Culture and belonging aren’t all or nothing. Learn about the concrete benefits of identifying with two or more cultures.
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Urban Wildlife Refuges Highlight Nature That’s Closer Than You Think
You may not think of a busy city as a wildlife habitat, but green spaces within cities are essential refuges for migrating birds. Across the country, students and nonprofit organizations are working to create more urban wildlife refuges through action and outreach.
Emily Dickinson’s mystifying in-sight
Imagery of vision and eyes permeates Emily Dickinson’s poetry. In this article, humanities professor and physician Larry Zaroff (with Tony Chan) provides a medical rationale for one of Dickinson’s most powerful metaphors.
Stairwell A: The Only Way Out
After a terrorist-piloted plane crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, only one path to safety remained unblocked. Read stories of the survivors who escaped through Stairwell A.
About the Brothers Grimm and Fairytales
Once upon a time, fairy tales weren’t for children. They weren’t even written down. Read this history to learn how much fairy tales—even the ones with which we’re most familiar—have changed over time. Be sure to follow the links to older versions of the tales, and find out for yourself!
How Wingsuit Flying Works
In Greek mythology, Daedalus created wings with feathers and wax to escape Crete, but those wings had their limitations. Modern science has provided us with a working flight suit (minus the feathers and wax).
The “Lottery” Letters
The 1948 publication of Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” in The New Yorker magazine inspired subscribers to send a record number of letters, nearly all of them negative. Why all the fuss? Book critic and author Ruth Franklin considers these responses and Jackson’s own reaction to them.
Civil Disobedience
Both Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. drew inspiration from the writings of Henry David Thoreau. Read the 19th-century work that lit the fires of both Indian independence and American civil rights.
Hour of Horror Forever Alters American Lives
Winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting, this analysis published on September 12, 2001, discusses how the previous day’s attacks might change day-to-day life in America.
Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
Once upon a time, a seven-year-old girl named Linda Brown walked six blocks to a bus stop and then rode a bus to school, although another school was only seven blocks from her home. Check out this site to learn what happened when she tried to change schools—and succeeded.
But Did You See the Gorilla? The Problem With Inattentional Blindness
Is it possible to look directly at something—and not see it? Yes! Inattentional blindness can occur when you are focusing intently on something in particular and fail to notice other things in your frame of view. Check out this article to learn more.
Michael McDaniel: Cheap, Effective Shelter for Disaster Relief
Each year, disasters drive an average of 31.5 million people from their homes, and many remain homeless for months or years afterward. In this speech, Michael McDaniel outlines his efforts to design, build, and find support for a temporary shelter for disaster victims. Will he succeed? View the video and decide for yourself.
How Money Is Made
Did you ever wonder how money is made? Browse this photo essay and watch the short video to see firsthand what making 25 million dollars a day looks like!
The Full Nelson
As many athletes and fans know, sports can unify people who don’t have much in common otherwise. This article explains how Nelson Mandela used rugby and other sports to help unify the people of South Africa after years of racial segregation.
Double-Bind: Three Women of the Harlem Renaissance
Among the more well-known male writers and artists of the Harlem Renaissance existed women who also deserve to be recognized. Read about three writers whose work reflected being both black and female.
High and Inside: Morality and Revenge in Baseball
If a baseball pitcher on Team A intentionally hits a batter on Team B, is it acceptable for the pitcher on Team B later to retaliate by hitting an unrelated batter on Team A? Why? Or why not? This article examines the nature of revenge in baseball.
Edward Curtis: Photographing the North American Indian
Nineteenth-century photographer Edward Curtis was known for his images of Native Americans. Watch this video that details the Smithsonian Institute’s recent acquisition of more than 700 of Curtis’s images.
Welcome to the World’s Nicest Prison
Is the purpose of prison to punish or to reform? John D. Sutter highlights a controversial Norwegian prison that doesn’t feel like a prison at all—because its aim is not taking away freedom but instead creating good neighbors.
Relationships Are More Important than Ambition
Imagine your classmates twenty years from now: Who will be happier—the friend who becomes a high-powered entrepreneur with a car to match, or the friend who chooses a modest lifestyle with time for friends and family? Learn why some people are more ambitious than others and whether ambition can make them happy.
The Orchestra Playing for Peace
The World Orchestra for Peace brings together the best musicians from around the world to play in the spirit of peace and unity, even if that means the musicians are from warring countries. Learn about this remarkable group, and watch a video of its performance in Jerusalem.