Embassies and the necessity of diplomatic immunity
Permanent residences for emissaries between nations first came into use in the 16th century, when the city-states of the Italian Renaissance began to feel a need to use ambassadors to maintain regular relations among each other. But the practices and laws that embassies adhere... continue reading...
The UN Secretariat building in New York, photo by by Billie Grace Ward from New York, USA
“Really? You don’t look a day older than 150”
Humans are among the longest-living mammals on earth, with a lifespan that sometimes extends beyond 100 years. While many of us can prolong our lifespans with some help from advanced medical care, nutritious diets and regular exercise, genetic factors also play a major role in... continue reading...
Crystal structure of parallel quadruplexes from human telomeric DNA
It’s not a war on cars – it’s choosing people over cars
If New York City overcomes intense opposition from multiple constituencies, it may soon become the first major metropolitan area in the United States to introduce congestion pricing in its central business district. The plan to charge drivers a $15 toll to use local roadways... continue reading...
Times Square traffic jam in New York City
How to fix the slow pace of America’s courts
The longest-running lawsuit in United States history spanned from the 1830s to the 1890s, revolving around Myra Clark Gaines’ efforts to contest the executors of her father’s will and gain a share of his fortune in New Orleans real estate. More than 60 years passed before the case was... continue reading...
An end to youth homelessness is achievable and necessary
In the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and a series of geopolitical conflicts, the world is mired in a cost-of-living crisis. Widespread inflation, shortages of food, energy and other critical commodities, labor market instability – these have all put heavy pressure on family budgets across the globe. Combine... continue reading...
Homeless Teen New York City, photograph by Robert Scifo.
Masculinity isn’t in crisis – it is the crisis
Long overdue social shifts in North America and Europe have trended towards greater equality among genders, along with greater support for diversity and inclusion. At the same time, these shifts have generated intensifying concern that something has been going terribly wrong with... continue reading...
Photo of the Author, showing excellence of physique at 52.
The work lesson from this year’s Nobel winner
A recent study that showed the pay gap for women in New York City has been stalled for more than 15 years
should not surprise anyone. The complete lack of progress in one of the
world’s richest cities – where women earn 90 cents for every dollar
earned by men – mirrors what is going on nearly everywhere else... continue reading...
J. Howard Miller's "We Can Do It!", also called "Rosie the Riveter"
after the iconic figure of a strong female war production worker.
The Queen Was in the Parlor, Planning Military Strategy
While the news has gone almost unnoticed in most places, some new research has created a sensation in Europe’s oldest monarchy: Denmark’s first Viking queen, Thyra, who died more than a thousand years ago, was likely more powerful than her husband the king... continue reading...
The Danish Queen Thyra Danebod Trying to Soften the Heart of her Husband, Gorm the Old, towards some Christian Captives
Understanding the risks and rewards of dangerous sports
In an interview broadcast ahead of Super Bowl LIII, Donald Trump made one of the rare remarks during his term as president of the United States that closely echoed a sentiment previously expressed by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Asked whether he would be comfortable letting his... continue reading...
Why do so many people ignore the risks associated with high-impact sports? CC0 public domain photo by Ronald Carlson
The Color of Life: Pigments Through History
Humans have been seeking out ways to make their homes, their garments and themselves more colorful and appealing since long before the dawn of recorded history. More often than not, in order to achieve this, we have turned to pigments. These chemical compounds give color to all... continue reading...
Pigments for sale at a market stall in Goa, India. Photo by Dan Brady. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
A Call to Rewild: The Vital Role of Apex Predators
Cape Cod is a popular destination in the summer months … and not just for vacationers. In addition to the 5.6 million people who flock to the region each year to soak up the sun and frolic in the surf, an estimated 800 great white sharks visited the cape between 2015 and 2018. They... continue reading...
Great white shark. This image was originally posted to Flickr by hermanusbackpackers at https://www.flickr.com/photos/36084059@N08/3343254977.
There are more reasons than ever to save the whales
No sight on earth is more genuinely awesome and inspirational than a pod of whales breaching the water’s surface in the course of their extensive journeys to and from the farthest reaches of the oceans. No one who has ever been fortunate enough to experience this view can... continue reading...
Catching and rendering whales, South Sea Whale Fishery, aquatint print,1835
Catching and rendering whales, South Sea Whale Fishery, aquatint print,1835
Stoneworkers Needed … in the 21st Century and Beyond
Stonework, an ancient skill and art form, holds obvious significance in human history and culture. From the temples of ancient Sumer to the cathedrals of Europe and down to many of the modern landmarks that grace today’s megacities, stonework has played a central role in... continue reading...
Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.), v. 17, 1911, "Masonry" article, pp. 843 ff. .
A way forward at the dawn of the Anthropocene
The evidence is mounting that we are now living in the Anthropocene epoch – a proposed new geological epoch shaped by human impacts on our planet. The proposal is based on extensive evidence that, starting in the 1950s, we passed the point when the changes we have caused... continue reading...
Socioeconomic Trends of the Great Acceleration of the Anthropocene from 1750 to 2010
The radical decision humanity has made by default
There is broad consensus that humans need to stop emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) if we hope to prevent catastrophic climate change. But in discussions of how to address this problem, we hear far too little about an important category of technologies and strategies that will have to be... continue reading...
Illustration of different solar climate intervention techniques, based on data from NOAA
Repurposing available assets to counter wildfires and other climate-driven challenges
In the past two years, the global incidence of wildfires has risen dramatically. Forest fires represent one of the most challenging impacts of climate change, and as they increase in frequency and intensity, new solutions need to be adopted to address them. In addition to threatening life and... continue reading...
Bureau of Land Mangement smokejumpers prepare for a training jump in Boise, Idaho.
A New Golden Age of Gold: Part II
While the use of the gold standard for the U.S. dollar presented problems almost from the start, the Great Depression in particular underscored the drawbacks of such a system. At its core, the difficulty with the arrangement is that the supply of money can bear no... continue reading...
Gold coin, Aureus, Auguste, Lyon. 7.90 g.
A New Golden Age of Gold: Part I
Gold has been coveted, fought for, and sometimes even worshipped, by societies through most of human history. With a pleasing color and shine suggesting the sun, gold is fairly scarce, and it does not corrode, rust or tarnish like most other metals. As an inert element... continue reading...
Argentina, 8 gold escudos (1828): National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution
Pay for your news – it’s worth the price
Democracies around the globe have enshrined independent news reporting as a necessary component of any free, modern society. The media’s role in serving as a watchdog on the activities of government and other seats of power, wealth and privilege should be evident to anyone with even a... continue reading...
Composing room of the New York Times newspaper, September 1942
Is artificial intelligence poised to change the communications workplace?
The entire corporate communications sector is abuzz with an energetic discussion of whether, or to what extent, artificial intelligence and its algorithms are going to reshape the way companies present themselves to the world. Are computers going to replace the writers and editors who have... continue reading...