Andrew Leigh maps the drivers of history’s big breakthroughs — and why they still matter
Suraj Rai & Digit, CC BYInnovation is one of the most celebrated yet misunderstood ideas of our time. It is invoked in policy ...
Arming a Kurdish insurgency would be a risky endeavor – for both the US and Iran’s minority Kurds
The Kurdish flag is hoisted during a demonstration in Erbil, northern Iraq, on Jan. 21, 2018.Osama Al Maqdoni/Middle East Images/...
War in Middle East brings uncertainty and higher energy costs to already weakening US economy
The “fog of war” refers to confusion and uncertainty on the battlefield and the attendant possibility of fatal error. ...
China’s muted response over war in Iran reflects Beijing’s delicate calculus as a concerned onlooker
China has perfected the role of concerned onlooker as the Middle East conflict spreads across the region.With no direct role in th...
How Instagram addictiveness lawsuit could reshape social media – platform design meets product liability
Is the social media platform she's using, rather than the content she's viewing, a threat to her well-being?Fiordaliso/M…
Venezuela’s fragile environment faces rising risks as US pushes for oil and critical minerals and illegal gold mining spreads
Open pit gold mines have spread across large areas of the Orinoco Mining Belt in recent years.Magda Gibelli / AFP via Ge…
Today’s obsession with authenticity isn’t new – being true to yourself has troubled philosophers for centuries
Stressing over authenticity isn't unique to the social media age.Qi Yang/Moment via Getty ImagesToday’s youth cher…
Measuring poverty on a spectrum instead of an arbitrary line conveys a more accurate picture of inequality
Does drawing a line make sense at any step of the way to wealth?fatido/iStock via Getty Images PlusMichael W. Green, a W…
Public health needs steady budgets – and federal funding uncertainty causes real harms, even if the money is later restored
Communities rely on vaccination clinics, restaurant inspections and disease surveillance systems run by local and state …
When Washington and the states are in conflict, the ultimate winner is not always certain
Trump administration immigration policies have received pushback from leaders of sanctuary jurisdictions, as well as pro…
Telehealth is widely used by older adults insured by Medicare, new research shows
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government expanded access to telehealth for older adults insured by Medicare…
Family-friendly workplaces are great − but ‘families of 1’ get ignored
Single people without kids are a growing share of the workforce.Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty ImagesIn 1960, 72% …
Trump offered a restrictive deal to universities that almost all rejected – but the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher…
Only three universities agreed to the higher education compact, which offered benefits in federal funding in exchange fo…
How does Iran go about selecting a new supreme leader? And who is in the running?
The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28, 2026, set off the process of selecting a new supreme leader. It is onl…
Fertiliser costs are soaring amid war in the Middle East. Will your grocery bill follow?
Alfio Manciagli/GettyConflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has now led to the effective closure of the Str…
Persian Gulf desalination plants could become military targets in regional war
The Ras al-Khair water desalination plant in eastern Saudi Arabia is just one of many along the Persian Gulf coast.Fayez…
Operational secrecy kept the US from making evacuation plans – and that means Americans in the Mideast could wait days
Canceled flights due to the Iran war have made it difficult for Americans to leave countries in the Middle East.Marcin G…
Why are some stars always visible while others come and go with the seasons?
Stars near the north celestial pole circle the North Star, Polaris. Photographed in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, Calif. Va…