The French economist Thomas Piketty says that history bends toward equality. Since 1820, life expectancy has been rising all over the world, along with literacy rates. A college education, which was once considered class privilege, is now accessible to almost everyone. Across the world, the average income has been multiplied by 10. But some of […]
Is Big Data Coming For You?
Welcome to the Big Data economy, where companies extract value from the study of how you behave online. The algorithms these companies use can be tools that help us google information or choose which show to binge on Netflix. But they can also perpetuate inequity and harm—and will divide the world if we allow them […]
A World Without Work?
Tech entrepreneur Jeff Booth is very worried about the future. Technology, by its nature, tends to drive prices down. In theory, that should be a good thing. But our economic structures weren’t designed for a society driven by low prices. Under current conditions, less jobs and less money would spell disaster. With the increasing technology […]
Money is a Collective Delusion
Long ago, societies relied on the barter system, where people paid each other in goods and services. These days, you can’t pay for Amazon Prime with chickens or sacks of grain, or buy a new phone with a stack of animal skins. Instead, we use financial instruments like cash and credit and debit cards. But […]
You Got Game
In competitive sports, an athlete’s mental game is as important as physical prowess. Take golf, for instance. Leading sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella changed the game with his insight that a high confidence level and a calm attitude are the keys to elite play. As with many other sports, golf instructors tend to focus on […]
Battling the Attention Crisis
Modern life has made it increasingly difficult to focus on a single task. We know that brain-powered activities like reading, meditating, and even daydreaming have high value. But be honest: when was the last time you successfully read anything for half an hour without checking your messages? If you feel like your attention span has […]
Looks aren’t Everything
Here’s a sobering statistic: about half of girls between the ages of five and nine wish they were skinnier. Before they’re even old enough to read, these kids are taught that being thin is what it means to be beautiful. Kindergarteners should not be anxious about their weight. Renee Engeln, a psychology professor at Northwestern […]
Thinking About a Job Change?
The labor market has been especially volatile over the last few years, which has led to many people contemplating major career moves. But making a big change can be intimidating. For married couples, and especially people with children, the calculus is very complicated. Here’s a modest proposal: try implementing small changes before you make a […]
Have You Hit Your Optimal Speed?
Kenyans have dominated the world running scene for decades. Fascinated by their superiority, journalist and cross-country runner Adharanand Finn moved his family from their home in England to Kenya for six months so he could train with the best. One of the techniques that Finn learned was barefoot running. Our bodies are made to run […]
The War on Secrets
Information has always been a valuable resource. For thousands of years, codemakers have struggled to hide secrets—and codebreakers have worked just as hard to find them. Codes have decided the results of wars and the fates of kings and queens, who historically relied on secret communication to keep sensitive messages out of the wrong hands. […]
