In a legal marathon running alongside the real Boston Marathon, the Supreme Court heard oral argument this week about whether to re-instate the on-again, off-again death sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, for his role in planting the deadly bombs near the 2013 Marathon finish line.
Commentary
Changing your mind about something as important as vaccination isn’t a sign of weakness – being open to new information is the smart way to make choices
Culturally, this is an era in which people are held in high esteem when they stick with their beliefs and negatively labeled as “flip-floppers” or “wishy-washy” when they change what they think.
When human life begins is a question of politics – not biology
A Texas law that aims to eliminate almost all abortions in the state is part of a long-standing nationwide movement to restrict the right to abortion.
Lead exposure during childhood may influence adult personality, and not for the better
Children raised in areas with more atmospheric lead pollution grew up to have less adaptive and less mature personalities, according to a study I led of over 1.5 million people across the U.S. and Europe.
AI spots shipwrecks from the ocean surface – and even from the air
In collaboration with the United States Navy’s Underwater Archaeology Branch, I taught a computer how to recognize shipwrecks on the ocean floor from scans taken by aircraft and ships on the surface.
What is biblical inerrancy? A New Testament scholar explains
In his farewell address at the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention, outgoing president J.D. Greear acknowledged the internal disputes but assured attendees that the Baptist faith continues to affirm “those doctrines most contested in our culture,” such as “the authority, and the inerrancy, and the sufficiency of scripture.”
Before Shark Week and ‘Jaws,’ World War II spawned America’s shark obsession
Every summer on the Discovery Channel, “Shark Week” inundates its eager audiences with spectacular documentary footage of sharks hunting, feeding and leaping.
Infrastructure spending has always involved social engineering
The effort by Democrats and Republicans in Congress to find agreement over a federal infrastructure spending bill has hinged on a number of factors, including what “infrastructure” actually is – but the debate ignores a key historical fact.
‘Cheating’s OK for me, but not for thee’ – inside the messy psychology of sexual double standards
Sexual double standards – in which women and men are judged differently for the same sexual behavior – will probably sound familiar to most people.
How student-designed video games made me rethink how I teach history
Imagine you’re a young samurai in Japan in 1701.
Scarred by Zika and fearing new COVID-19 variants, Brazilian women say no to another pandemic pregnancy
“We have to avoid a pregnancy,” said Rosa, about the possibility of getting pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump, defying custom, hasn’t given the National Archives records of his speeches at political rallies
Public figures live on within the words they are remembered by.
Lab–grown embryos and human–monkey hybrids: Medical marvels or ethical missteps?
In Aldous Huxley’s 1932 novel “Brave New World,” people aren’t born from a mother’s womb.
Fighting school segregation didn’t take place just in the South
Whether it’s black-and-white photos of Arkansas’ Little Rock Nine or Norman Rockwell’s famous painting of New Orleans schoolgirl Ruby Bridges, images of school desegregation often make it seem as though it was an issue for Black children primarily in the South.
Strong political institutions can uphold democracy, even if people can’t agree on politics
Americans’ trust in the federal government has declined steadily in the last half-century, polls show.
Why rituals are important survival tools during the COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 has disrupted many aspects of daily life, including rituals both sacred and mundane.
Japan’s most famous writer committed suicide after a failed coup attempt – now, new photos add more layers to the haunting act
Japanese writer Yukio Mishima has long been a favorite of the international press.
Evidence of an impending breakup may exist in everyday conversation – months before either partner realizes their relationship is tanking
When doubts about a relationship start to creep in, people don’t just blurt them out.
Why Easter is called Easter, and other little-known facts about the holiday
The date of Easter, when the resurrection of Jesus is said to have taken place, changes from year to year.
Election Polling Needs More Transparency, Better Reporting of Results
Although it may be weeks until we have verified vote counts for the U.S. presidential election, the error in the polls is undeniable, with state-level polling consistently underestimating support for President Donald Trump.
When the 19th Amendment was Born So Was My Feminist Mom
The winning of women’s suffrage took over 70 years and three generations of extraordinary women spearheading one of the most successful political mobilization efforts in U.S. history.
Why Do People in Hawaii Live 7 Years Longer than People in Mississippi?
Add living a longer life to the list of reasons to move to Hawaii, which tops the list in a national study on average life expectancy.
State of the Art: AGBS Presents The Narrative
In the spring of 2020, the Art Galleries at Black Studies’ (AGBS) Christian-Green Gallery and Idea Lab closed their doors to help contain the spread of COVID-19.
What is Juneteenth?
Although Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, the date the holiday observes, June 19, 1865, came more than two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, when Texas finally received word that slavery had ended.
Student-Centered Learning in the Time of Coronavirus
Transitioning to online courses mid-semester poses some logistical and pedagogical challenges, especially for humanists who value seminar-style classrooms. Adapting to a virtual course does not mean you have to radically revise your learning objectives or course materials. Rather, it is an opportunity to check-in and ensure your course is centering on students and their learning […]