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​Finding the Cattle Queen​

How a racy steakhouse ad from 1968 took on a life of its own in merchandise and protests while the featured model fell into obscurity.

n+1 | Rachel Ossip

​A brief history of instant coffee​

It may never be as good as a freshly brewed cup, but the evolution of instant coffee over more than a century is a fascinating tale of innovation.

Works in Progress | Benjamin Stubbing and Oscar Sykes

​Milk and cereal​

On Mythos and the need for more people to get hands-on experience with AI before the technology does something cataclysmic.

Manual Transmission | Zac Hill

​I before she​

Exploring the emerging and very strong preference for first-person perspective in the booming market for romance novels.

Slate | Luke Winkie

​I would rather regret not having children than regret having them​

Reflections on deciding not to have kids. "First, I needed big love. Second, I needed the timing to be right. And third, I needed a relationship that was ready to fight the patriarchy together."

The Globe and Mail | Hadiya Roderique

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​America needs to impeach Trump for its own moral health​

Following the president's threat of genocide against Iran, "impeachment is not merely about accountability for a rogue president, but an assertion of our own moral limits—a reminder to ourselves that some things should still remain beyond the pale."

The UnPopulist | Matt Johnson

​A retrospective on Bidenomics​

A left-wing perspective on the economic successes and political failures of the Biden administration.

The American Prospect | Ryan Cooper

​Something alarming is happening​

"I asked a room of human resources executives whether their companies’ diversity efforts were continuing, and every hand shot up. When I asked who would talk about it publicly, almost every hand quickly went down."

The New York Times | Joanne Lipman

​Eulogy for the CIA Factbook​

A brief history of the Factbook, coming to an end after a six-decade run.

Associated Press | Laurie Kellman

​Good night, fish oil​

As rising demand for fish oil squeezes supply, alternatives derived from algae are having a moment.

Offrange | Emma Penrod

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​When Texas was fertile ground for prison bands​

A new project is recovering music from Texas prison bands of the previous century and making it available to contemporary listeners.

The Marshall Project | Maurice Chammah

​Why millions are playing games about mundane jobs​

The hot trend in video games: "mundane job simulations" like mowing lawns and power-washing.

BBC | Laura Cress

​The usefulness of useless knowledge​

On the Golden Goose Awards and seemingly useless scientific research that ends up having a real applications.

Tim Harford

​How soundwaves can fight fire​

Extinguishing fire without using water? Basic research on using soundwaves to starve flames of oxygen is getting put into practice by a new startup.

Scientific American | Vanessa Bates Ramirez

​The highway that never was​

On the rejected highway that would have destroyed one of today's vibrant Portland neighborhoods.

Portland Mercury | Joe Streckert

​Atlantic puffins are returning to shore​

Finally, in seabird news... April is the season for viewing puffins as they come to shore to raise their young.

National Geographic | Jason Bittel

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