When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our ...

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas about his new book, Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living. Growing up in Greece, Dimitris Xygalatas remembers ...

Religions have long been the dominant suppliers of rituals, gamely stepping in with an answer to every question from How do I celebrate the birth of my baby boy? to How can I transfer my own sins onto ...