The members of the United States Congress are elected to represent the interests of their districts or states while working together for the good of the nation as a whole. Why, then, do average Americans find it so much easier to work together than their members of Congress do?
The new Smithsonian exhibition, “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation,” is meant to show the imprint Indian Americans have made in United States culture throughout the centuries. Take a look inside the exhibition.
The debate surrounding required uniforms in American schools has been around long enough to have seen trends in fashion come and go and come back around yet again. Why are we further than ever from finding common ground on the uniform issue?
An earthquake and tsunami in 2011 caused heavy damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. Three reactors melted down, and radiation escaped into the air and water. Watch a report about how workers are still trying to contain the damage.
20-year-old Madison Stewart is on a quest to save sharks. Though they might not look like they need protecting, many species of sharks are in danger because of humans engaging in controversial practices and markets. Stewart hopes to change peoples’ minds in time to save these magnificent fish.
Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega has been held in prison for over seven years because of his reporting on his country’s corrupt government. In this 2013 letter, he makes his case for freedom and asks the United States to take steps toward a more democratic Ethiopia.
What determines a person’s cultural identity? For many people, it’s made up of a combination of factors such as language, loyalty, and heritage. For those from the former Soviet Union, the question is even more complicated. Read and listen to Ukrainian-born Alina Simone discuss her path to defining her cultural identity.
In April 2013, Mars One launched its Astronaut Selection Program, taking the foundation one step closer to its eventual goal of establishing a human settlement on Mars. Explore the official Mars One site to learn more about the organization, its mission, and the risks and challenges involved in such a historic undertaking.
Though it may sound like science fiction, the use of “suspended animation” (emergency preservation and resuscitation) to help save human lives will begin in trial form in the very near future. Read the article and watch the short video that follows, in which Dr. Sam Tisherman answers frequently asked questions about the procedure.
“Love locks” bearing names and messages can be found on bridges and other landmarks in cities across the world. But as this seemingly harmless trend has increased in popularity, it’s become a much bigger issue in cities such as Paris, where the structural integrity of bridges is being threatened by the weight of love.
There’s no question about the appeal of a good monster movie. But what is it about certain movie monsters that makes them such enduring stars? Listen to this story about Godzilla to learn more about one of cinema’s most legendary monsters.
We all know about the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs, but scientists now see evidence that we’re in the midst of another mass extinction—this one caused not by an asteroid but at least in part by human activity. This review of Elizabeth Kolbert’s book The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History discusses how humans have altered nature and what we’re doing about it.
For Sherpas working as professional guides on Mount Everest, a bad day at work can result in death. Though the Sherpa people have worked as mountain guides for over a hundred years, no one can deny how dangerous the job is, especially in light of the most recent accident on Everest which killed 10 Sherpas in a single day.
A shipwreck found off the coast of Haiti may be the Santa Maria, one of the three ships Christopher Columbus used to sail across the Atlantic in 1492. Learn about how the importance of the Santa Maria, and why one explorer thinks the wreck is Columbus’s long-lost ship.
Anne Frank saw the chestnut tree that stood outside of her window as a symbol of beauty, despite the ugliness that pervaded the world around it. Read about how the Anne Frank Center USA’s Sapling Project is giving new life to this special tree and all it stands for.
President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is one of the most influential speeches in our nation’s history. It’s hard to believe, but when it was first delivered in 1863, one newspaper wrote that the speech was nothing more than “silly remarks.” Now, more than 150 years later, the paper has apologized for its dismissive words.
You’ve probably seen remarkable images of irrigated land, rich with crops, in the midst of barren desert. New approaches are helping to alleviate hunger by developing crops in some of the most forbidding places on earth—but at what cost to the environment?
Explorers Ben Saunders and Tarka L’Herpiniere recently made history when they completed the 1,795 mile journey from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back. With links to their blog, maps, activities, and more, this site provides an in-depth look at one of the most amazing stories of polar exploration in history.
Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding new ways to help end conflict around the world. In SFCG’s participatory theater program, actors interact with audiences for whom conflict is an inescapable part of everyday life. Watch this video to find out more about the program.
People struggle for freedom and equal rights in many different ways. Jenny Hatch is a woman with Down syndrome who recently won the right to decide where and how she lives, after having had that right taken away from her for over a year.
