Author Doug Sundheim was surprised when he realized his book, Taking Smart Risks, included far fewer stories about women. In this article he investigates how that happened.
Tag Archives: People
Tightness and Looseness: A New Way to Understand Differences across the 50 United States
The cultural differences between regions in the United States are as pronounced as the geographical ones. But how can we explain and describe the differences in attitudes, customs, and behaviors between states? This article describes one potential framework.
Incredible: How One Couple Saved 50 Children from the Nazis
As tensions in Europe grew before the United States entered World War II, one well-off American couple decided to take action. Learn about the challenges and dangers they faced to rescue 50 Jewish children from the Nazis.
Widow of Murdered Civil Rights Leader Medgar Evers Moves Beyond Hatred
In 1963, civil-rights activist Medgar Evers was murdered in his driveway by a white supremacist. Evers’s widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams, has carried on his legacy and spoke recently about the civil rights movement and her hopes for the future.
Are Family Traditions Important?
As our lives become ever fuller with individual commitments and distractions, it’s easy to let go of family traditions that might not seem as pressing. But what might we lose in the long run when we skip out on things that were once important enough to have become traditions?
A dangerous idea offers hope for girls in Afghanistan
We sometimes take our freedoms for granted—for example, the freedom to learn. One Massachusetts woman, Razia Jan, has worked tirelessly to ensure the right to an education for girls in her native Afghanistan.
The ‘maker movement’ creates D.I.Y. revolution
In recent years, increasing amounts of screen time have contributed to a growing sense of disconnection with the physical world—hence, the birth of the “maker movement,” or a return to hands-on creation. Read about how “makerspaces” are attracting people with different interests who all want to create things they can hold on to.
El Dorado Legend Snared Sir Walter Raleigh
Almost half a millennium ago in the New World, Spanish explorers heard tales of a land filled with gold and treasure. Soon, the myth of El Dorado was born. Read this article to learn the truth behind the myth. Did El Dorado really exist?
Why Bilinguals Are Smarter
Most people would agree that learning another language has benefits. But this article highlights why people who are bilingual are more cognitively advantaged than those who speak just one language.
True Facts About Teens and Media, Now & Then
Check out this infographic which shows how technological advances have hugely changed the social interactions of teens over the last two decades.
Holocaust Survivor: Without Music, “I Wouldn’t Be Alive”
In this video clip from the nightly news, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor takes the stage to share the music he played for fellow concentration camp prisoners.
Zach Hodskins, One-Handed Basketball Player, Gets Shot at College Team
Have you ever regarded someone in a certain way at first, but soon realized that you had to shift your thinking? Here’s someone who has revised others’ first impressions again and again. Discover the details of this athlete’s inspiring story.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Learn more about the horrific New York fire that led to stronger regulations protecting worker safety.
Eating on Mars? Be Sure to Pack the Tortillas
Life on Mars is a work in progress. Six NASA volunteers took part in the HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) experiment to explore how astronauts might one day live on Mars. Investigate the importance of food preparation on such a mission.
A moment on ‘Oprah’ made her a human rights symbol. She wants to be more than that.
Clemantine Wamariya talks about her memoir, The Girl Who Smiled Beads, in which she writes about her experiences as a refugee fleeing genocide in Rwanda and rebuilding a life in the United States.
How to connect and find common ground in any situation
In this how-to column, the writer recommends connecting over small things before initiating deeper conversations.
Bromances may be good for men’s health
A 2016 study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley showed that mild stress can be a catalyst for male bonding, which has postive health benefits.
A History in Which We Can All See Ourselves
You may have heard the phrase “representation matters.” So why is it important to include culturally diverse perspectives when studying history? This article addresses that question and suggests ways to make history curriculum more inclusive.
Students explore fashion, promote self expression through clothing
Read about how a high school student turned her interest in fashion into a club that helps students express themselves.
Here’s the Science Behind the World’s Rarest and Weirdest Phobias
While it makes sense that people would fear heights or venomous creatures, some phobias seem downright bizarre.