Why we love big, blood-curdling screams
Frank T. McAndrew, Knox College
Of all the sounds humans produce, nothing captures our attention quite like a good scream.
They’re a regular feature of horror...
Zombie flu: How the 1919 influenza pandemic fueled the rise of the living dead
Elizabeth Outka, University of Richmond
Zombies have lurched to the center of Halloween culture, with costumes proliferating as fast as the monsters themselves. This year,...
How forceps permanently changed the way humans are born
Neel Shah, Harvard Medical School
Obstetric forceps look like ninja weapons. They come as a pair: 16 inches of solid steel for each hand...
Where is my Xanax Rx? Why your doctor may be concerned about prescribing benzodiazepines
Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University
As an academic psychiatrist who treats people with anxiety and trauma, I often hear questions about a specific class of...
Which cheek and how many? In France and beyond, a kiss isn’t just a...
Mathieu Avanzi, Sorbonne Université
In the English-speaking world, friends and family generally greet each other with a wave, handshake or hug, depending on their degree...
What is sex really for?
Richard Gunderman, Indiana University
Few topics arouse as much interest and controversy as sex. This is hardly surprising. The biological continuance of the species hinges...
3 questions about vodka, answered
Jeffrey Miller, Colorado State University
Towards the end of Ian Fleming’s spy novel “Dr. No,” James Bond orders a vodka dry martini – “Shaken and...
Even when they aren’t fired for being pregnant or gay, teachers face strict moral...
Kyle Greenwalt, Michigan State University
Pregnant teachers in classrooms are routine these days. But the law didn’t always protect expectant women in any workplace.
As part...
