oh, chicago

Cabrini Green’s infamous past.

Cabrini Green’s infamous past. Built on grounds once called “Little Hell,” Chicago’s Cabrini Green is “the most notorious project complex in Chicago history” due to its violent reputation and notorious location. ~ learn more

oh, chicago

Poop canal needs a new name.

Poop canal needs a new name. The 125-year-old Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which reversed the flow of the Chicago River, is facing a rebranding. “Now is the time to re-envision, reimagine and redefine what the Chicago Sanitary and Ship […]

fun facts

Ride to the stratosphere.

Ride to the stratosphere. “Welcome to the space elevator, the only elevator that goes to space.” Along the way, you’ll learn about everything from towering cumulonimbus clouds to the death-defying records of high-altitude birds and planes. ~ learn more

fun facts

Rap falls off the Billboard Top 40.

Rap falls off the Billboard Top 40. “Rap has officially dipped out of the top 40 songs on the Billboard charts for the first time in 35 years.” The combination of Billboard’s new rules and the genre’s declining market share […]

big ideas

How well does anti-money laundering work?

How well does anti-money laundering work? Not that well, it seems. Despite international efforts, “most claims of ‘success’…are unsupported by relevant empirical evidence.” Recent scandals, such as a major U.S. bank failing to monitor $18.3 trillion, cast doubt on the […]

big ideas

Why is Argentina poor?

Why is Argentina poor? “Around 1900, Argentina was 2x richer than Japan, and over 4x richer than Taiwan, South Korea, and China. But all these countries are now richer than Argentina.” Factors like land concentration and poor economic policies have […]

big ideas

China is killing the US on energy.

China is killing the US on energy. Does that mean they’ll win AGI? “How will we feed the 100s of GWs of extra energy demand that AI will create over the next decade? On this episode, Casey Handmer (Caltech PhD, […]

under the microscope

Infrared saunas and athlete recovery.

Infrared saunas and athlete recovery. Recent research suggests that “infrared sauna can be a feasible and safe way to promote recovery, especially during busy match schedules.” It took me several clicks to get to the original ~200 page research study, […]