oh, chicago
When the feds come take your cash
How much cash do you keep laying around at your house? A new FBI document shows that they seized $60k from suburban Mayor Tony Ragucci’s home. No mention of why… | learn more
fun facts
Lusitania: the epic battle over its biggest mystery
The Lusitania sank in 18 minutes and helped push the U.S. into World War 1. “Retired venture capitalist Gregg Bemis owns the salvage rights to the Lusitania — and he thinks he can solve the 100-year-old mystery of why it […]
fun facts
It’s 2020 and you’re in the future
Wait But Why’s Tim Urban reminds us that time flies. “The Wonder Years aired from 1988 and 1993 and depicted the years between 1968 and 1973. When I watched the show, it felt like it was set in a time […]
book recommendations
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
Author: Walter Isaacson Popular images of Benjamin Franklin often center on three items: the bifocals, the kite, the key. Curious, I read the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin a few years back. Franklin’s honesty sparked my real interest in the U.S. […]
tech, startups, internet thoughts of food to your health
A month’s worth of blood sugar data
I tracked my glucose levels for twenty-eight days using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Instead of traditional twice-a-day finger pricks, CGMs check glucose at regular intervals via a small probe embedded under the skin. I wore mine on the arm […]
on the blockchain
500 headlines about Bitcoin
Fun to skim through, but not much substance. “Bitcoin has a branding problem. It’s known as a wildly unstable financial asset, doomed fad, brogrammer fantasy, and blah blah blah. So I subjected it to a favorite branding exercise. In the […]
thoughts of food
Why Illinois will rule the meatless future
“From innovations in plant-based protein to soy market dominance, Illinois is poised to feed America’s increasingly vegan diet.” | learn more
under the microscope
Researchers at CERN break the speed of light
This isn’t supposed to be possible, per Einstein. Then again, neither is quantum entanglement. “Antonio Ereditato, spokesman for the international group of researchers, said that measurements taken over three years showed neutrinos pumped from CERN near Geneva to Gran Sasso […]
retail therapy
The man who makes Amazon logistics happen
“Dave Clark has twin challenges: ensuring packages arrive on time and keeping workers safe.” He’s also the guy who fired FedEx. | learn more