Elizabeth Yuko
Elizabeth Yuko, Ph.D., is a bioethicist and journalist, as well as an adjunct professor of ethics at Fordham University. She has written for numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Atlantic.
Latest from this author
Once essential navigational posts, these lighthouses have become tourist destinations even as some continue to operate.
Explore the origins behind witch costume features—the hat, the black dress, prominent nose and green skin.
Skeletons have long marked the boundary between life and death, with bones representing mortality and the spirit world.
One of the oldest superstitions links black cats with bad luck and evil. Like witches, black cats have also become modern Halloween symbols.
Spooky stories featuring the supernatural were all the rage during the darkest time of the year.
The star of ‘I Love Lucy’ was also a pioneering force behind the camera.
You don’t have to cross an ocean to see famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Stonehenge.
America's weirdest salad was once the star of the midcentury dinner table.
The tradition of blowing the ram horn dates back millennia.
Long before equal pay became a national rallying cry, these women challenged wage discrimination.
Three of the oldest public libraries in America began in a single state.
Since World's Fairs began in the 19th century, they have provided a stage to showcase new inventions and technologies, some of which became integral to daily life.
When disaster struck the Titanic in April 1912, a network of people mobilized to help save lives and care for survivors.
Sunday is the holiest day of the week for most Christians.
Explore five factors that fueled hysterical accusations of witchcraft during the 1692 Salem witch trials.
Felines served a useful purpose in ancient Egyptian households and were eventually associated with deities.
At its unveiling in 1886, it was a completely different color.
The construction of the interstate highway system in the mid-1950s forever changed the road once known as “America’s Main Street.”
These subterranean destinations showcase some of America’s hidden history.
The buttery, salty snack wasn’t always a movie-must.
After Pennsylvania’s capital moved to Harrisburg, the state considered tearing down the landmark building.
Multiple landmarks recognize the work and lives of the nation’s first ladies.
From disease cures to influential tech to workers' rights, Asian American innovators have made huge impacts on people's lives.
From Hemingway to ‘Heated Rivalry,’ the search for celebrity doppelgängers has been around a long time.
Dim sum for Christmas? The experiences of immigrants in New York explain how the tradition began.
Humans have a long history of capturing the passage of time by tracking the position of the sun.
March 17 has taken on new meaning for cat lovers, who honor the church’s unofficial patron saint of felines: St. Gertrude of Nivelles.
In Medieval Europe, nobles could claim authority over vulnerable heirs.
The Chinese tradition has spread to other Asian cultures.
The ancient Chinese calendar system has become an astrological tool.
Modern dating is nothing compared to the rigid world of Regency-era courtship.
This charismatic outsider founded one of America’s most unique religious movements.
Real or not, her story embodies the holiday’s theme of freedom.
Many of the holiday songs played over and over each December were penned decades, or even centuries ago.
Department stores and malls realized early on how live Santa impersonators could help attract shoppers during the holiday season.
If you've used a flat-edged broom or swiveled in your chair, the Shakers had something to do with it.
The iconic 1939 movie starring Judy Garland is among the most-watched in history, but even the biggest fans may not know these details.
Unwrapping parties were just the start.
From tables to trumpets, spiritualists used these tools of the trade to summon the dead.
These people made history, but they also found friendship—in each other.
As advancements in ice cream-making technology made it easier to churn out the dessert, community gatherings used it as a main attraction.
For many, the summer months mean more freckles. Trace how these marks have shifted in and out of fashion—and the lengths people have gone to address them.
During the Gilded Age era of opulence in America, certain objects signaled social status.
The first known representation of a wheelchair dates all the way back to the year 525.
The not-so-humble houseplant became must-have decor in Victorian homes.
Before radio, TV and internet, town criers got the message out.
Americans adjusted amid the war, and found different, often leaner ways to mark the holidays.
Katharine Wright helped publicize her brothers' first-in-flight achievement and made sure they made it into the record books.
A study claiming that human ancestors living between 240,000 and 500,000 years ago may have intentionally buried their dead, raises the question of when this behavior began.
