Culture & Society

Greek Mythology

Source: HISTORY

From “how and why” stories to legends and myths about gods and goddesses, Greek mythology helped explain the world to people.

Berlin Duo Launch a Supermarket With No Packaging

Source: The Guardian

Are you sometimes drawn to certain food products because of the flashy packaging? How would you feel about shopping in a store with zero packaging, selecting food based on the quantity you need and paying by the weight of goods?

China Places We Protect: The Yangtze River

Source: The Nature Conservancy

The Yangtze River in China is the third-longest river in the world, sustaining life for about 400 million people. But, the aquatic life in China’s principal waterway is under serious threat of extinction from pollution and development.

Humans of New York and the Cavalier Consumption of Others

Source: The New Yorker

In this column, writer and critic Vinson Cunningham compares the work of Humans of New York photographer Brandon Stanton to earlier documentarians such as Jacob Riis.

How America became Italian

Source: The Washington Post

Using the example of Italian-Americans, history professor and author Vincent J. Cannato argues that the exchange of cultures and ideas between native-born Americans and immigrants positively influences society.

It’s Not the Economy: Why Unique Baby Names Are Trending Up

Source: Live Science

An increase in individualism has led to parents choosing original baby names.

The Psychology of Freedom

Source: Scientific American

Neuroscientist William Skaggs uses motivational psychology to explore the concept of freedom.

The Exhausting Work of Tallying America’s Largest Protest

Source: The Atlantic

Two university professors share their method of counting the number of people who attended the Women’s March on January 21 and suggest what that number might signify for the movement’s future success. You can find a link to their Google spreadsheet in the fourth paragraph.