This article examines the benefits of CRISPR, a gene-editing technology that could improve how we produce food.
Author Archives: Anita Hacker
Patrick Henry Smells a Rat
As an anti-Federalist, Patrick Henry opposed the ratification of the Constitution. Read about his opposition to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Five protest poets all demonstrators should read
Read about five poets who used poetry as a means of protest.
See Why Thoreau’s Walden Still Inspires
Writer Kennedy Warne reflects on his admiration of Henry David Thoreau after a day spent at Walden Pond. View the image gallery at the top of the article to see the inspirational location.
‘It makes me cry:’ Tim O’Brien’s Vietnam War wounds will never heal
Author Tim O’Brien talks to a reporter from The Washington Post about how he remains deeply haunted by his time as a solider in the Vietnam War.
Did the Civil War Achieve Equality? Stephen Kantrowitz’s ‘More Than Freedom’
Critic Herschthal reviews historian Stephen Kantrowitz’s 2012 book about the abolitionist leaders who fought for more than just the end of slavery before and after the Civil War.
I say Hispanic. You say Latino. How did the whole thing start?
Sociologist G. Cristina Mora discusses her book about how the terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” emerged and how different commuities identify with them.
Column: Parents are critical to education’s success
Sibyl Wilson, president of Michigan Parent Teacher Association, argues that the involvement of families is key to the success of schools.
Nature: Closer Than It Seems
Writer and scientist Amanda Baker argues that getting out into nature isn’t as hard as some people think.
A New Rating for TV and Movies Tries to Combat Gender Stereotypes
The nonprofit group Common Sense Media has created a rating that labels television shows and movies as having “positive gender representations.” Read this article to find out why they created the label and what falls into the category.
This Mysterious Event Led to the Spanish-American War
This video gives a brief overview of the event that initiated the Spanish-American War, as well as a history of the Battle of Manila Bay.
What Makes Risk Takers Tempt Fate?
Research and varirous studies show that genes, psychology, and environmental factors all play a role in whether a person is a risk-taker.
Drought and conflict leave millions more hungry in 2017 – UN-backed report
Leaders of the United Nations point to a recent study that shows how hunger and conflict are linked and say that incresing food security can help bring peace.
Today’s movement toward sustainable living echoes the not-so-distant past
In this radio piece, author Kate Daloz discusses her childhood growing up in an off-the-grid geodesic dome and other “back to the land” communities of the 1960s and 1970s.
Beowulf Is Back!
Writer James Parker contemplates the connection contemporary society has with the epic poem and reviews some of the film and comic book adapations of the past two decades.
My students call me the ‘peace teacher.’ My job has never felt more important.
Linda Ryden, an elementary school teacher in Washington D.C., explains how teaching mindfulness has led to fewer fights and less bullying.
A Harvard study identified the precise reason protests are an effective way to cause political change
A study on the Tea Party’s 2009 “Tax Day” protest showed researchers that protests are effective, but not in the way one might think.
Mary Wollstonecraft Biography
This biography describes the major life events of feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
Is Music the Key to Success?
High-achievers from a variety of industries explain how learning to play music helped make them successful.
How smart cities can create their own poetry – tech podcast
In this podcast, the creator of an art installation in Manchester, England, discusses how she used real-time data that informed poems written by A.I. and were displayed around the city.