society

No matter how arbitrary the distinction, human beings take affiliation very seriously.

Social media giants aren’t legally obligated to protect free speech. But they should. Former ACLU president Nadine Strossen explains why.

Does voting serve the collective good, or should we just not bother?

Objections to liberalism are often tied to traditions, morals, and cultural identity.

Helsinki is the city with the best work-life balance in the world.

Does the President get to decide when to ignore the law?

Whether or not women think beards are sexy has to do with “moral disgust”

Establishing cultural rights to protect diverse groups may not be the answer.

Global warming appears to be front of mind for people worldwide.

What is the hive mind? Turns out there are antisocial and prosocial dimensions to it.

Study identifies predictors of which students are likely to do well in education.

Christmas Day is the least popular birthday in several countries.

With the realization that overdue charges disproportionately affect access for low-income readers, libraries are reconsidering the value of fees.

Iceland has closed almost 88% of its gender gap and increased its lead over second-ranked Norway.

Interpreter, Google’s language translating tool, is coming to mobile and it’s poised to change our everyday conversations.

Expert opinions matter, especially when their knowledge is continuously refined by critical analysis.

Consider the 2,600 times we touch our phones every day.

Perhaps sooner than we think, we’ll need to examine the moral standing of intelligent machines.

The internet has given us the opportunity to stay informed better than ever. It’s also given us the ability to misinform ourselves — delude ourselves — beyond belief.

Fast fashion has a devastating impact on the environment. Here’s what you need to know before heading to Zara this holiday season.

Popularity is slippery, and shouldn’t be confused with quality, says critic A.O. Scott.

An international study finds the vast majority of 15-year-olds can’t tell when they’re being manipulated.

Our personal choices can help to effectively combat poverty, says Peter Singer.

Our opponents’ objections to our ideas often contain insight as to how we can better refine them.

Some lingerie lines have failed to keep up with a new era.

Creeps, it seems, are everywhere.

Millennial income did not recover from the Great Recession like older generations’, a disparity that can have dire consequences for future generations.

Can collective protest still change the world?

When academics and journalists forego sharing their findings, out of intimidation, we all lose out.

Yet interpersonal trust is at its lowest point in 50 years.