Having lice ain't nice. But they tell our story, concise and precise
A new study shows how the annoying little louse has hitchhiked around the world with humans and has much to teach us about history.
History
Inside the weird and delightful origins of the jungle gym, which just turned 100
The history of the jungle gym, and its sibling the monkey bars, is full of weird and delightful twists and sub-plots that take us from Japan to suburban Chicago and delve into theoretical math.
Gaza is called an open-air prison. How did it get to this?
NPR's Scott Simon speaks to analyst Tahani Mustafa about the history of Gaza.
This trial struck down California's same-sex marriage ban. Now you can see the tapes
More than a decade after the trial to overturn Prop. 8 ended, trial videotapes remained sealed, until NPR member station KQED won a long legal battle that got the U.S. Supreme Court to unseal them.
Lessons from brain science — and history's peacemakers — for resolving conflicts
Humans instinctually forge loyalties to groups to survive. Being aware of these impulses can help us deescalate arguments and find common ground. Some notable leaders in history show us how it's done.
Jeff Yang's new book is a 'cheer out loud' for the films that made Asian America
NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with authors Jeff Chang and Preeti Chhibber about The Golden Screen: The Movies that Made Asian America. The book looks at films that have shaped Asian American identities.
Malcolm X arrives — finally — at New York's Metropolitan Opera
An opera about civil rights leader Malcolm X opens Friday — nearly 40 years after X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X premiered. The creative team says its message feels more relevant than ever.
'Rustin' tells the story of the man who helped make the March on Washington possible
George C. Wolfe's biopic chronicles the work of civil rights leader Bayard Rustin in planning an executing the historic 1963 March on Washington.
'Bun in the oven' is an ancient pregnancy metaphor. This historian says it has to go
In a new book, Policing Pregnant Bodies, author Kathleen Crowther grapples with how very old ideas – some of them misogynistic – shape how we think about pregnancy and abortion today.
NPR history podcast 'Throughline' examines the rise of Halloween's popularity
Halloween is now a multi-billion dollar industry. The holiday traces its roots back about 2,000 years to the Irish countryside and a spiritual celebration known as Samhain.