In 2026 – up until July – Elon Musk’s estimated wealth was growing by somewhere between US$30 million and $100 million an hour, making him, at least briefly, the worlds’ first trillionaire. By comparison, the typical American worker earns between $23 and $56 an hour. While Musk’s wealth, even in the face of recent losses,...
Culture
‘The Odyssey’ Is a Striking Portrait of the Psychological Wounds That Can Emerge When People Violate Their Deepest Values
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” a new adaptation of Homer’s epic tale of Odysseus’ perilous journey home after the Trojan War, is already being described as a case study in post-traumatic stress disorder. But even more so, actor Matt Damon’s tortured and broken portrayal of Odysseus offers a look into what psychologists call moral injury. According...
The World’s First Influencers Were French and They Emerged After the Revolution
In 1806, the Parisian gastronome Grimod de la Reynière launched a new periodical, the Journal des Gourmands et des Belles in post-revolutionary France. From the first issue, it set out to provide readers with advice on food, fashion, and theatrical life, all in one publication. Almost entirely forgotten today, the journal was perhaps the first...
30 Years After ‘Reasonable Doubt,’ Jay‑z’s Career Embodies Hip‑hop’s Biggest Contradictions
“Reasonable Doubt” was not the first rap album I ever owned. But Jay-Z’s debut was the first hip-hop album I bought with my own money. More importantly, it was the first one I studied as a young writer who aspired to become a rapper, a dream that eventually came true. Jay-Z sounded cool in a...
I Have Spent the Past 6 Months Reading Hundreds of Poems by Young People – I Was Surprised to Find Hope, Not Despair
If you’ve read any commentary about younger people, none of the following statistics will surprise you. Approximately 19% of Americans who are 12 to 19 years old are depressed – higher than any adult age group. Only about 58.5% of teens who are 12 to 17, meanwhile, say they consistently receive the emotional and social...
From Norway to Wisconsin, Children Want to Be Social Media Influencers When They Grow Up
A second grader in Norway drew a YouTube logo when my colleagues and I asked what they wanted to be when they grow up. When we asked why, the child explained that YouTubers are famous and make lots of money. When we asked second graders in Wisconsin this same question, we were surprised to often...
Russia’s Kinetic Destruction of Ukraine’s Cultural Memory
Russia’s strike on Kyiv’s Chornobyl Museum was more than an attack on a civilian or cultural site; it targeted historical memory itself. On the night of May 23-24, a Russian aerial attack involving 600 drones and 90 missiles bombarded Kyiv, Ukraine. Cultural institutions and architectural landmarks were damaged, some severely, including the Hinaus gallery, the...
The Absence of Gender and Racial Minorities Often Goes Unnoticed in the Workplace and the Classroom
New international psychology study finds we frequently don’t spot who is missing in our daily lives During a staff meeting we may look around to take account of who is present—an observation that could consider the race or gender of who is in the room. But would everyone notice a complete absence of women, colleagues...
San Martín de Hidalgo Tequila Teams Up With Club América in Major Cross-Cultural Sports Partnership
Premium tequila brand San Martín de Hidalgo Tequila is stepping onto one of the biggest stages in North American sports through a newly announced partnership with Mexico City’s legendary Club América. The collaboration names San Martín de Hidalgo as the Official Tequila of the storied fútbol club and signals a broader push by the spirits...
¡ÁNdale! ¡Arriba! Speedy Gonzales Set to Make His Triumphant Return to the Silver Screen
“¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!” Meaning “hurry up, let’s go,” the trademark slogan of Speedy Gonzales was, for generations of children, the first Spanish words they learned. But by the 1980s, ABC had pulled his cartoons due to concerns that his dress, accent and characters like his cousin, Slowpoke Rodriguez, were insensitive toward Mexicans and Mexican...









