Hamilton and the Value of a Really Good Villain
The musical Hamilton is an incredible history, full of nuanced villains. But there are a few exceptions…
Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds: Bloody Experiments in Impossible History
Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained and Inglourious Basterds are not your typical historical films.
Why you hate that museum, and how to fix it
A team at the Smithsonian is developing a new theory that explains why you may hate certain museum exhibits, and what can be done to make them better…
Shattering the Mirror: History and Narcissism
Continuing our series on the uses and value of history: can studying history help you to understand others better? Can it help you be less egocentric?
Would I Have Enslaved People?
How can we possibly imagine ourselves in someone else’s historical shoes?
Shadows of Ourselves: Empathy and History
What does history do for us? How is it useful in our lives? And how can we communicate that to people who say the humanities aren’t worth the time or money?