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Einstein in a Nutshell
Einstein’s most famous contribution to science—his theory of relativity—is based on an idea so simple it can be stated in one sentence. Yet from that simple idea, explains Middlebury professor Richard Wolfson, follow conclusions that have revolutionized our notions of space, time, and causality. Read More »
Reformation and Response: What Luther Did to Art
Dartmouth professor Jane Carroll examines how the Reformation, driven by Martin Luther’s rejection of the establishment Church, brought into question the assumptions by which most Europeans had lived, and how this played out in the art of the time. Read More »
The Examined Life
Socrates famously proclaimed, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Philosophy scholar Suzanne Claxton explores what constitutes the examined life and how we may best pursue it. Read More »
Transatlantic Traumas: Endangering the West
"The West" has been challenged by President Trump's policies, Russian covert actions, and domestic nativist and nationalistic tendencies. Stan Sloan, Visiting Scholar at Middlebury and author of Defense of the West, examines whether a perfect storm of external threats and internal politics is undermining Western values and interests. Read More »
Building Monticello
Jefferson never knew the Monticello of today—in perfect condition, impeccably furnished. Dartmouth College senior lecturer Marlene Heck explains the lifelong project Jefferson called his “essay in architecture.” Read More »
Love and Marriage in the 21st Century
Dr. Polly Young-Eisendrath looks at the transformation of marriage over the past century from a traditional contract between families to one that celebrates idealization in the form of “true love,” and suggests why the latter may be harder to fulfill than many thought. Read More »