August 30, 2023

Leibniz’s Peruke

On the Philosophical Importance of Fake Hair

Richard Halpern

Possessed of a monumentally impressive intellect, the philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716) was not blessed with a body to match. Bald, short, and unhandsome of feature, he accordingly availed himself of that universal male cosmetic—and prosthetic—of his era,...

August 23, 2023

Why Palestinians Are Known as the World’s “Best Educated Refugees”

Anne Irfan

In September 2018, a report from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics found that Palestinians have one of the highest literacy rates in the world. The finding chimed with the Palestinians’ long-running reputation as the world’s “best-educated refugees” – a...

August 16, 2023

Konrad Michel in Conversation with Anna Patchefsky on The Suicidal Person

Suicide is a difficult topic to discuss, both for suicidal individuals and for people who have been otherwise affected by suicide. Medical professionals often struggle to properly address the topic with patients. In The Suicidal Person, clinical psychiatrist and psychotherapist...

August 9, 2023

Q&A: Arturo Cifuentes and Ventura Charlin on The Worth of Art

The Worth of Art: Financial Tools for the Art Markets is based on a simple fact that people often overlook: artworks, notwithstanding their aesthetic merits, can be very valuable financial assets. Therefore, auction data—that is, actual prices paid for artworks,...

August 3, 2023

Ten Must-Read Books for Women in Translation Month 2023

Great books deserve a second life on the international stage; however, each year, books authored by women make up a disproportionately small percentage of the total number of works translated into English. This gender disparity is exactly why Meytal Radzinski...

August 1, 2023

The Inevitable Corruption of Modern American Life

Nicholas Hoover Wilson

The story of the United States Supreme Court has lately been corruption. “But Nick, which corruption story do you mean?” I’m glad you asked! I don’t mean the famous 2010 Citizen’s United v. FEC ruling, which, according to Zephyr Teachout’s...

July 26, 2023

Ten Must-Read Science Books for Summer 2023

Summer is the perfect time to dive into the world of science through the pages of a good book. Whether you’re lounging by the pool or enjoying the great outdoors, these ten thought-provoking science reads are sure to both entertain...

July 21, 2023

Sighting of a Cambrian Island from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

Markes E. Johnson

The rocks studied by geologists are often described in a standardized code that delimits the words employed, right down to the choice of color, grain size and fabric among other physical attributes. The code is a product of the International...

July 19, 2023

A First Wetting with the Coming El Niño in the Galápagos Islands

Markes E. Johnson

Island time includes the normal passage of life functions for a local biota in response to the daily rhythms of sun, moon, and tides as well as to the disruptions caused by big storms or other perturbances under extreme El...

July 14, 2023

The Battle of the Skirt

How Flappers Transformed the Fashion Industry

Han Yu

I can show my shoulders, I can show my knees; I’m a free-born American And can show what I please. *** On August 23, 1923, the Parent Teachers Association of Somerset, Pennsylvania, gathered for a solemn task: petition the school...

July 12, 2023

Q&A: Vincent M. Figueredo on The Curious History of the Heart

The heart. To some, it is a mere blood pump powered by the brain. To others a symbol of love and health—an important piece of cultural iconography. But to cardiologist Vincent M. Figueredo, the human heart is his life’s work....

July 7, 2023

Sergio Almécija in Conversation with Robyn Massey About Humans

In a career that has spanned more than twenty years, Dr. Sergio Almécija has dug up fossils in Europe, visited museum collections all over the world, and, more recently, studied living apes in their natural environments in Africa and Asia....