The Present
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The ‘belief-driven’ employee is the future of work
More than pay or advancement, people are seeking a better fit between their own and corporate values.
Why journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize
Both journalists have put themselves in danger to shed light on corruption and abuses of power in their home countries.
Do people even care about data privacy in the digital age?
People appear to have no qualms about sharing their locations, struggles, and relationships online.
Here’s exactly how social media algorithms can manipulate you
Evidence shows that information is transmitted via “complex contagion.”
Why monopolies don’t always harm the economy
When "superstar" companies start to dominate their industries, consumers sometimes benefit.
Do we know for sure that climate change is to blame for extreme weather events? Yes, sometimes
A decade ago, scientists weren’t able to confidently connect any individual weather event to climate change, even though the warming trends were clear.
Presidents declare more disasters during reelection years
Is it true that half of disaster relief is motivated politically rather than by need?
Apple plans to scan the images on your phone, for a good reason – but do you trust them?
People who buy iPhones are not, it seems, masters of their own devices.
The German election was boring, which is good news for Europe
After the German election, will the nation continue to "muddle through" successfully enough to lead Europe?
Who wins and who loses from globalization? There are (at least) six answers
Everybody wins, everybody loses, or something in between.
Chernobyl redux: Will the ill-fated power plant explode again?
The cause of the recent uptick in radiation is unknown, but speculation about another catastrophe at Chernobyl is hyperbolic.
North Korea’s latest missile provocation isn’t surprising at all – it was entirely predictable
It follows a well-worn playbook for North Korea.
Autonomous underwater vehicles locate U.S. Airman who was missing in action
His family has finally gotten closure after 50 years of uncertainty.
European military: will the EU ever learn to defend itself?
The EU is slowly realizing that it cannot count on the U.S. to meet its security needs. Has the time finally come for a European military?
Tournament theory: Why Allied forces competed to capture Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest
American and French troops turned capturing Hitler’s chalet into a game.
Maple tree “helicopters” inspire flying microchips
Engineers borrowed the maple tree's "helicopter" to design tiny, flying microchips, which perform various tasks while in whirling free fall.
Want to get rich? You need to know the right people
How do you recover after an economic apocalypse? It is not what you know, but who you know.
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.
How 3 new technologies can bring us closer to 100% renewable energy
Scientists are solving the problem of costly energy storage.
Rare earth war: can the U.S. even compete with China?
China's dominance of the rare earth metal industry is part of its overall geopolitical strategy.
Black swans: can we learn to predict unpredictable events?
A black swan event is rare but disruptive — and might be predictable.
AI avatars bring deepfakes to the business world
Deepfakes featuring your digital double could replace emails and zoom presentations.
Sludge: Americans spend 11.4 billion hours filling out federal paperwork
Unreasonable burdens prevent people from thriving. Eliminate them.
To the moon? Five microeconomic lessons from Bitcoin
Bitcoin is often derided as volatile, but a new report suggests there is a method to the madness.
Why doesn’t the U.S. win wars anymore?
Paradoxically, we lose wars because the world is peaceful and the U.S. is powerful.
Controversy: was the Caribbean invaded by cannibals?
A 2020 study has revived a longstanding controversy over Christopher Columbus' claims of marauding cannibals in the Caribbean.
MIT engineers design touch-sensing glove that ‘feels’ pressure and maps stimuli
The design could help restore motor function after stroke, enhance virtual gaming experiences.
3 brain hacks to control your Amazon addiction (from a neuroscientist)
Your emotional brain is being manipulated to shop more, but there are ways to resist.
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National parks are great. Now, let’s create a World Park
To preserve biodiversity and ecosystems, protected areas should be connected into a gigantic World Park.
Marriage lotteries and a bachelors’ tax: The strange past of fighting declining birthrates
Birthrates are cyclical and have gone up and down throughout history.