The tale of the Trojan War reached 21st-century readers largely through the oral tradition. Learn about its source and why it still matters today.
Author Archives: Mikki Gibson
Shifting Gears
With half the population but holding less than a quarter of elected offices nationwide, women are vastly underrepresented in American politics. A nonpartisan organization analyzes ways to change that.
2015 is warmest year on record, NOAA and NASA say
2014 may have previously been the hottest year on record, but 2015 shattered that record. Read an analysis of these unwelcome superlatives.
Is Abraham Lincoln the Most Unifying President in U.S. History?
After an election, a president must work to bring together the opposing sides. See the results of a poll concerning who Americans think has succeeded at that task.
Marie Curie
Read about how the famed scientist Marie Curie made her own path to greatness.
Pay It Forward Day
The idea of “paying it forward” is simple—do a good deed for someone, and ask them to pass on the kindness to someone else, who will then pass it along, and so on.
What Are El Niño and La Niña?
How can the wind blowing thousands of miles away over the Pacific Ocean affect our everyday lives in the United States? Watch this video to find out.
How to Avoid Shark Attacks
Each new report of a shark attack puts ocean swimmers on edge, but an ichthyologist (that’s a fish expert) provides some tips to help humans avoid unwanted encounters.
City of Verona
The Italian city that serves as the setting of Romeo & Juliet’s tragic tale has a remarkable heritage dating back to prehistoric times.
Lascaux
Take a virtual tour of the Lascaux cave in France. See how prehistoric cave dwellers made their voices heard in their art.
100 years ago, ‘The Rite of Spring’ incited a riot in a Paris theater
The years just before World War I marked a turning point in the arts, a shift from the romantic to the modern. Learn how a groundbreaking ballet’s modernity shocked and angered the audience at its premier.
Scientist Finds the Beginnings of Morality in Primate Behavior
Do socially beneficial actions in our closest cousins reflect how humans evolved a sense of morality? Primatologist Frans de Waal thinks so.
Vanity, Pollution, and Death on Mt. Everest
Reaching the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, is considered a heroic quest by many; however, one writer has a different opinion.
Want grandma to know Siri from a selfie? This teen can help.
Teenagers and senior citizens sometimes have trouble finding common ground. One 16-year-old is helping to bridge the gap through technology.
Women’s rights under Iran’s revolution
Before the Iranian Revolution in the 1970s, women there lived much in the way that American women did. Read about how the revolution was a giant step backward.
Native American ‘Warriors’ Mark Military Service
A surprisingly large proportion of Native Americans serve in the United States military. Find out why.
Google’s India Strategy: One Teardrop at a Time?
The 1947 partition of India and Pakistan into two separate countries may have separated friends, but technology has the power to reunite them, at least in the world of advertising.
Living under ISIS rule—and then escaping it
One of millions of refugees escaping the horrors of ISIS, a Syrian journalist shares his story.
Power from the people: Rural Electrification brought more than lights
Less than a century ago, most rural communities in the United States lacked electricity. View artifacts that capture the magnitude of change achieved by the Rural Electrification Administration starting in the 1930s.
Mine Kafon: Wind-blown landmine clearance
Believe it or not, design can be a matter of life or death. Learn about a device based on wind-blown toys that was exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art on its way to saving lives in the designer’s native Afghanistan.