Human Subcultures

Star Wars Celebration is a fan convention unlike any other, because it's all Star Wars, all the time. Grab your lightsaber and come along for the ride as we look at the HowStuffWorks team's time in Anaheim, California for the 2015 show.

A convention doesn't just magically happen - a dedicated team has to organize and arrange all of the vendors, panels and logistics. Matt, Rich and Brian from ReedPop talk about the work they put in to create the ultimate fan experience.

Booth babes are controversial, but have you ever met the people behind the costumes? Find out what it's really like to work at a trade show as a booth actor.

We met with Steve Sansweet at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim to discuss his history with Star Wars and collecting, and find out how Rancho Obi-Wan came to be.

Attending your first con? We've got you covered with 10 essential con survival tips!

A short time ago at a convention not so far away... it's the 10 best Star Wars outfits of Dragon Con 2014!

Enjoy some of our favorite mind-blowing sights from Dragon Con 2014!

The WWE Experience draws many every year. Learn more about the WWE Experience in this video from HowStuffWorks.com.

In 1968, "The Population Bomb" was published, with dire predictions of a coming world that could not feed itself. It launched the Zero Population Growth movement. Since then, the world population has doubled. What did the book get right and wrong?

By Dave Roos

Branding may put you in mind of that steak commercial on TV where the beef is seared with a hot iron marked Grade A. And in truth, the process on humans is not that different. Yet people who have been branded say there is pleasure in the pain.

By Julia Layton

Is this a cool extreme trend or a pointless gross risk? Reader discretion is advised for this article – depending on how you feel about tattooing your eyeball.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Today, entertainers like RuPaul have made the campy performance-oriented brand of drag a part of mainstream culture. But where did drag originate, and how has it changed?

By Cristen Conger

Maybe you've heard about drinking the Kool-Aid or listening to The Family Jams — but what do you really know about some of the world's most infamous cults?

By Alia Hoyt & Jane McGrath

There's a community out there full of average frustrated chumps who live to sarge HBs. Have no idea what we mean? Enter the saucy world of the pickup artist.

By Cristen Conger

Over its history, bullfighting has had more than its share of fans and detractors. Learn about the glitz, glory and gore of this often-misunderstood sport.

By Karen Kirkpatrick

Most of us have tried our hand at the intricate (and sometimes exasperating) art of origami. But who first decided that folding paper into elaborate shapes sounded like fun? Find out in How Origami Works.

By Nathan Chandler

Midwives have existed for as long as babies have been born, with references in ancient Greek and Roman texts and the Bible. Midwives today attend about 75 percent of births worldwide. But what exactly is a midwife and what does she do?

By Molly Edmonds

Social identity is what we see in ourselves that we have in common with others. Learn about social identity from this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Sure, someone can quit smoking. But if that person still yearns to light up a cigarette every day for the rest of his life, has he really changed? What does it take to alter behavior?

By Charles W. Bryant

Since ancient times, people have turned to courageous, larger-than-life champions as sources of inspiration. And even in today's more cynical culture, we still seek them out. Why?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Since ancient times, societies and nations have depended upon those willing to go to war. In the 21th century, we still do. How have warriors evolved and why do we look up to them?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Do you ever wonder whether your morning meeting was necessary? After all, why should it take six people to decide on a new coffee machine for the break room? Perhaps a pair could have handled this decision better than a group.

By Charles W. Bryant

Is being normal all about thinking inside the box? It's all about matching up to what society considers standard, but where did the criteria come from in the first place?

By Tom Scheve

It's almost impossible to strip personal beliefs away from the idea of personhood. But debates over controversial topics like corporate personhood and abortion rights inspire many people to try to find a definition everyone can agree to. Is there such a thing as a universal definition of personhood?

By Tom Scheve

"Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." So said legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, but how do these words help us understand society?

By Molly Edmonds