Throughout the year, we publish new research collections from recent community submissions. All themes can be contributed to at any time. Additionally, field experts are invited to openly peer-review draft and published content at any time.
Year-round articles and media are published to Themes. Once your content is submitted for review, the Editor-in-Chief will work with you through the publishing process. Submissions can undergo open peer-review before, during, and post-publication to continually improve your work.
How do we learn and interpret the past which is recorded in stone? What stone remains exist today for us to study? What's the fascination with building stone monuments that mark celestial phenomena? What other evidence of the past do we have that isn't made of stone, and what do they mean? How have these Stories persisted through history and evolved?
The advancement of science as seen through objects! How did we get here with wireless technology, smart homes, the option to fly across the world, and more? From Fire to the James Webb Space Telescope, we're traveling through time watching science grow up into its modern mysterious splendor.
Why do we game? What do we consider games? What's up with all these batteries and software updates all the time to even get to the game?! We're diving into the material and digital culture of gaming, across time and around the world. It's GAME ON!
Climate change is upon us, but what does that mean? How does climate even work? We're looking at climate and the weather, both past and present, to try and understand why the world works the way it does. Join us on our journey through the spheres of Earth to learn how they all work together, if humans have any impact at all, and our attempt to understand what all this climate change fuss is about.
We're waging war on drugs. Smoke, visions, and needles: Past and present, drugs are a part of peoples' lives. Why is this? From psychedelic mushrooms to why you should vaccinate your children, this issue will look at disease, natural substances, and chemically engineered drugs which alter our lives either for better or worse.
Educational technology is growing in the 21st Century, but is that a good thing? What impact does digital education have on students, communities, and those who teach? Can our educational budgets keep up with innovation? How is the world adopting the revolutionary concept of educational technology?
How do we learn and interpret the past which is recorded in stone? What stone remains exist today for us to study? What's the fascination with building stone monuments that mark celestial phenomena? What other evidence of the past do we have that isn't made of stone, and what do they mean? How have these Stories persisted through history and evolved?
How do mythologies and religions take shape? Why are there so many different belief systems that have similarities? Where do ghosts and paranormal activity come from? What tricks do our senses play on us? Does our brain chemistry play a role in developing and believing in a faith?
Why are people so set on defacing and destroying history? What events have occurred up until the present day that made future generations omit the past, both willingly and unwillingly. The story of modern media, the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, Alexandria and more!
Black holes, time travel, and the (im)possibilities of time and space. Dive into the complexities of the universe by looking at astronomy, astrophysics, and current space exploration advances.
Tattoos, piercings, body art, oh my! Personal modifications range from permanent changes to your body to clothing, shoes, and accessories used on a day-to-day basis. Why do we follow the public "trend"? What does your exterior say to everyone else? Looking at all aspects of the physical human body, this issue goes beyond the abstractions of people.
Who cares about economics? The gold standard, paper currency, obnoxious coins, rising credit card debt, the stock market, cryptocurrency, and more -- let's figure out why economics should matter to you.
Starting with elementary school until we finish high school, and still pushed on us in college, is math. Why do we spend so much time studying the subject if our "careers" don't necessarily use it? We're going to delve into mathematics and look at how we use it in our daily lives, both in the ancient past and in the present: the use of zero, the discovery of geometry, pyramids, astronomy, you name it!
We're heading underground: from the catacombs to technological isolation. What is the human fascination with tombs what tombs will civilization encounter today?
Throughout generations, people cure ailments through chants, specific lifestyles, local herbs, and more. Today, pharmaceuticals have taken priority over traditional remedies. For this fall's issue we're going to focus on looking back at these other remedies and the pros and cons of modern practices. As always, we strive to relate the past and present and show the good and bad sides of both.
The craft of map making. Why do we use maps? What makes them special? How do they lie to us? And where is technology taking the map industry?
When did Fringe science become popular science? Why does the public love aliens and Sci-Fi? Why does humanity undermine its own capacity for technological innovation and prefer to credit alien races instead?
Biologically, your body breaks down. What role does the body play once dead? Throughout time and cultures around the world, we'll explore burial practices and examine the mysteries of the afterlife.
This issue will focus on Africa starting from the origin of the human race to archaeological sites through the ages, the Ivory Wars, and current social issues across the continent.
Join us on a visual tour through the history of Earth, from its birth to present day. From planetary formation to our current continents, how did Earth become the life-filled pale blue dot?
From Paleolithic burials to why we wed in white, we're on a journey through history analyzing the meanings in color.