What's New

Rose Madeline Mula writes: Three mysteries will always taunt me: Einstein's Theory of Relativity, how to buy low and sell high, and how it's possible to have three huge closets crammed with clothes and still never have a thing to wear-at least nothing appropriate for the occasion at hand. Everything I own is either too formal or too casual for anything to which I'm ever invited. I seem to have an uncanny knack for either buying all the wrong clothes or not getting asked to any of the right affairs. more »

Can you use a popular book to explore interfaces between science, citizen action, public health, and the US Legal system? The Science in the Courtroom makes it possible; Interested in integers? Fascinated by fractals? Consult MIT's OpenCourseWare Math website; Folger Digital Texts visitors will find a source code that allows new noncommercial Shakespeare projects and apps; The Yale Writing Center Advice for Students contains areas that include "What Good Writers Know" and "Model Papers from the Disciplines." more »

Julia Sneden writes: I was at the checkout counter of a local supermarket last Saturday, watching as a pleasant woman rang up my groceries. In the brief pause as I wrote my check, the cashier turned to the youngster who was bagging the groceries. "Hey, do you know if the library is open today?" she asked. "Nah," the bagger replied scornfully. "I don’t do libraries. I can Google anything I need to know." more »

Traditional urban design tends to separate living spaces and commercial spaces into separate zones, which results in large distances between homes, markets, schools, and other urban spaces. Some urban designers have created housing and neighborhoods with on-site child-care and elder-care facilities, shops for basic everyday needs, and often primary-care medical facilities. "When we consider gender while designing communities, outcomes simply improve." more »