Essays

Culture	American Democracy Is Less Broken Than You Think America has thrived despite a long history of ignorant voters making questionable decisions and unqualified elected officials implementing abysmal policies. Danny Oppenheimer and Mike Edwards \| Jun 29, 2020
Culture	Cycling, Art, and Utopian Possibilities Against the grim background of the Covid-19 catastrophe, there is some small cause for hope in the current renewal of enthusiasm for cycling. Bruce Bennett \| Jun 15, 2020
Culture	The Symbolic Use of Barrier Contraceptives in American and English Literature The diaphragm and cervical cap have been used to signify extramarital sex, working-class status, embarrassment, sorrow, and the onset of adulthood — but rarely a joyful or pleasant sexual encounter. Donna J. Drucker \| May 14, 2020
Science & Technology	The $60,000 Telegram That Helped Lincoln End Slavery The president’s plan to abolish slavery hinged on winning a second term — and receiving a long, expensive telegram that almost didn’t make it. Ainissa Ramirez \| May 6, 2020
Culture	The COVID Crisis Is Reinforcing the Hunger Industrial Complex The unholy alliance between food banks and corporate America has shown itself to be more interested in maintaining the problem of hunger than actually solving it. Andrew Fisher \| Apr 22, 2020
Science & Technology	COVID and the Harsh Reality of Empathy Distribution Empathy is a complex trait, like courage or height. Inevitably, some individuals inherit fewer pro-empathy genes than average. Peter Sterling \| Apr 20, 2020
Culture	Of War, Collective Trauma, and the Coronavirus Crisis The Vietnam War proved instrumental in sparking a new level of awareness regarding mental health in times of crises. What might it teach us about our own? Lucas Richert \| Apr 16, 2020
Culture	Coronavirus Is Exposing Our Failure to Manage the Logistics of Death Too many countries are drastically unprepared for the coming weeks and months. John Troyer \| Apr 7, 2020
Culture	Leveraging the MOOC Precedent in the Age of COVID-19 MOOCs, or massive open online courses, can provide guidance and even resources for schools attempting the swift conversion of entire academic programs. Jonathan Haber \| Apr 7, 2020
Culture	“Murder Most Foul” and the Haunting of America Bob Dylan’s epic new song isn't just about the assassination of JFK. It's about how an event takes on meaning beyond itself, and the role of spirit in the national life. Timothy Hampton \| Apr 3, 2020