Cultural Practices

Cultural Practices

A cross made from various denominations of old U.S. paper currency is fastened together with brass tacks, set against a brown background.
4mins
Americans believe they can outthink suffering. Historian Kate Bowler explains how our obsession with self-help, optimization, and positivity became a kind of secular religion.
A man sits on a chair against a white backdrop, placed in front of the Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, under a clear blue sky.
53mins
Sam Kean examines how rogue archaeologists are recreating the sounds, tastes, smells, and practices of the ancient past.
A hand holding a sealed envelope emerges from turbulent ocean waves against a black background.
13mins
“All information technologies up to the 21st century were organic networks based on our organic brain.”
A painting of a woman with a hat on an orange background.
6mins
Biology plays an important role in emotional reactions, but neuroscientist Kristen A. Lindquist posits that our culture is just as influential.
Unlikely Collaborators
Illustration of Earth with labeled axes, equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, and magnetic and geographic poles. Orange lines indicate Earth's tilt and rotation.
4mins
Why do so many cultures celebrate holidays at the same time of year?
John Templeton Foundation
4mins
Rituals come as much from religion as they do from the way Earth spins around the Sun.