Pacific Standard reports that Americans are surprisingly willing to support the idea of a nuclear war: Nuclear war is unthinkable. At least, that’s what we like to tell ourselves. Given the mass death and devastation from an atomic strike, surely only a desperate despot would even consider such a strike. Slim Pickens joyfully rides a […]
Eric Boehlert of Media Matters for America wonders if the criticism inherent in social media like Twitter could have caused the media to rethink its support for the Iraq War: Looking back, I wish Keller and other pro-war columnists had been "bullied" (rhetorically) as they got almost everything wrong about the pending war. I think […]
In Silent Spring, Rachel Carson argued that unintended chemical reactions and interactions could have a profound effect on the natural world and human health. Researchers have discovered that one such chemical reaction may come from our tap water, which is laced with prescription drugs: There’s a good chance that if you live in an urban area, your tap water is laced […]
Former Internet entrepreneur Graham Hill believes reducing our material possessions will: We live in a world of surfeit stuff, of big-box stores and 24-hour online shopping opportunities. Members of every socioeconomic bracket can and do deluge themselves with products. There isn’t any indication that any of these things makes anyone any happier; in fact it […]
The New York Times is reporting that the American government, concerned about biological attack, has stockpiled millions of doses of smallpox vaccine: The United States government is buying enough of a new smallpox medicine to treat two million people in the event of a bioterrorism attack, and took delivery of the first shipment of it […]