Elizabeth Yuko

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

Façade of the Cincinnati Union Terminal building, showcasing its grand Art Deco architecture.

These iconic structures showcase the sleek geometry and lavish detail that defined early 20th-century architecture.

From sleeping outside, to installing windows designed for airflow, find out how people tried to stay cool during heat waves before AC.

How World War I Eclipsed 1918 Pandemic Memorials

Both World War I and the 1918 influenza pandemic were devastating events in history. So why did memorials for one event overshadow the other?

An 1814 engraving depicts a boy scaring guests with a ghost at a Victorian Christmas party.

Spooky stories featuring the supernatural were all the rage during the darkest time of the year.

Chinese dim sum at a restaurant.

Dim sum for Christmas? The experiences of immigrants in New York explain how the tradition began.

Egyptian artifact found on beach.

The artifact, picked up by a retiree walking on a beach in Israel, depicts one of the most powerful deities of ancient Egypt.

Why Black Cats Are Associated with Bad Luck

As early as the 13th century, the Catholic Church linked cats to Satan.

View of the lower Manhattan, as seen from the Manhattan Bridge, New York, New York, 1910.

The rise of mills and factories drew an influx of people to cities—and placed new demand on urban infrastructures.

Two friends hands toasting with glasses of craft beer at the pub or bar. taproom

Evidence suggests that people were drinking beer as far back as 13,000 years ago, while distilled liquor arrived much later.

The Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London, 1851.

As England and the United States transformed under the Industrial Revolution, World Fairs served to drum up support for the shift.

A German dishwasher model from 1963 made by the company, Küchen.

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.

The Real History behind Horror Movies: The Exorcist

From biblical depictions of Christ casting out demons, to charismatic Christians in the '60s, to the story behind the 1973 movie, people have been attempting to expel evil for centuries.

American soldiers of 101st infantry regiment peel potatoes around a sink decorated with a tiny Christmas tree.

Americans adjusted amid the war, and found different, often leaner ways to mark the holidays.

Full-length portrait of inventors Orville Wright (L) and Wilbur Wright (R) standing with their sister Katherine Wright (center) on the deck of a ship, circa 1910.

From sisters who toppled a dictator, to siblings who worked together to become first in flight, these siblings collaborated to make a difference.

A crowd awaits Titanic survivors.

When disaster struck the Titanic in April 1912, a network of people mobilized to help save lives and care for survivors.

HDR shot, backlight, sun as star, super wide angle shot, temple C, Apollo temple, Selinunte, archaeological site, temple, southwest Sicily, Sicily, Italy

Humans have a long history of capturing the passage of time by tracking the position of the sun.

Winston Churchill gives his famous victory sign on VE Day, 1945.

Raising two fingers in a 'V' shifted in meaning from 'Victory' to 'Peace.' Track the change from World War II to the Vietnam War eras.

Oskar Schindler

Oskar Schindler saved more than 1,000 Jews during the Holocaust—while undeniably heroic, his real story is also more complicated.

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 1992: L-R: Drag queen RuPaul pose for a portrait in November 1992 in Times Square in New York City, New York. (Photo by Catherine McGann/Getty Images).

There is a long history of performers using clothing, makeup and hairstyles to express gender. These were among the first to make waves.

8 Groundbreaking Contributions of Asian Americans Through History

From disease cures to influential tech to workers' rights, Asian American innovators have made huge impacts on people's lives.

NYC subway in Brooklyn, NY.

From remnants of a once-glorious station to mysterious depictions of beavers, the NYC subway holds many secrets.

The Wright siblings

Katharine Wright helped publicize her brothers' first-in-flight achievement and made sure they made it into the record books.

Actors Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Ray Bolge, Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton in a scene from the film 'The Wizard of Oz', 1939. Hamilton suffered severe burns during filming.

The iconic 1939 movie starring Judy Garland is among the most-watched in history, but even the biggest fans may not know these details.

Statues of cats are displayed after the announcement of a new discovery carried out by an Egyptian archaeological team in Giza's Saqqara necropolis, south of the capital Cairo, on November 23, 2019.

Felines served a useful purpose in ancient Egyptian households and were eventually associated with deities.

The construction of the interstate highway system in the mid-1950s forever changed the road once known as "America's Main Street."

Halloween Costumes through the decades

Explore the origins behind witch costume features—the hat, the black dress, prominent nose and green skin.

A Christmas songbook by a Christmas tree.

Many of the holiday songs played over and over each December were penned decades, or even centuries ago.

Department store Santa, circa 1977.

Department stores and malls realized early on how live Santa impersonators could help attract shoppers during the holiday season.

Witch trial in Salem, Massachusetts. Lithograph by George H. Walker.

Explore five factors that fueled unease and panic over accusations of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials.

Some of the earliest versions of socially acceptable women's pants were worn by women vacationing on the beach.

Opera glasses owned by Mary Church Terrell.

During the Gilded Age era of opulence in America, certain objects signaled social status.

6 Groundbreaking Innovations by Arab Americans, Heart surgeon, Dr. Michael DeBakey

Americans born in or with ancestral ties to Arab-speaking countries have made countless significant scientific, medical and engineering contributions.

8 Famous Figures Who Believed in Communicating with the Dead

Spiritualism’s popularity waxed and waned throughout the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, and surged on the heels of major wars and pandemics.

Lit candles in a menorah.

From lighting a menorah, to giving out gelt, to eating cheese—find out how these Hanukkah traditions began.

The main hall of New York City's Grand Central Railway Station in the early 1900s.

Discover the secrets—and myths—within New York City's Grand Central Terminal, which first opened on February 2, 1913.

Spinner in the Middle Ages (Hours of the Duke of Guise), Miniature, Musee Conde in Chantilly, France.

People living in the Middle Ages likely used or came across these objects in their daily lives.

These fugitive slaves are fleeing from Maryland to Delaware by way of the Underground Railroad.These fugitive slaves are fleeing from Maryland to Delaware by way of the Underground Railroad, 1850. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

In order to avoid detection, Harriet Tubman and others used a variety of codes and signals to communicate along the route to freedom.

Medics helping the wounded onto stretchers, World War I.

The carnage of World War I drove advances in new techniques and tools to collect and store blood and offer safe transfusions.

The excavation of Homo naledi in South Africa, 2015.

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.

Condom made from sheep intestine, c. 1800.

Ancient Romans used versions made from linen, as well as animal intestines, to prevent the spread of infection.