The Present
All Stories
A World Without Work: Robotic Automation Won’t Be as Bad as We Think
Job automation won't be as bad as we think, so we need to learn how to stop working and prepare so we're not dragged into the future kicking and screaming.
What if Terrorists Got Their Hands on Explosives and a Drone?
There is software that can track drones in open areas, but none that can do so in tight-knit, urban ones.
Larry Kudlow on Tax Cuts and the Democrat Hiding Within Reaganomics
Earners keepers? According to Larry Kudlow, there's a secret history behind the US's history of tax reduction and it involves John F. Kennedy.
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11 min
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What Do You Do With a B.A in the Humanities? A Lot, Actually
As a society we place a high value on the practical nature of science and business degrees. But what about the practical nature of the humanities?
Apple’s $14.5 Billion Tax Bill That It Really, Really Doesn’t Want To Pay
Do you think it's fair that corporations can move their offices offshore to avoid tax bills?
“Amplification”: The Clever Method Women in the White House Use to Be Heard
Female political aides in the White House have banded together and are using a combo-technique of amplification and 'shine theory' to make sure their voices are counted.
How Different Are Men’s and Women’s Brains?
Here’s why your wife won’t let you forget that stupid thing you did 6 months ago.
A Tribute in Art: 15 Years On, Explore the Library of Congress’ 9/11 Image Collection
Soon after the 9/11 attacks, the Library of Congress started to gather pictures, photographs, poems and other material for preservation.
It’s No Joke as North Korea Bans Sarcasm
The North Korean government bans sarcastic speech against itself or Kim Jong-un.
How to beat the loneliness epidemic
1 in 3 people over the age of 65 live alone in the United States, and by age 85 it's 1 in 2. Loneliness is an epidemic. Here's how to fight it.
How to Master Simplicity in Design, Business and Life
Turns out simplicity is really, really complicated. Having worked with Steve Jobs for years as an advertising creative director on Apple products, Ken Segall has taken a blood oath to uphold the principles of simplicity.
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9 min
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The Unbiased Media: Are Journalistic Ethics Overriding Human Ethics?
Recent research in psychology reveals insights into how the stories we are exposed to affect our identities and ideas. What implications does this hold for the influence of the news and the ethics of journalism?
‘I thought I saw a terrorist’: How to manage false alarms, blind fear and panic
Rumors of a terrorist gunman escalated at LAX. A panicked crowd trampled an old woman, snapping her femur. In our best Dick Cheney voice: "If you allow blind fear to disrupt society, the terrorists have already won."
Cybercrime: Everything in the Digital Space is Up For Grabs – Everything
Do you know how your iPhone works? Because cybercriminals do. Futurist and global security advisor Marc Goodman explains how our void in tech knowledge lets hackers have a field day, and how to make yourself less vulnerable.
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4 min
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Native Americans Passionately Protest New Dakota Pipeline
A new pipeline could ruin their water supply and sacred sites, say the Standing Rock Sioux and other tribes.
North Korea Unveils a Netflix-like Service Called “Manbang”
North Korea announces a new on-demand video service for its citizens.
Does Clothing Make You a Terrorist? Scotland and France Make New Muslim Dress Policies.
Authorities in France and Scotland are taking very different approaches to Islamic dress in their societies.
What causes poverty? Not a lack of money, but a lack of social relationships.
There's a lot missing from debates and policy surrounding poverty but the biggest deficit, according to Dr C. Nicole Mason, is in honesty. Impoverished people aren't poor because they're lazy, they're poor because social mobility is institutionally suppressed.
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5 min
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What Even the Best Comprehensive Immigration Restrictions Overlook
What are the arguments in favor of comprehensive immigration restrictions, what relevant ethical claims are political discourses obscuring, and how has German hip-hop formed as a result?
U.S. Nukes at Turkey Base Risk Seizure By “Terrorists”, Warns Think Tank
A Washington think tank raises concerns that U.S. nuclear weapons stored at a military base in Turkey can fall into the wrong hands.
What Really Made Humans Smart?
A noted neuroscientist's new study illuminates what remarkable invention made our brains the largest of all the primates.
No Biggie, Neil deGrasse Tyson proposed a new kind of government
Neil deGrasse Tyson proposed an ideal form of government and caused a viral debate.
Where Are All the People in the United States From?
The United States is not only a country of immigrants, but its composition is dramatically changing.
Changes in LEGO Toys Show Disturbing Trend, Say Researchers
Researchers study the rise of violence in the toys sets by LEGO, the world's largest toy manufacturer.
How many people have lived on planet Earth?
Researchers estimate how many humans have ever lived.
The Universe Has Trillions Of Life-Supporting Planets. Why Haven’t We Met Aliens?
With, as Carl Sagan famously put it, “billions and billions” of stars out there, many of them with planets that would support life, why aren’t we seeing that life the form of visits from aliens?
The Science Behind Why Freddie Mercury’s Voice Was So Damned Compelling
His speaking voice was a baritone, but his falsetto? Swoon.
7 Things About ‘Water Bears’ That Explain How Life Can Spread To Other Planets
If life is indeed a virus, then tardigrades are very likely the vector.
To Defeat ISIS, We Need to Understand ISIS
Want to Help Defuse ISIS’ Propaganda? See How It Works from the Inside. The recent attacks in Paris shine a light on the world’s current biggest boogeyman: ISIS. “Boogeyman” is […]