Emma can recognise patterns within complex code. James can develop several different solutions when faced with complicated problems. But it is unlikely either will find a job where they can put their specialist skills to work — or any job, actually. Emma has dyslexia. James has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These conditions...
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An Entire Generation of Americans Has No Idea How Easy Air Travel Used to Be
During the mid-1990s I traveled between Dayton, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., twice a month during the school year as half of a commuting couple. I could leave Dayton by 5:15 p.m., drive nearly 80 miles to the Columbus airport during rush hour, park my car in the economy lot, and still get to my gate...
The Science of Product Placements – and Why Some Work Better Than Others
In “The Variant,” an episode from the Disney+ hit streaming show “Loki,” it’s tough to miss the barrage of product placements, with fast-paced action and dialogue taking place in front of Charmin toilet paper, Dove soap and Arm & Hammer deodorant. At one point, Loki barrels down an aisle with vacuum cleaners and fights off...
When Human Life Begins Is a Question of Politics – Not Biology
A Texas law that aims to eliminate almost all abortions in the state is part of a long-standing nationwide movement to restrict the right to abortion. The Texas law went into effect on Sept. 1, 2021, and severely limits the right to have an abortion in that state. But the anti-abortion movement is aiming more...
Taxing Bachelors and Proposing Marriage Lotteries – How Superpowers Addressed Declining Birthrates in the Past
There’s growing awareness – and concern – about declining birthrates in the U.S. and other countries around the world. Falling birth rates are usually seen as a sign of societal decline, a nation’s diminishing power, and the eclipse of marriage and family values. Rarely are they put into any kind of historical context. But birthrates...
The Enduring Rise of Chrome Hearts is an Exercise in Amassing and Policing Branding
Over three decades after its founding, Chrome Hearts is in the midst of a surge in popularity. Last year, men’s fashion and streetwear marketplace Grailed put Chrome Hearts in the number 10 spot on its annual “Best Brands” list, a nod to the fact that the Los Angeles-based brand – which Grailed says is difficult to acquire due to...
Long Commutes, Household Crowding Tied to Covid Transmission
Long commute times and household crowding may be good predictors for a higher number of transmissible coronavirus cases in metropolitan settings, according to Cornell urban planning, architectural and public health researchers, in a study published in the journal Buildings and Cities. Neighborhoods that had populations with predominantly longer commute times to work – from about 40 minutes to...
Marijuana Use at Historic High Among College-Aged Adults in 2020
Marijuana use continued to rise among college students over the past five years and remained at historically high levels among same-aged peers who are not in college in 2020, according to survey results from the 2020 Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study. This represents the highest levels of marijuana use recorded since the 1980s. The survey also found that marijuana vaping and nicotine vaping leveled off in 2020 after sharp increases reported every year since 2017...
Stimulus Payments Increased Spending Among Low-Income Populations in the US
The coronavirus pandemic disrupted the U.S. economy, yet the dynamics of micro-level consumer spending among low-income populations are not well understood. A study published in PLOS One by Song Gao at University of Wisconsin, Madison, United States and colleagues suggests the stimulus program largely curbed the post-lockdown spending declines and stimulated spending following pandemic-related income loss by...
The Women Who Appear in Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’ Are Finally Getting Their Due, 700 Years Later
When Dante Alighieri died 700 years ago, on Sept. 14, 1321, he had just put his final flourishes on the “Divine Comedy,” a monumental poem that would inspire readers for centuries. The “Divine Comedy” follows the journey of a pilgrim across the three realms of the Christian afterlife – hell, purgatory and paradise. There, he...