What Are Diminutives - and Why We Like Them
AdultsLanguageSocietyCultureA diminutive is something you stick on the end of a word to make the thing it describes sound smaller. ie. Dog goes to Doggy. Every language has them, but some have more than others. Why are we drawn to diminutives? And why is English particularly resistant to them, compared to Spanish, for example?
History vs. Che Guevara - Alex Gendler
AdultsHistoryPoliticsSocietyHis face is recognized all over the world - the young medical student who became a revolutionary icon. But was Che Guevara a heroic champion of the poor, or a ruthless warlord who left a legacy of repression? Alex Gendler puts this controversial figure on trial in History vs. Che Guevara.
What is the tragedy of the commons? - Nicholas Amendolare
AdultsEcologyGlobal WarmingSocietyIs it possible that overfishing, super germs, and global warming are all caused by the same thing? In 1968, a man named Garrett Hardin sat down to write an essay about overpopulation. Within it, he discovered a pattern of human behavior that explains some of history's biggest problems. Nicholas Amendolare describes the tragedy of the commons.
Do We Have Free Will or Are We Predetermined?
AdultsPsychologySocietyThe question of whether we are fundamentally free or determined in our thoughts and actions has been in the middle of philosophical debate for many centuries. This is our take on the subject.
Why We Don't Really Want to be Nice
AdultsCultureSocietyPsychology...Being 'nice' sounds a bit eerie and strange. It shouldn't really.
How We Lie to Ourselves
AdultsHumanPsychologySociety...We are masters at knowing how to lie to ourselves. We pay a heavy price for this self-deception.
Why We Feel Lonely and Odd
AdultsHumanPsychologyMental Health...We feel lonely and odd because we mistakenly assume that the kind of thoughts and fears we have will have no echo in other people. They do; it's just we haven't found a way to speak to one another honestly about who we are.
Why Public Transportation Sucks in the US
AdultsBusinessEconomyTransportation...Access to transportation is the single most important factor in individual's ability to escape poverty.
I Talked Behind My Best Friend's Back
AdultsRelationshipsSocietyFriendshipWhen Shannon first got to her new school in third grade, she was on her own, lonely, and the other kids seemed to think she was weird - until, finally, she met a great group of girls - five of them - and they all became the best of friends.
Overcoming obstacles - Steven Claunch
AdultsDisabilityPsychologySociety...When faced with a bump in the road, sometimes we forget we have a choice: overcome the obstacle or let it overcome you. Steven Claunch, who was born without fingers on his right hand and with one leg shorter than the other and has excelled in basketball nonetheless, explains why obstacles can provide an opportunity to both inspire others and develop character.
How do executive orders work? - Christina Greer
AdultsEqualityHistorySociety...On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln legally changed the status of over 3 million people from "slave" to "free." But his emancipation proclamation wasn't a law - it was an executive order. The framers of the American Constitution made this power available to the executive branch. But what exactly is this tool, how does it work, and what's the extent of its power? Christina Greer explains.
Intimidated by a College Bully
AdultsRelationshipsSocietyEducationWhen you leave middle school and high school behind, you expect that bullying, fear and intimidation are in the past. When you get to college, you expect that people will be open-minded, compassionate and mature. Unfortunately this in not always the case. It certainly wasn't for Omar.
Where do new words come from? - Marcel Danesi
AdultsLanguageSocietyEducationThere are over 170,000 words currently in use in the English language. Yet every year, about a thousand new words are added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Where do they come from, and how do they make it into our everyday lives? Marcel Danesi explains how new words enter a language.
You Are Not What You Earn
AdultsPersonal FinanceSocietyWork...The modern world firmly equates how much we earn with how good, noble, wise and worthy of honour we are. This is a brutal misunderstanding of how salaries are determined. We need to operate with a far more nuanced view of what the money we earn says about us.