# politics    

why skeptical groups died and why we need to bring them back

Skeptical groups were poised to bring science and critical thinking to the masses. They failed in their mission. But did they ever really have a chance to succeed?
why skeptical groups died and why we need to bring them back

# tech    

why the dirty secret of false automation threatens our future

Sometimes, jobs we're told are automated really aren't. They simply hide the humans making your request possible. And that's going to backfire when machines really do take over.
why the dirty secret of false automation threatens our future

# health    

unicef sounds the alarm about the spread of processed foods

Just as a lack of food can cause malnutrition, so can highly processed food full of empty calories. And UNICEF now seems equally concerned about both.
unicef sounds the alarm about the spread of processed foods

# tech    

doing laundry in the future could mean almost never washing clothes

Washing clothes uses a lot of chemicals and fresh water. Now, some companies are trying to change that by rethinking how to keep clothing fresh and wrinkle-free for months.
doing laundry in the future could mean almost never washing clothes

# politics    

is it time to abandon the gdp as a measure of economic success?

When we want to see if economy is growing or to measure its relative size to others, we use the gross domestic product, or GDP. But what if this number is horribly misleading?
is it time to abandon the gdp as a measure of economic success?

# oddities    

no one's going to read this, and that's ok

With everything we do quantified by social media likes, impressions, and shares, we need to remember the reason and purpose for creating something for the sake of creation.
no one's going to read this, and that's ok

# science    

science says boomers are the real snowflake generation

The longest ever study of intergenerational narcissistic traits finds that millennials are not as sensitive and self-absorbed as boomers.
science says boomers are the real snowflake generation

# sex    

swiping left on casanova: new study says hookup apps don't work

In the latest blow to the media's myth of hookup culture, it turns out that hookup apps are actually really bad at letting users hook up.
swiping left on casanova: new study says hookup apps don't work

# health    

in one ear and out the other: are views on vaccination really immune to influence?

Researchers tried to test whether debates about vaccination lead to more extreme polarization and found a complete shutdown of all debate. But is their study critically flawed?
in one ear and out the other: are views on vaccination really immune to influence?

# longform    

how social media ruined expertise and how to get it back

Thanks to social media, everybody can be a pundit today, and that's ruining how we build a factual understanding of our world and what's happening in it.
how social media ruined expertise and how to get it back

# science    

climate change denialists' new favorite conspiracy theory

Denialists are now imagining cabals of ecoterrorists burning down entire ecosystems so they don't have to admit that scientists were right about the symptoms of climate change.
climate change denialists' new favorite conspiracy theory

# tech    

do we need github to save our code forever? or should we rethink how we code?

Code storage and sharing platform GitHub wants to archive open source software for up to 10,000 years. But is that a good idea, and could we use its momentum to rethink how and why we code?
do we need github to save our code forever? or should we rethink how we code?

# space    

a planet four times the size of its star shows how solar systems die

When some stars die, they take their entire systems with them. Others appear to give their planets a fighting chance.
a planet four times the size of its star shows how solar systems die

# space    

astronomers find more dark matter free galaxies

A new study sees evidence of more than a dozen galaxies that seem to lack dark matter and raises big questions about our ideas of galaxy formation.
astronomers find more dark matter free galaxies

# science    

want to look competent? wear expensive clothes.

It turns out that clothes have an amazing effect on how we're perceived by others, even at first glance.
want to look competent? wear expensive clothes.

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