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February 14, 2013 It began like a typical Bollywood story. Boy meets girl in pre-independence India. They fall in love. Her family says no way. So one night, she escapes. NPR commentator Sandip Roy recounts how his great-aunt jumped off a moving train for love, and went on to have a happy 60-year-long marriage.

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February 13, 2013 Pope Benedict XVI's resignation speech, given in Latin, has thrust the dead language into the spotlight. Writer Annalisa Quinn says that although not many people outside of the Vatican actively speak it, Latin is still very much a part of our lives.

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February 13, 2013 Of the patriarchs of science, Kepler is the least known. This injustice should be rectified, for Kepler not only taught us about how the planets move in the sky but also how important it is to dream; and how equally important it is to make sure the data backs your dreams up.

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February 13, 2013 President Obama gave the first State of the Union address of his second term under the looming possibility of sequestration. Matt Weurker shares his horror of the across-the-board cuts, while Taylor Jones doubts that even thoughtful trims would be any more appealing.

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February 13, 2013 Last month, Brent Musburger was accused of being sexist when he gushed about "what a beautiful woman" Miss Alabama was during the BCS Championship game. Commentator Frank Deford says if Musburger was guilty of anything, it was failing to note what a cliche he was perpetuating.

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February 13, 2013 It isn't just the fairy tale stuff of Goldilocks, or the pauper gruel of Oliver Twist. Really, porridge can be a beautiful (sweet or savory) thing, especially during the cold slog of winter.

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February 12, 2013 Strident strains of atheism often ignore the history of humanity's search for spiritual answers to the universe we live in. They shouldn't. One person who can help open the door to this vibrant landscape is the author Karen Armstrong.

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February 12, 2013 A channel on YouTube lets you see what goes on deep in the bowels (excuse the expression) of a natural history museum. There are dead things in jars, drawers and basements, but best of all, there's Emily, who hosts the show. She's a volunteer curatorial assistant/storyteller who could make a thumbtack interesting.

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February 12, 2013 A recent emergency announcement of a zombie attack turned out to be a hoax. But how would you identify the real thing? Thank goodness we have some ideas.

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February 12, 2013 For the first time in almost 600 years a pope is resigning. Joe Heller notes the timing, while Randy Bish wonders what he'll do next.

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February 11, 2013 This week many will buy chocolates, flowers and sappy cards for their loved ones in celebration of Valentine's Day. We here at 13.7, however, are marking the week in a different way. We'll be celebrating intellectual inspiration with posts each day on figures who have influenced our own views.

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February 11, 2013 Everybody knows you need a chicken to lay an egg. Everybody knows you need an egg to produce a chicken. What nobody knows is how the cycle started. Here's a new take, that leans eggwards — and it's fun to watch.

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February 11, 2013 President Obama instructed the Justice Department to give Congress access to information about the legal justification and standards for drone strikes targeting suspected terrorists. Manny Francisco believes the attacks are justified, but Jimmy Margulies doubts they're within the president's power.

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February 11, 2013 Poet and critic Craig Morgan Teicher says The Colossus, Plath's first book of poetry (and the only one published in her lifetime), shows us glimpses of the poet she would later become. Do you have a favorite Plath poem? Tell us in the comments.

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