united states
Electricity generation by U.S. state
U.S. states vary radically in terms of electricity generation. Vermont is the cleanest, while Delaware is the dirtiest.
Twenty years after 9/11, hindsight is 20/20
Hindsight is 20/20, particularly when you have had 20 years to think about what happened.
Tornado detection: bringing Stone Age tech into the 21st century
Technology designed to listen for atomic bombs can also hear tornadoes.
Why doesn’t the U.S. win wars anymore?
Paradoxically, we lose wars because the world is peaceful and the U.S. is powerful.
Spending money on new infrastructure isn’t always the best idea
The questions about which massive structures to build, and where, are actually very hard to answer. Infrastructure is always about the future: It takes years to construct, and lasts for years beyond that.
American imperialism: fat-shaming Uncle Sam
Opponents of 19th-century American imperialism were not above body-shaming the personification of the U.S. government.
UFOs: US intelligence report finds no aliens but plenty of unidentified flying objects
A new government report describes 144 sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena.
To boost the economy, treat the cause of aging
By slowing down aging, we could reap trillions of dollars in economic benefits.
Free speech? Not everybody loves it, this map shows
In some countries, people want more freedom of speech. In others, they feel that there is too much.
Study: In college, quarters are better than semesters
Most schools use a semester system, but a new study suggests that they should switch to quarters.
Welcome to the United Fonts of America
At least 222 typefaces are named after places in the U.S. — and there's still room for more.
Autonomous killer robots may have already killed on the battlefield
A brief passage from a recent UN report describes what could be the first-known case of an autonomous weapon, powered by artificial intelligence, killing in the battlefield.
These 1,000 hexagons show how global wealth is distributed
A cartogram makes it easy to compare regional and national GDPs at a glance.
An “interstate water system” could fix the West’s water woes
We have pipelines for oil and natural gas. Why not water?
Intolerance of uncertainty drives liberals and conservatives to polarizing partisanship
Political partisanship might be a treatable condition.
Study: You would spend 90 extra days in jail in a private prison
A new study suggests that private prisons hold prisoners for a longer period of time, wasting the cost savings that private prisons are supposed to provide over public ones.
Why American universities are the best in the world
American universities used to be small centers of rote learning, but three big ideas turned them into intellectual powerhouses.
How Atlantic City inspired the Monopoly board
The popular game has a backstory rife with segregation, inequality, intellectual theft, and outlandish political theories.
Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine authorized: Here’s what makes it unique
Millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine could be distributed as early as this week.
Why science denial and science negation are different
Surprising as it may seem, we are all very good at denial. Negation, however, is a different phenomena.
‘Cockeyed’ map shows both glamour and margins of 1930s Hollywood
Legendary cartoonist John Groth's pictorial map captures LA's film factories in their Golden Age.
What democracy and science demand: The ‘Smartmatic vs Fox News’ case
The opening lines of Smartmatic's $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News lay bare the culture of denial in the US.
What are the limits of free speech?
7 scholars and legal experts dissect what you can and can't say in America.
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Study: Personal anecdotes are more effective at bridging divides than facts
Most people believe you can win an argument with facts - but when "facts" are so often subject to doubt, are personal experiences trusted more?
FOSTA-SESTA: Have controversial sex trafficking acts done more harm than good?
The idea behind the law was simple: make it more difficult for online sex traffickers to find victims.
4 lessons the US learned from the COVID-19 pandemic
The long-term lessons America learns from the coronavirus pandemic will spell life or death.
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What is the purpose of universities?
For centuries, universities have advanced humanity toward truth. Professor Jonathan Haidt speaks to why college campuses are suddenly heading in the opposite direction.
Survey shows Congress is more religious than America
A new survey shows who believes what and how it differs from what Americans believe as a whole.
Want Americans to graduate college? Make it affordable.
Research from MIT's School Effectiveness & Inequality Initiative found making college more affordable cut dropout rates and boosted degree attainment.
Telehealth will save lives—for as long as it has funding
The federal government and private insurers greatly increased Americans' telehealth access during the pandemic. Will these changes be permanent?