What We Mean By “Better Living”
How advertising used the phrase “better living” to portray big business as a force for moral good and continuous progress.
Will You Ever Fly in a Plane Propelled by Plants and Seeds?
Airlines have already flown planes fueled with biofuel-petroleum mixes, and more are coming.
Maps Showed People Their Worlds
In the 19th century, most Americans weren't used to seeing maps of their communities. New forms of color lithography changed all that.
The Revolutionary Past of Plastics
When plastics were first invented, they seemed to promise a utopian future.
Is Burnout Really a Disease?
Perhaps, instead of thinking of burnout as a disease to be dealt with at the individual level, we might collectively address it as a social problem.
Cold Warriors Tanked Big Pharma Regulation
Worried about the high price of prescription drugs, a senator proposed a bill that would have regulated Big Pharma -- back in the 1950s.
What Is a Tariff? An Economist Explains
A global trade war seems well underway as China and the U.S. exchange targeted tariff attacks. An economist explains what they are.
When Big Rewards Don’t Pay Off
One would think that offering potentially big rewards would inspire workers to create better work. A study found a more complicated picture.
The Only Fair Job Interview
Could taking some of the human element out of interviewing actually make the process more just?
The Hobo College of Hobohemia
Vagrancy laws targeted hobos at a time when there were few jobs for them. They responded by forming a union and helping to create Chicago’s Hobo College.