While the magazine has closed, its living archive endures—open to all and preserving the many ideas, voices, and discoveries that deepen our understanding of what it means to be human.
The president of the arts and crafts company purchased thousands of antiquities from Iraq for his family’s museum—but he could have met his goals without running afoul of the Department of Justice.
God or Geology? The Genesis of Ram’s BridgeSecular and religious Indians are butting heads over the origin of an important limestone shoal that connects India and Sri Lanka.
What Religious Beliefs Reveal About Post-Truth PoliticsIt’s not always what people believe, or why, that matters. Sometimes, the social relations surrounding those beliefs are what shape reality.
Eating People Is Wrong—But It’s Also Widespread and SacredCan transcendence be attained by embracing the strongest taboo of all?
Do Dreams Give Voice to the Divine?An anthropologist immerses herself in Islamic dream culture to understand how the divine plays a role in everyday lives.
Wrestling With the Culture of Drug Testing in SportsThe clash of Senegalese wrestling with international anti-doping regulations highlights the cultural biases built into modern athletics.
Rice Reveals Enslaved Africans’ Agricultural HeritageDid enslaved people contribute more than solely their labor to the success of rice plantations in the New World? In pursuit of the answer, one researcher is extracting little bits of memoir trapped inside rice grains.
The Long Path to EnlightenmentThe ancient Indian ascetic practice of detachment from worldly goods looks a little like modern simplicity—but appearances can be deceiving.
How Tourism Reinvented Jesus’ Baptism SitePilgrims and tourists are flocking to a baptismal site in the Holy Land in search of religious experience—and souvenirs.
The Perennial Power of RitualRituals soothe, excite, and unite people throughout the world. But how exactly do they work, and what makes them so meaningful?
