Jul/Aug 2014
Shelf Help: New Book Reviews in 100 Words or Less
What you need to know about Bad Feminist, XL Love, and The Birth of Korean Cool.
What Your Workout Says About Your Social Class
Why can't triathletes and weightlifters get along?
On the Destinations of Species
It's almost always easier to cross international borders if you're something other than human.
A Desperate Town Hands Over Its DNA
The new American economy in three tablespoons of blood, a Walmart gift card, and a former mill town's DNA.
The Upside of Economic Downturns: Better Childhood Health
For children, the benefits of being born in tough times can outweigh the costs.
The Searchers
An old American obsession—the rogue detective's urge to crack the case—finds a new outlet.
Is the Quest to Build a Kinder, Gentler Surgeon Misguided?
Surgery is a fundamentally messy and stressful activity. When being a few millimeters off target can be life-changing, a surgeon needs to possess fierce concentration, unrelenting perfectionism, and, above all, staunch self-assurance.
When Stereotypes Cancel Each Other Out
In many situations, black men find themselves at a disadvantage. Gay men, too. But black gay men?
In the Picture: Working Out in Ukraine, Cybernetics
In every issue, we fix our gaze on an everyday photograph and chase down facts about details in the frame.
One Woman's Battle Against Pet Fads
Humans are hardwired to go jelly-kneed around creatures with kinderschema—infant traits like big eyes, big head, and small body. Can we resist it?
The Truman Show Delusion: Can Culture Make Us Crazy?
Two brothers—a philosopher and a doctor—attempt to explain the cultural roots of madness.
The Organ Detective: Hidden Global Market in Human Flesh
Tracking the organ trade, anthropologist Nancy Scheper-Hughes visited African and South American dialysis units, organ banks, police morgues, and hospitals. She interviewed surgeons, patient's rights activists, pathologists, nephrologists, and nurses. So why aren't more people listening to her?
Who Funded That?
This list includes studies cited in our pages that received funding from a source other than the researchers’ home institutions. Only principal or corresponding authors are listed.
The Ongoing Mental Health Benefits of Neighborhood Diversity
Diverse neighborhoods, it turns out, aren’t just conducive to hipsters.
3 Conferences That Are Worth Attending
From "The Wisdom of Music" to "The Human and Animal Bond," academic gatherings you should be aware of.
Sober Living, Online Harassment, and the Evolution of InTrade
Updates to past Pacific Standard print stories.
The Decline of the Physical Exam in Modern Medicine
Doctors today are too uncomfortable with uncertainty.
Letters and Other Responses to Our May/June 2014 Issue
Join the conversation by visiting our Facebook or Google+ page, or sending us a message on Twitter. You can also follow our regular updates on LinkedIn and subscribe to our print edition.
Meet the People Behind Our July/August 2014 Print Issue
Introducing Richard McNally, Amanda Wilson, Ethan Watters, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, and Wen Shen.
How Botox Can Solve the Depression Epidemic
One in 10 American adults struggles with depression, and women are twice as susceptible as men. Is facial paralysis the answer?
Can Watching TV Improve Your Health?
Public health wonks have figured out how to influence Hollywood writers: Don't call them, they'll call you.