History

It’s true that the 71-day occupation of Wounded Knee—probably the longest civil disorder in U.S. history since the Civil War—brought national attention to the oppression of Indian people. But Wounded Knee 1973 did not end the oppression. A new film by Kevin McKiernan, an NPR journalist who defied an embargo to get inside, could shed new light on what happened during the conflict.

Writer Eva Lou explores the history of her great-uncle, Taiwanese independence activist Lo Fu-Chen, and how important memoirs have shaped Taiwan’s national and political identity.

Ancient Greeks worshiped Helios, the “Sun God.” It’s not hard to see why they worshiped the personification of the great ball of fire in the sky. The sun provides warmth, heat, and now—energy. Here, science writer Kristen Pope provides 15 facts about solar energy you likely didn’t know.

The immediacy and horror of a tragedy like the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 raises expected questions: Who were the victims? Who were the perpetrators? What are the immediate policy responses? But, as awful an incident as this clearly is, the downing of the flight is just an episode in the larger Ukrainian conflict.

In the aftermath of the Malaysia Air Ukraine incident, one thing was clear: the damage ran deep. But beyond the obvious and important political scope, what is the responsibility of media outlets when covering the tragedy?

In a world where “bad” things happen daily, why do “good” people stand witness without interfering? These psychological and historical studies attempt an answer.

International Relations scholar Sam Sussman sits down with Iranian specialist Prof. Shervin Malekzadeh. Their conversation spans from how the film “Back to the Future” influenced US politics, to the Green Movement's staying power, to why academics globally have a responsibility to engage with public discourse.