The imprint of Greek and Roman mythology is all around us, from the names of our shoes (Nike, the goddess of victory) to the names of the planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, etc). And maybe a certain recent movie series has made you familiar with a little Norse mythology, like Thor and Loki, too. Now a new show is introducing Western audiences to Chinese mythology. Find out how costume designers approached dressing ancient Chinese gods for a modern American audience.
Shakespeare, an iconic figure in English history, is celebrated and beloved by another significant English figure, King Charles. Read about how and why King Charles celebrates the 400-year anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio.
Have you ever seen an accomplished athlete suddenly perform as if they’ve completely forget how to play their sport? If so, you’ve seen “the yips”–the sudden and unexplained loss of an athlete’s typical skills–in action. The yips are basically the opposite of achievement. Learn more about a term that started in golf, quickly moved to other sports, and is increasingly being used in other fields like politics, business, and education.
Many contemporary authors are inspired to explore the themes of immigration. Often drawing from their own experiences, they write about meeting different kinds of people and reconciling the past with the future.
Read about the story behind one of the most banned books for children.
Centuries after they were written, Shakespeare’s words remain poignant as we honor veterans on Memorial Day.
Words like “myth” and “legend” often make you think of stories from thousands of years ago, but new legends are always being created. America is no exception, with a number of popular myths spreading during the 1800s as the country expanded westward. This article provides a high-level summary of nine of the most well-known American frontier legends–some entirely fictional, but some based on exaggerations around real people and events.
You may have heard of ‘Gothic horror,’ but do you know what makes a story ‘Gothic’ or not? This resources provides a quick, high-level breakdown of key elements, themes, and techniques that can earn a story the label of ‘Gothic,’ as well as a few examples of famous Gothic horror stories you can read on your own.
Many of Shakespeare’s works might be lost to us forever had they not been preserved in a collection of published manuscripts known as the First Folio.
Read about how 1776, a musical about the founding fathers, takes on a modern and thought-provoking twist through its most diverse cast to date.
Feelings that one is a fraud who doesn’t deserve their success, known as imposter syndrome, is an extremely common phenomenon. Why can’t so many of us shake feelings that our ideas and skills aren’t worthy of others’ attention?
Celia Cruz, a Cuban American Salsa legend, continues to make her mark on American History.
There’s a lot of talk in the news these days about advances in robotics and artificial intelligence. But, while the technology is new, the ideas for it are not. Many scholars consider the Greek myth of Talos to be the first representation of a robot in literature and art. Watch this video to learn more about this ancient, and powerful, mechanical man.
There’s been a lot of fungus talk in the news after the popular Last of Us video game became a popular TV show. In the show, people are turned into zombies by a new form of fungus that takes over their brains. And guess what? It’s real! Well, sort of–it’s only real for insects. Should we be worried? Or do fungi do more to help humans than harm them?
It seems artificial intelligence is everywhere these days, and the world of art is no exception. This has led to many questions, such as “can AI-generated art be copyrighted?” Courts have started to weigh-in and so far, the answer seems to be that machine generated art should not get the same protections as human-created images.
Don’t let this optical illusion fool you. You won’t need to press play when you see this skyline illusion.
Learn about all about music producer Pete Rock’s incredible career and influence in the music industry.
Pigs are known for being highly intelligent animals, but this pig is known for her creativity, too.
Today we study Shakespeare in school and often see his plays in formal settings, but is that how they were meant to be experienced? Learn more about what going to see a play was really like when Shakespeare’s theater company put them on stage for the first time.
Many people know Edgar Allen Poe for his short stories, but did you know he was a poet, as well? Many of his poems play with the same themes as his stories, including one he dedicated to an unknown person and that scholars believe was written about a real-life haunted lake…
