I should have been grateful. Instead, I was disappointed. I was not among the finalists for NASA’s Teacher-in-Space competition. The contest was announced in 1985, and 10,463 people from all 50 states applied. Being an astronaut was an early dream for me as I watched the space program’s progress, including the moon landing. My interest […]
1980s
Who Gets to Regulate #*%& Free Speech in Popular Culture?
Offended by lyrics they deemed too sexual and violent, Tipper Gore and Susan Baker campaigned to put warning labels on albums in 1985. Years later, warning labels have ended up in some unexpected places.
‘Another Player Down’: How Concern About Injuries Is Changing Sports
As concussions plague football, are there lessons from earlier concerns about boxing?
Healing the Ozone: First Steps Toward Success
A worldwide effort to heal damage to the ozone layer is showing early progress.
The Crime That Fueled an Asian American Civil Rights Movement
The 1982 attack against Vincent Chin redefined hate crimes and energized a push for today’s stronger legal protections. (Mural by Anthony Lee.)
Nuclear Meltdowns Raised Fears, but Growing Energy Needs May Outweigh Them
Catastrophic accidents at power plants have heightened fears about the safety of nuclear energy, but environmentalists and others are giving it renewed attention as a way to fight global warming.
Unprepared: Lessons From Two Massive Oil Spills
A disastrous oil spill off the coast of Alaska and massive explosion of a rig in the Gulf of Mexico revealed a pattern of unsettled standards and inconsistent oversight that cast doubt on the oil industry’s preparedness for future accidents.
Extremism in America (full film)
This 28-minute special looks at the roots and rise of hate groups in America. It is released in collaboration with WORLD Channel and The WNET Group’s reporting initiative Exploring Hate.
How a 1944 Supreme Court Ruling on Internment Camps Led to a Reckoning
The U.S. government ordered 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most American citizens, imprisoned during World War II. An admission of wrongdoing and reparations payments came decades later, but a Supreme Court ruling had lasting impact.
Dictators and Civil Wars: The Cold War in Latin America
Driven by fears of the rise of communism, the United States adopted a policy of containment, intervening in the politics of countries across the globe. In Latin America, the consequences of those efforts are still unfolding.