Stories by Krystal D'Costa

The Hunt for the First Flower

All modern flowers are descendants of a single ancestor. We might finally have a sense of what that ancestor looked like

On My Shelf: The Lost City of Z

This academic year, I'm using the AIP book review series, On My Shelf, to revisit the books in my personal library. Over the course of the next ten months, I rereading my collection of ethnographies and popular science books and to share some thoughts with you...

Understanding the Power of Comfort Foods

The comfort food premise may be a very deliberate social construct

The History behind the King George III Statue Meme

Removing monuments of the confederacy is as much about the people calling for change as it is about the statues themselves

Historical Eclipse Fake-Outs

Public memory can be problematic

The Short Political Career of Strawberries

This unassuming plant can teach us a great deal about politics and colonialism

Using Emotional Intelligence to Crack the Job Interview Code

What Drives Us to Peek into Someone's Medicine Cabinet?

What are we really hoping to find?

To Counteract Propaganda, We Should Look to Lessons from Advertising

The goal should not be conversion but doubt

The Rising Trend of Pets at Work

Before you set up a desk for Fido, have you thought through what this really means for your office?

Follow-Up: The Reasons People Don't Return Their Shopping Carts

It looks like the shopping cart question hit a nerve

How Marketing Changed the Way We See Avocados

Once upon a time, Americans didn't know what to do with "alligator pears." Now we can't get enough

The American Obsession with Lawns

Lawns are the most grown crop in the U.S.—and they're not one that anyone can eat; their primary purpose is to make us look and feel good about ourselves

Why Do We Fight for Free T-Shirts at Sporting Events?

The return of baseball marks a new beginning for fans. This could be the year the team makes a championship run. Or maybe they'll see a rare no-hitter or, arguably even more elusive, catch a t-shirt from the fan patrol...

What's the Meaning of Easter Baskets?

Part of the Easter festivities today may include giving children baskets of goodies, which are left ostensibly by the Easter Bunny. That absolutely is the case in my household.

Perspective Drives Our Interpretation of Heroes and Villains in History

Capes. Masks. Is there a real difference between heroes and villains?

What Can Lunch Tell Us about Job Satisfaction?

The fictional financial supervillain Gordon Gekko once proclaimed, "Lunch is for wimps." But lunchtime habits in your workplace can actually tell you a lot about the health of your organization...

Why Is It Significant That the White House Tours Resume?

The tradition of an open house at the White House dates back to the administration of Thomas Jefferson. Why is this an important aspect of the American democratic process?

The (Anthropological) Truth about Walls

From the Great Wall of China to Hadrian's Wall to the New Amsterdam Wall on Wall Street to the Wall defended by Castle Black, walls have a long-standing place in history and pop culture to defend people...

Is There a Social Code for Snow Removal?

Will you have help digging out after a snowstorm or are you the one offering help?