Can Social Scientists Help Control Epidemics?
A poster in an Ebola response center breaks down the evolving response to the epidemic—including efforts to address social and cultural concerns. Annie Wilkinson On May 24, 2014,…
Author: Elizabeth Svoboda
Why Winter Solstice Celebrations Persist
The El Castillo step pyramid (center) is part of the Chichén Itzá archaeological site in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Steve Elmore/Getty Images At the ancient Maya-Toltec ceremonial comple…
Are Mixed-Income Neighborhoods the Best Answer for Public Housing?
The Plan for Transformation brought new mixed-income developments to Chicago, such as those shown here, as a novel solution to public housing. Elizabeth Svoboda When Juanita Stevenson mov…
Where Do “New” Languages Come From?
As part of the Enduring Voices project, Abamu Degio (left) listens to a recording of herself singing a traditional Koro song, with linguist David Harrison (right). Jeremy Fahringer,…
A Belated Homecoming for Missing U.S. Marines
[no-caption] David Williams/SAPIENS Growing up, writer Clay Bonnyman Evans had heard all sorts of stories about his mother’s father, 1st Lt. Alexander Bonnyman Jr. Evans’ grandfathe…
Life and Death After the Steel Mills
Steel mills were the economic backbone of many cities across the Midwest and Northeast until the 1980s. When the industry left, former workers not only took a hit…
In a Genocide, Who Are the Morally Upright?
During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, more than 800,000 people were slaughtered over 100 days. Amid the chaos there were heroes—those who put their own lives on the line…