The Curiosity Gap Content

How Did a Law from 150 Years Ago Change Voting Rights Today?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — March 30, 2026 - 1:53pm

Tati King and Toni Johnson both lost their right to vote after drug-related felony convictions. Even though both have served their prison sentences, the Virginia state constitution imposes a lifetime voting ban on anyone convicted of any felony unless restored by the state’s governor.

Is Tea Culture Art, Political, or Some of Both?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — March 25, 2026 - 4:27pm

There are nuances to culture that escape the detection of those not entrenched within it. Accessing this intimate knowledge relies upon deep immersion in that culture over time. It’s not something that can be analyzed in a lab.

Does Structural Racism Shorten People’s Life Expectancy?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — March 24, 2026 - 9:40am

Not every neighborhood is near a toxic waste site. Not every block has a liquor store. These forms of neighborhood blight, as well as segregation and racial inequality, are all examples of structural racism.

How Does Presidential Order on AI Regulation Affect States?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — February 17, 2026 - 3:45pm

How Does Rage Bait Affect Us?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — February 13, 2026 - 4:15pm

We’ve all seen rage bait posts on social media. They might be political or personal. They might be rude or outright false. What they have in common is the ability to make our blood boil.

How Did the Milky Way Galaxy Form?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — February 13, 2026 - 2:53pm

If you’ve ever been to a place with minimal light pollution and looked skywards at nighttime, you’ve probably seen our Milky Way galaxy. It manifests as a thick, hazy band of stars streaking across the sky.

Are We Connected by Evolution?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — February 11, 2026 - 9:43am

Paul Eastwick was in high school when he first came across the idea that evolution might explain how and why humans love. It was in a 1994 Time Magazine article about the book The Moral Animal by Robert Wright.

How Do Teachers Prepare with Every Student in Mind?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — February 03, 2026 - 10:42am

Kindergarten teacher Paige Hendrix marked her students’ cubbies with personalized nametags for the first day of school. But as students arrived, she quickly realized that most of her class couldn’t yet read their names in print. Rather than rushing to teach letter recognition, Hendrix pivoted, taping photos of each child to their cubby.

What Does Empathy Have to Do with Politics?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — February 02, 2026 - 10:28am

When President Donald J. Trump took office for the second time lat year, he enlisted tech giant Elon Musk to help find and cut “waste” in the federal government. Over the first few months of his second-term, Trump, Musk and the Administration cut federal funding to international aid programs, food programs and safety net programs even within the U.S. They took on science and medical research, too, slashing funding to universities and even government research institutions.

How is the Poverty Rate Determined?

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — January 09, 2026 - 3:09pm

The U.S. is the world’s wealthiest nation and yet, year after year, a significant share of the population lives in poverty.