If evolution is seen as the study of unseen development, the camera provided the illusion of quantifiable benchmarks, an irresistible proposition for the advocates of eugenics.
Jessica Helfand | Aug 3, 2020
In early cultural exchange programs, the act of sending gifts abroad often doubled as an opportunity for children to rehearse and reinforce narratives about their own national superiority and exceptionalism.
Katie Day Good | Jul 28, 2020
Recycling may be an imperfect solution for an imperfect world, but it is no less valuable as a point of potential environmental engagement.
Finn Arne Jørgensen | Jul 20, 2020
Historian Douglas Selvage sheds light on a conspiracy theory that reverberates to this day.
Mark Kramer | May 26, 2020
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
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
After bungling the 1890 census in San Francisco, economist Carl Plehn was tapped to run the Red Cross’s registration department in the wake of the city’s tragic earthquake.
Megan Finn | Apr 27, 2020
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
In 2001, postal workers, for a brief moment, had a chance to reorganize how postal policy operated. But their health and safety was traded away in favor of cheap and fast mail.
Ryan Ellis | Apr 13, 2020
Renowned scientist and best-selling author Vaclav Smil offers a sweeping look at pandemics that ravaged the world.
Vaclav Smil | Mar 30, 2020
