A Magazine about the world, its people, its politics, its innovations
The Science Behind Why Facebook Is So Addictive People use Mark Zuckerberg’s social network every day. But why? There are about 7 billion people on Earth. Over 864 million of them check Facebook every day. That’s an awful lot of daily habits, and it’s part of the reason Facebook is worth some $200 billion. So…
There is a widespread belief both in Russia and abroad that the Ukrainian crisis has undermined the system of international relations, which was built after the end of the Cold War at the turn of the 1990s and even since much earlier – after the end of World War II in 1945. This belief is…
SCIENTIFIC METHOD / SCIENCE & EXPLORATION Science inches closer to real BioShock-style plasmids No, not Electro Bolt. But human genetic augmentation is a lot closer than you think. by Michael Westgarth Feb 12 2014 In 1953, molecular biologists James Watson and Francis Crick released what would be one of the most groundbreaking scientific discoveries of the modern age. The publication…
The FDA has banned 23andMe from selling its personal genetic testing kits. But consumers should know the truth about themselves—and so policymakers should set the company free. One would think in an age where everyone is required to have health insurance that we’d want to get the best information about our health as possible. Then,…
Making of Colorado’s Marijuana Millionaires January 14, 2014 I’ve seen a lot of marijuana over the past two weeks, but nothing like this. Less than two miles north of Denver’s central business district lies the headquarters of Garden of the Gods, one of the region’s largest commercial cannabis operations. “We grow 280 pounds a month,”…
Real-Time Data Is Changing The Way Marketers Understand Consumers JAN. 13, 2014, The optiX dashboard gives marketers insight into consumer behavior. This post is sponsored by eXelate. For the last 50 to 70 years, the market research industry has been focused on the same surveys and panels. (Think of those prototypical focus groups,…
STORY HIGHLIGHTS European Space Agency’s Gaia has been tasked with making a 3D map of the Milky Way Telescope so sensitive that makers say it could measure a human thumbnail from Moon One of Gaia’s objectives is to help in hunt for exoplanets Mission applauded for building up most accurate charts of the cosmos…
Revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden in June about the U.S. government’s secret surveillance activities grabbed headlines across the globe. But while the world’s attention has been focused on the United States, prompting important discussions about the legitimacy and legality of such measures, disconcerting efforts to both monitor and censor…