Fighting crime isn’t just for dogs. Learn about another animal that can be trained to stop “fowl” deeds.
Tag Archives: Culture & Society
The night I helped my mother escape North Korea
Read an excerpt from the memoir of a woman who managed to escape from one of the most repressive regimes in the world. In this passage, she helps her mother escape while her brother faces a difficult choice.
Economy in The 1950s
After World War II the Fifties brought about a change in the standards of living for Americans. How did advertising contribute to consumerism?
Humans once opposed coffee and refrigeration. Here’s why we often hate new stuff.
Harvard professor Calestous Juma explains why people often resist innovation.
How a Black Lives Matter protest became a community picnic with police
Police officers in Wichita, Kansas, met with members of the community, including Black Lives Matter advocates, to start a conversation about possible solutions to the conflict between law enforcement and black citizens.
College move-in day: What would Henry David Thoreau say?
Columnist Danny Heitman compares the relative luxuries of his daughter’s LSU college dorm room to what famed author Henry David Thoreau experienced at Harvard in the 1830s.
The Philosophical Differences on Immigration Between Canada and the U.S.
This article examines the differences between the United States’ and Canada’s immigration policies and asks whether Canada’s new program to expedite skilled foreign workers would work in the U.S.
Cities make us forget what’s great about nature
This article examines a study in the journal Science that argues that as urban density grows, humans’ connection to nature decreases. The authors of the study propose that smart city planning can counteract this trend.
Why We Won’t See More Games Like ‘Pokemon Go’
Read this argument that other game developers will find it difficult to replicate the success of ‘Pokemon Go,’ which was created by large established companies and brands.
Author Says a Whole Culture—Not a Single “Homer”—Wrote “Iliad,” “Odyssey”
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.
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.
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.
Lascaux
Take a virtual tour of the Lascaux cave in France. See how prehistoric cave dwellers made their voices heard in their art.
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.
The Nature of Natural: What We See in the Upside-Down Trees
Read about how an art installation called Tree Logic makes the author and her coworkers feel as they pass it daily.
Why I Don’t Use A Smart Phone
Ann Makosinski is an 18-year-old student with an interesting childhood story about her introduction to innovation. From an early age, she learned to create and build and make the most of what was around her.
Souvenirs are an important part of the holiday experience
Vacations and souvenirs seem to go hand in hand. Why can’t we resist the souvenir shop, and what are we thinking about when picking the “perfect gift” for a loved one?
Esenam Nyador, Ghana’s female taxi driver
After being rejected by several taxi unions because she is a woman, driver Esenam Nyador refused to give up and eventually developed a list of ex-pat and tourist clients.
Remarks by the First Lady at City College of New York Commencement
Read this transcript of First Lady Michelle Obama’s 2016 commencement speech in which she advised students to celebrate the diverse backgrounds of the students at City College of New York and of the citizens of the United States.
There Is Nothing Accidental About School Segregation
Reporter Jake Blumgart talks to Matt Delmont, author of Why Busing Failed: Race, Media, and the National Resistance to School Desegregation, about the history of segregation and desegregation of public schools.