The Present

America’s most popular conspiracy theories and the science behind them.

Political correctness can go the f*ck to sleep, says Adam Mansbach. The term has been co-opted by so many social factions that it’s more of a hindrance to the cause of respect than a help.

A new study suggests always-improving video games are keeping young men without college educations unemployed or out of the workforce entirely.

Don’t work with children or animals? Sir David Attenborough laughs in the face of danger.

If you want to get from A to B more safely, be a little more choosy at the cab rank. 

There’s an app that detects manterruptions—but we round up the research to find out which groups of people are really doing the most interrupting.

Limiting speech doesn’t change the nature of hate, says Josh Lieb. Thoughts can be hateful and stupid—but should they be criminal?rn

Astrophysicist and science educator Neil deGrasse Tyson reveals if he’d run for President and what he would do if elected.

People in the East and West really do think differently, especially when it comes to self-identity. Depending where you live, it’s either associative or distinctive thinking that shapes your sense of self.

How do you build a podcast empire? Scott Aukerman explains the pedantic, unglamorous, behind-the-scenes work that went into founding the brilliant Earwolf Podcast Network.

The Middle Ages see a resurgence of interest among the alt-right and some conservative thinkers.

“My theory is true, if I do say so myself.” SPOT stands for “Spontaneous Preference For Own Theories,” and it’s a newly identified cognitive bias.

Americans understands very well what feels wrong – and there’s a piece of U.S. economic policy that the establishment and educated elites haven’t been fully honest about, says Pia Malaney.rn

Sponsored by the Hertz Foundation

Director Ezra Edelman just won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ‘O.J. Simpson: Made in America’. By deconstructing one scene, he gives insight into how truth and art must co-exist in documentary filmmaking.

A new report shows the marijuana industry is poised to have a major economic impact.

A college course on how to recognize “bullshit” addresses fake news, memes, clickbaiting and misleading advertising. 

What if the vision wasn’t just to have politicians who are science literate, but actual scientists running the joint – would it be any better than it is now?

Jeffrey Sachs, from the Rust Belt himself, shares his thoughts on Trump’s economic plans and shares some red flags to watch for as new policy proposals surface.

Exterior mapping – like GPS maps – is part of daily life, but in the coming decades prepare to have your private, interior spaces mapped to assist with future technologies.

Google’s DeepMind artificial intelligence learns what it takes to win, making human-like choices in competitive situations.

Mathematics professor Po-Shen Loh has created Expii, a free education tool that democratizes learning by turning your smartphone into a tutor.

Can’t the U.S. be a little more like Scandinavia in its ethos? Fixing inequality in America will take more than economic reform, it will also need a cultural shift.

While often compared to the Roman Empire, the United States is not likely to collapse in the same way.

Nothing reflects the complex mood of our era like gaming, says Nato Thompson, where the establishment has worked its way into the anti-establishment ethos.

While Kellyanne Conway spoke of a nonexistent massacre, there was a real, historical massacre that took place at Bowling Green – in New York City.

Universal Basic Income (UBI) and the movement towards a shorter work week is not just a solution to inequality, but one also aimed at stabilizing the environment.

“If all that liberals can do in response is continue to lie about the causes of terrorism and lock arms with Islamists, we have some very rough times ahead,” writes Sam Harris. 

When you take off a virtual reality headset, you don’t remember seeing things, you recall experiencing them, says Kevin Kelly. VR will create a world of amazing opportunity – for us and for advertisers.

What should have killed Trump’s political career, only made him stronger. Matt Taibbi marvels at Trump’s immunity to scandal and baffling resilience to normal media strategies.