under the microscope

Can neural stimulation zap addiction?

“This type of brain-zapping therapy, known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), has shown encouraging results in clinical trials involving chronic users of cocaine, alcohol, heroin, methamphetamine, and cannabis. Regulators in the United States, Canada, the European Union, and Israel have […]

oh, Austin

Why do sidewalks in Austin suddenly end?

“According to Austin’s Public Works Department, the city is missing about 1,600 miles of sidewalk — a length of concrete that could stretch from here to Winnipeg, Canada.” ~ learn more

retail therapy

What do you do with a billion grams of surplus weed?

“We have more pot in [Canada] than we can possibly sell. Producers today are sitting on a massive, and predictable, oversupply that is slowly becoming worthless—and that’s going to cost a lot of companies a lot of money.” | learn more

on the blockchain

A death in Cryptoland

“When reports emerged in 2019 that the CEO of Canada’s largest cryptocurrency exchange had died, it left over a quarter of a billion dollars of customers’ funds in limbo. While authorities investigated, one online sleuth decided to dig deeper to […]

big ideas

Why recycling doesn’t work. 

This article is Canada-focused, but I would guess that the content applies to the US as well. “Ontario is the only province from which detailed financials are available. In 2016, blue-box collection cost municipalities a total of $347 million, and […]