Giving birth used to be one of the most dangerous things a woman could do, until medical advancements about a century ago improved outcomes. So why might the United States—and one state in particular— be sliding backward in this key statistic?
Author Archives: Mikki Gibson
When Your Parents Disapprove of Your Partner
Situations today may not be as dramatic as that in Romeo & Juliet, but it does still happen that parents oppose their children’s choice of partners.
Top 5 Reasons Why Traveling Without a Plan is the Best Plan
Part of the Odyssey’s appeal is the element of surprise—would generation after generation dig into a story whose hero figures out exactly how to get where he’s planned to go and goes straight there?
About Intercultural Friendship
Making friends with someone from a culture different from your own is a great way to expand your horizons. Read the article to learn what pitfalls to avoid.
KidsRights Index
Learn which countries do a good (and not-so-good) job of protecting the rights of children. Explore the links to learn more about how each country’s score is tabulated.
Thanks, Robot! Humans Are Showing Kindness with Their AI Helpers
Why do we make connections with digital assistants when we know they don’t have feelings?
Why Do We Still Care About Shakespeare?
Four centuries and many changes to the English language have passed since Shakespeare wrote. Here’s why we still read his works.
How Smart Are Planet’s Apes? 7 Intelligence Milestones
In response to movies about supersmart apes, National Geographic compiled this slideshow about how smart apes really are.
Dare to Disagree
Constructive conflict fuels progress far better than passive agreement does. Learn how great ideas and strong results can stem from disagreement.
How to Make a Tesselation
A tesselation is a repeating visual pattern that can be as simple or as complex as its creator wants it to be. Try it for yourself by following the instructions in this online magazine by and for teens.
How Cancer Starts
Cancer is not a disease that people catch—instead, it is the result of mutations, or changes at the cellular level. Find out how these tiny changes can make things go very wrong.
Multicultural Cinderella Stories
“Yeh-Shen” may be the oldest version we know of the Cinderella story, but it’s far from the only variation on this familiar tale. Find out about other versions that span the globe.
Children of the Fifty-Sixers: Growing up in Hungarian Chicago
Author Rebecca Makkai reflects on how her father’s escape from Communist-controlled Hungary in 1956 still echoes in her life in the United States.
Family Farmers Fighting Climate Change
Climate change isn’t only about cars; find out what farmers are doing to help the planet.
Selfie-esteem: Teens say selfies give a confidence boost
Whether you find selfies annoying or empowering, they serve some important social purposes.
How Search-and-Rescue Dogs Work
Learn about how a variation on a game of “fetch” can save lives.
Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots
Learn about this global organization that helps young people identify the challenges they can address in their own communities.
Our Storied Lives: The Quest for ‘Something More’
Each of us is the hero of our own story in the making. Learn about a project meant to capture those stories, and click the link at end of the article to find out how one story turned out.
Solar Wind’s Effect on Earth
The sun obviously affects us everyday, bringing light and warmth from 93 million miles away. But it’s not as constant and helpful as it might appear. Learn about the cycles of storms on the sun and how they affect all aspects of life on earth.
What Makes Siblings Bond?
A sibling can be both an arch-enemy and an ally, often on the same day! Jeffrey Kluger, author of the book The Sibling Effect, discusses what makes our connection to siblings so strong.