I was teaching virtue and knowledge while lying on the sideKatherine Moses, University of Mississippi
As the Oscars approach, Hollywood grapples with AI’s growing influence on filmmakingHolly Willis, University of Southern California
‘Hamnet’ is making audiences break down in tears – and upending beliefs about male griefJeanette Tran, Drake University
The inspiring and tragic story of Mabel Stark, America’s most famous female tiger trainerAlessandro Meregaglia, Boise State University
Indie coffee shops are meant to counter corporate behemoths like Starbucks – so why do they all look the same?Conrad Kickert, University at Buffalo; Jeffrey Parker, University of New Orleans, and Kelly Gregg, University at Buffalo
From bodice rippers to romantasy, romance novels are dominating the book market – and rewriting women’s sexual powerDiane Winston, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Believe it or not, there was a time when the US government built beautiful homes for working-class Americans to deal with a housing shortageEran Ben-Joseph, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
America’s teachers are being priced out of their communities − these cities are building subsidized housing to lure them backJeff Kruth, Miami University and Tammy Schwartz, Miami University
What if universal rental assistance were implemented to deal with the housing crisis?Alex Schwartz, The New School and Kirk McClure, University of Kansas
To spur the construction of affordable, resilient homes, the future is concretePablo Moyano Fernández, Washington University in St. Louis
What the world can learn from Uruguay as the global housing crisis deepensJennifer Duyne Barenstein, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and Daniela Sanjinés, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is having its #MeToo momentMatt Wilkinson, Coastal Carolina University and Ina Seethaler, Coastal Carolina University
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show is part of long play drawn up by NFL to score with Latin AmericaJared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder
Will a ‘Trump slump’ continue to hit US tourism in 2026 − and even keep World Cup fans away?Frédéric Dimanche, Toronto Metropolitan University and Kelley A. McClinchey, Wilfrid Laurier University
Has Little Caesars Arena boosted economic activity in Detroit? We looked at hotel and short-term rental industry data to find outGidon Jakar, University of Florida
The dystopian Pottersville in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is starting to feel less like fictionNora Gilbert, University of North Texas
Whether Netflix or Paramount buys Warner Bros., entertainment oligopolies are back – bigger and more anticompetitive than everMatthew Jordan, Penn State
The law meets its limits – what ‘Nuremberg’ reveals about guilt, evil and the quest for global justiceB.B. Blaber, Grinnell College
Michelangelo hated painting the Sistine Chapel – and never aspired to be a painter to begin withAnna Swartwood House, University of South Carolina
AI-induced cultural stagnation is no longer speculation − it’s already happeningAhmed Elgammal, Rutgers University
Why two tiny mountain peaks became one of the internet’s most famous imagesChristopher Schaberg, Washington University in St. Louis
Bad Bunny says reggaeton is Puerto Rican, but it was born in PanamaBrendan Frizzell, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
‘Which Side Are You On?’: American protest songs have emboldened social movements for generations, from coal country to MinneapolisTed Olson, East Tennessee State University
Clergy protests against ICE turned to a classic – and powerful – American playlistDavid W. Stowe, Michigan State University
Grammys’ AI rules aim to keep music human, but large gray area leaves questions about authenticity and authorshipMark Benincosa, West Virginia University
Googoosh, the ‘Voice of Iran,’ has gone quiet – and that’s her pointRichard Nedjat-Haiem, University of California, Santa Barbara
Artists and writers are often hesitant to disclose they’ve collaborated with AI – and those fears may be justifiedJoel Carnevale, Florida International University
Whether it’s Valentine’s Day notes or emails to loved ones, using AI to write leaves people feeling crummy about themselvesJulian Givi, West Virginia University; Colleen P. Kirk, New York Institute of Technology, and Danielle Hass, West Virginia University
More than half of new articles on the internet are being written by AI – is human writing headed for extinction?Francesco Agnellini, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challengesEmily Ronay Johnston, University of California, Merced
Signatures meant more in Mesopotamia than they do now − what cylinder seals say about ancient and modern lifeSerdar Yalçin, Macalester College
As Jeff Bezos dismantles The Washington Post, 5 regional papers chart a course for survivalDan Kennedy, Northeastern University
The 6-7 craze offered a brief window into the hidden world of childrenRebekah Willett, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Amanda Levido, Southern Cross University, and Hyeon-Seon Jeong, Gyeongin National University of Education
CPR on TV is often inaccurate – but watching characters jump to the rescue can still save real livesBeth Hoffman, University of Pittsburgh
Valentine’s Day cards too sugary sweet for you? Return to the 19th-century custom of the spicy ‘vinegar valentine’Melissa Chim, Excelsior University
Large trunks discovered in a basement offer a window into the lives and struggles of early Filipino migrantsSam Vong, Smithsonian Institution
Medieval peasants probably enjoyed their holiday festivities more than you doBobbi Sutherland, University of Dayton
A white poet and a Sioux doctor fell in love after Wounded Knee – racism and sexism would drive them apartJulie Dobrow, Tufts University
Pharaohs in Dixieland – how 19th-century America reimagined Egypt to justify racism and slaveryCharles Vanthournout, Université de Lorraine
‘My gender is like an empty lot’ − the people who reject man, woman and any other gender labelCanton Winer, Northern Illinois University
Why are women’s shoes so pointy? A fashion expert on impractical but stylish footwearMichael Watson, University of South Carolina
We’ve been tracking the number of Americans who identify as transgender – soon, there will be no reliable way to measure themJody L. Herman, University of California, Los Angeles and Andrew Ryan Flores, American University
As Mexico’s LGBTQ+ community battles for inclusion, two drag performers have become internet stars – with more than 2 million TikTok followersFrancisco Tijerina, Washington University in St. Louis
Why ‘The West Wing’ went from a bipartisan hit to a polarized streaming comfort watch over 2 decades, reflecting profound shifts in media and politicsKarrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University and Nick Marx, Colorado State University
Life isn’t all diamonds – money and fame don’t shield the many ‘Real Housewives’ facing criminal chargesC. Clare Strange, Drexel University
It’s easy making green: Muppets continue to make a profit 50 years into their runJared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder
Opera is not dying – but it needs a second act for the streaming eraChristos Makridis, Arizona State University; Institute for Humane Studies
The rise of the autistic detective – why neurodivergent minds are at the heart of modern mysteriesSoohyun Cho, Michigan State University
AI-induced cultural stagnation is no longer speculation − it’s already happeningAhmed Elgammal, Rutgers University
Doing things alone is on the rise, and businesses should pay more attention to that – even on Valentine’s DayPeter McGraw, University of Colorado Boulder
Philadelphia was once a sweet spot for chocolatiers and other candymakers who made iconic treats for Valentine’s Day and other holidaysJared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder
A culinary educator and local dining expert breaks down Michelin’s debut Philly list − and gives zero stars to the inspectorsJonathan Deutsch, Drexel University
How Hershey’s chocolate survived an attack from Mars − and adopted a business strategy alien to its founderJohn Haddad, Penn State
Would you eat a grasshopper? In Oaxaca, it’s been a tasty tradition for thousands of yearsJeffrey H. Cohen, The Ohio State University
