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long line of soldiers marching single file through a field
September 1, 2023

Why Do Long Wars Happen?

War is a highly inefficient way of dividing contested resources—yet conflicts endure when there are powerful incentives to feign strength.

group of young people in a cafeteria, with two of the people as TikTok screens.
August 16, 2023

Social-Media Algorithms Have Hijacked “Social Learning”

We make sense of the world by observing and mimicking others, but digital platforms throw that process into turmoil. Can anything be done?

autocrat leaning over battle map surrounded by yes-men.
August 10, 2023

How Autocracies Unravel

Over time, leaders grow more repressive and cling to yes-men—a cycle that’s playing out today in Putin’s Russia.

person in chair reading electronic tablet while octopus tentacles reach out
August 1, 2023

How Data Tracking Is Changing—and What That Means for You

Tech companies are phasing out cookies. Will consumers finally see meaningful privacy protections?

golfer waits while official sews banners for PGA and LIV Golf together
July 1, 2023

Will the PGA–LIV Golf Merger Pass the Antitrust Test?

“Statements that LIV has made about breaking up the monopoly of the PGA may come back to haunt them.”

woman holding globe and flat earth
July 1, 2023

How to Prepare for AI-Generated Misinformation

“We have to be careful not to get distracted by sci-fi issues and focus on concrete risks that are the most pressing.”

illustration of the exterior of the U.S. Supreme Court building.
June 30, 2023

The Supreme Court Ended Race-Conscious Admissions. A Sociologist Who Studies Bias in Elite Spaces Is Worried about the Ramifications.

“The decision represents a fundamental misunderstanding or misrecognition of what we know from science about how discrimination works.”

two groups of politicians negotiate while dangling upside down from the ceiling of a room
May 22, 2023

What’s at Stake in the Debt-Ceiling Standoff?

Defaulting would be an unmitigated disaster, quickly felt by ordinary Americans.

People pass an e-cigarette billboard
May 16, 2023

Take 5: Yikes! When Unintended Consequences Strike

Good intentions don’t always mean good results. Here’s why humility, and a lot of monitoring, are so important when making big changes.

A soybean seed led Brazilian farm workers to industrialized jobs.
April 21, 2023

Banning China from Owning U.S. Farmland Will Achieve Nothing

A new bipartisan bill would prohibit anyone associated with “foreign adversaries” like China from purchasing U.S. farmland. While protecting the U.S. food system and making farmland more affordable to domestic producers by limiting foreign ownership may seem plausible on paper, the reality is more complicated.

a doctor speaks with a political reporter
January 21, 2023

Take 5: What We’ve Learned about Tackling Public-Health Crises

Covid-era research sheds light on how policymakers can guide the economy and the public through future emergencies.

A detective pulls back his computer screen to reveal code behind the video image.
December 22, 2022

In a World of Widespread Video Sharing, What’s Real and What’s Not?

A discussion with a video-authentication expert on what it takes to unearth “deepfakes.”

two people look out over a city
November 28, 2022

Post-War Reconstruction Is a Good Investment

Ukraine’s European neighbors will need to make a major financial commitment to help rebuild its economy after the war. Fortunately, as the legacy of the post–World War II Marshall Plan shows, investing in Ukraine’s future will also serve Europe’s own long-term interests.

energy bill with solar panels wind turbines and pipelines
October 13, 2022

What the New Climate Bill Means for the U.S.—and the World

The Inflation Reduction Act won’t reverse inflation or halt climate change, but it’s still a big deal.

person with butterfly net attempting to capture data
October 1, 2022

Who Should Win the Tug-of-War over User Data?

It’s not always clear whether businesses or consumers should have more control. Research offers a new way of thinking through the problem.

A horse-drawn wagon pulls wheat through an autumnal wheatfield
October 1, 2022

Why Did So Many Ukrainians Die in the Soviet Great Famine?

They perished at a much higher rate than ethnic Russians during what’s known as Holodomor. A new study suggests this was a deliberate policy decision.

person being raised up by large hands
September 6, 2022

The Thorny Challenge of Measuring Success in “Systems-of-Care” Networks

These networks, which help direct people to the medical and social services they need, must tread carefully in choosing which metrics to use in decision-making.

August 1, 2022

How Former Enemies Can Develop Trust

A simple intervention can help diffuse animosity toward onetime armed foes, a study shows.

two people look out over a city
July 5, 2022

Where Does Capitalism Go Next?

A conversation on “creative destruction,” growth, and designing a more equitable capitalist future.

illustration of two people putting ballots into ballot boxes
June 8, 2022

Take 5: Democracies and How They Thrive

A look at this form of government at a time when democracy is under stress around the world.

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The Insightful Leader

July 15, 2024  ·  26:04 minutes