People who have power can make others do something—or make them stop. It’s a simple concept, but the way it works is always changing. Fluctuations in the global economy, politics, demographic patterns, and the Internet have completely restructured how power works in the 21st century. The ever-growing wealth gap in the United States has fed the […]
Bill Gates Needs Your Help
By 2050, the effects of climate change could be as deadly as COVID-19 has been. We dump 51 billion tons of greenhouse gases a year into the atmosphere. If we want to avoid a climate disaster, we need to get that number down to zero. Fast. Here’s the problem: greenhouse gases are involved in the […]
Get Over It
The next time something’s bugging you—an old memory, perhaps, or a recent misstep at work—try to put it in writing. When we feel embarrassed or sad or angry, memories can overlap and replay on an endless mental loop. It can be very difficult to break this cycle of negative self-talk. Writing about the experience puts […]
MLK, in His Own Words
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a famous proponent of peaceful protest. What many people don’t realize is that the civil rights leader took a long time to come around to recognizing nonviolent resistance as a powerful tool for social change. As a college student, King was skeptical of the power of love to cure social ills. He […]
Should We Legalize Heroin?
Should recreational drugs like heroin and cocaine be legalized? Dr. Carl L. Hart, a professor at Columbia University, makes a compelling case for decriminalization in Drug Use for Grown-Ups. The US government has been embroiled in the War on Drugs since the 1970s. But even with these expensive efforts, the number of Americans who use drugs has […]
How the Nazis Terrorized Britain
Winston Churchill had a lot on his plate. It was September 7, 1940, and Hitler’s armies had invaded much of Europe. The Nazis climbed to one of the highest points on the French coast, where they set up tables with food and champagne to watch the start of the Luftwaffe’s aerial attack on London. The […]
Rethink Everything
When was the last time you questioned your own beliefs? If you’re like most people, the answer is likely never. Most of us naturally hesitate at the very idea of rethinking our religion, political positions, or favorite sports teams. It’s difficult to grapple with new views, and even harder to part with old ones. Often […]
The Rise of Fox News
It’s strange to think that, a little more than 25 years ago, the Fox News Channel didn’t yet exist. The network would go on to change televised news. But in October 1996, the new network had just been launched by Ailes, who ran it from the shadows. He quickly built the network’s credibility by hiring top […]
The Secret Force that Shapes Our Lives
Liars use math to trick people all the time. Knowing how to spot the potential for deception is half the battle. In The Math of Life and Death, mathematician Kit Yates demonstrates how math underpins everything from medical screening to newspaper articles. In articles and advertisements, for example, statistics might be used to inform or mislead readers. How […]
10 Predictions from Fareed Zakaria
Wondering what the world is going to be like post-COVID? Fareed Zakaria has two words for you: Buckle up. One thing that the pandemic has made clear is that as much as we are globally connected, each country is very much on its own. No one nation can shape the trajectory of the planet. Today, […]
