe, 47 million light-years away, through its neutrino emissions: a cosmic first.
good night oppy
Thanks to a couple of rovers, we know Mars was once blue.
About 8% of our genome is made of leftover viruses from our ancestors' infections.
Cicero speech
Marcus Tullius Cicero is widely regarded as one of the most gifted orators in human history. His writings can teach us a lot about the lost art of public speaking.
Overwintering is profoundly stressful for trees. So why do they bother?
Your mentors made time for you. Now, go and make time for others.