Climate change is real, theoretical physicist Steven E. Koonin concedes. But the public discussion around the topic is alarmist and divorced from real science. Why are we missing so much crucial context, and what can we do about it? Too Much Drama At its core, news is a business, and today’s headlines are engineered to […]
The Dark Side of Evolution
When we think about what sets humans apart from other animals, we often focus on our positive traits. We create art, debate ideas, and have religions. We exist in all environments and habitats, from tropical forests and deserts to the Arctic. We’ve even expanded into space. Among these commendable qualities, there’s one that puts our […]
Are You Ready for What’s Coming?
The Information Age has caused rapid societal shifts over the last decades that were accelerated by the pandemic. As the world becomes more and more online, we’re learning new things about ourselves and what it means to be a citizen in the fourth age of society (the first three being hunter-gatherer, agricultural, and industrial). This […]
Why Trust Matters
Humanity has had a rough few years, which pessimists have taken as proof that the world keeps getting worse. Objectively, however, life for most people has increased in quality. Global poverty is declining, living conditions are improving, mortality is decreasing, and prosperity is flourishing. In The Rational Optimist, scientist and author Matt Ridley explains that working […]
How to Invest in Yourself
Your personal assets make up your “identity capital.” Think of this capital as more colorful than a resumé and more complicated than a brand. Your identity capital includes all your experiences over a period of time: your education, your job, your hobbies, and even what you post on social media. When you’re at a crossroads […]
Can You Spot a Lie?
Fake news has been around for centuries. But in recent years, techniques have gotten more sophisticated and insidious, making misinformation super tough to spot, at least some of the time. Instead of rehashing which news networks and platforms have a fake news problem (spoiler alert: your opinion probably depends on your politics), it might be […]
The Dangers of Tracking Drug Lords
Mexican author and journalist Anabel Hernandez already knew that her government was corrupt. But a horrible family tragedy gave her the courage she needed to take her reporting to the next level. Outraged by authorities who told her that they would only investigate her father’s murder if her family paid a bribe, Hernandez redoubled her […]
Time to Pick a Side
Good men aren’t hard to find. They’ve just given up. That’s the opinion of Helen Smith, a psychologist who has had it with society’s anti-male bias. In Men on Strike, Smith traces the history of how men in Western society have been chased out of public and private life. She sees harmful stereotypes everywhere she looks. […]
Bill O’Reilly Takes on the Mob
In January 1925, Al Capone became the head of the Chicago Outfit, a giant mob that controlled many illegal businesses across the US. This extensive crime network operated in near total secrecy. When Capone was finally jailed about a decade later, it was for tax evasion—not the many murders he had committed. Written by O’Reilly and […]
The Golden Age of Banking
Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant. Dwyane Wade. The world-renowned trainer Tim Grover has examined some of his most fascinating experiences with NBA superstars, and distilled the wisdom we need to rise to greatness. These days, financial power is widely distributed among American, European, and Japanese corporations. But much of this complex global system can be traced […]
