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Thought Innovation

The tin tube was more resilient than its predecessor (the pig bladder), enabling painters to leave their studios.

Never Underestimate the Power of a Paint Tube

Without this simple invention, impressionists such as Claude Monet wouldn’t have been able to create their works of genius

30 is the number of trees, in millions, cut down annually to produce books in the U.S.

The Revolutionary Effect of the Paperback Book

This simple innovation transformed the reading habits of an entire nation

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From the Editor

From the Editor

Cowboy boots, like this oversized 40-foot-tall pair in San Antonio, are synonymous with Texas, a state that some say is “like a whole other country.”

Why Every State Should Be More Like Texas

Reporter Erica Grieder sees wisdom in the Lone Star State’s economic model. No verdict on if it has the best barbecue, however

Who makes a good call center worker? Big Data knows.

How Big Data Will Mean the End to Job Interviews

Companies will rely more and more on analyzing mountains of data to determine who’s the best fit for a job

Music works deep into our brains.

Eight New Things We’ve Learned About Music

It’s right up there with food, sex and drugs when its comes to stirring up pleasure responses in our brains

Do teachers need to train more like doctors?

Do Teachers Need Their Own “Bar Exam”?

Some say the best way to improve American education—and get teachers more respect—is make them take challenging entry exams like doctors and lawyers do

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Educating Americans for the 21st Century

Introducing a Special Report on Education

How are schools adapting to the new demands of the 21st century?

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Educating Americans for the 21st Century

The Very Model of a Modern Major STEM School

As science and math-focused campuses multiply around the country, Denver’s School of Science and Technology is deciding what makes a STEM school great

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Educating Americans for the 21st Century

How to Count to 100,000 STEM Teachers in 10 Years

Talia Milgrom-Elcott is building a coalition of the willing, an army devoted to bringing thousands of educators to the classroom

Industrialist Andrew Carnegie (front row, center) financially supported the Tuskegee Institute and its faculty members, pictured here. Carnegie lauded the efforts of Booker T. Washington, who opened the school in 1881, shown here with his wife Margaret next to the businessman.

Educating Americans for the 21st Century

The Business of American Business Is Education

From corporate donations to workplace restrictions, what’s taught in the classroom has always been influenced by American industry

Manassas Park Elementary School, Manassas, Virginia. Architect: VMDO Architects, PC.

Educating Americans for the 21st Century

Where Are the Greenest Schools in the Country?

The definition of being eco-conscious is so much more than having solar panels on a roof

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Educating Americans for the 21st Century

Unleashing the Power of One Computer for Every Student

Education reformer and Amplify CEO Joel Klein explains how tablets in schools will revolutionize the classroom experience

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Educating Americans for the 21st Century

Document Deep Dive: The Classroom of the Future, Today

A new portable schoolroom boasts environmentally features that will save money and create a space more conducive to learning

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Where ‘An Eye for An Eye’ Should be the Letter of the Law

The courts have failed victims of violent crimes, according to one Fordham law professor, but does that mean that vengeance is justified?

Imagine them without the blades

Do Wind Turbines Need a Rethink?

They’re still a threat to bats and birds and now they even have their own “syndrome”. So, are there better ways to capture the wind?

An MSF doctor at a hospital in Kenya. After the cold war, the group became a strong advocate for humanitarian intervention worldwide.

The Big Dilemma Facing Doctors Without Borders

The non-governmental organization concedes it sometimes pays a moral price to save lives

Using an equation based off animal territories, an anthropologist at UCLA was able to draw theoretical borders between gang turf in Los Angeles.

What Can Bees Teach Us About Gang Warfare?

In Los Angeles, an anthropologist is using equations to teach police about how street gangs operate

Will going to class become quaint?

Free Online Courses Mean College Will Never Be the Same

They’re the biggest innovation in higher education in years, but are they a threat to small universities and community colleges?

La Salle fans during March Madness.

The Science of Being a Sports Fan

What does it mean to be “addicted” to your favorite team?

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