Constructive conflict fuels progress far better than passive agreement does. Learn how great ideas and strong results can stem from disagreement.
Author Archives: Mikki Gibson
America Has Tried Reparations Before. Here Is How it Went
Descendants of enslaved people may be entitled to reparations, but what can we learn from previous attempts to compensate people for a wrong?
John Legend: Success Through Effort
People aren’t born superstars. Watch this short video to learn how John Legend achieved his goals and how that applies to you.
What the Future of Adventure Travel Looks Like
Even travelers ripe for adventure need to reduce risk during a global pandemic. Read predictions about how future travel will be both daring and safe.
The Invisible Way That Marketers Set the Menu for Your Thanksgiving Feast
The foods we literally consume at Thanksgiving are based not in history, but in consumerism itself.
Critical Food and Farm Rules Have Been Rolled Back Amid Pandemic
Food safety regulations that were enacted after journalists raised the alarm over a century ago are becoming increasingly unlikely to protect today’s workers and consumers.
Public Understanding of the Holocaust, from WWII to Today
It’s said that hindsight is 20/20; looking back, the horrors of the Holocaust are clear. But what did Americans think at the time?
Meet the teen whose discovery could lead to a Covid-19 cure
As school doors were closing in the spring of 2020, one Texas 8th grader was using her knowledge and curiosity to tackle the pandemic.
First Encounters in the Americas
Consider the initial meeting of Arawaks and Europeans through a fresh, critical lens.
Five Myths About the U.S. Postal Service
The U.S. Postal Service was established by the Constitution to provide links vital to democracy. Find out the facts that dispel some prevalent myths.
Civic Participation
Participating in society in ways like volunteering or voting provides some surprising health benefits.
How a History Textbook Would Describe 2020 So Far
How might students in the future learn about the pivotal year of 2020? Read one historian’s chapter, written when the year was only half over.
Racial Economic Inequality
A century and a half after emancipation, Black Americans face economic challenges that have only been exacerbated by a global pandemic.
English spelling campaigners enlist the help of Hamlet
William Shakespeare penned some of the most famous lines in the English language, which is exactly why spelling reformers are starting with Hamlet.
The surprising habits of original thinkers
Some of the most creative, successful ideas are the result of procrastination. Watch this TED Talk to learn more about this and other counterintuitive findings about what drives success.
Coronavirus pandemic adds risk to already dangerous job of firefighting in western U.S.
Read about the risks faced by first responders to the nation’s wildfires and what works to mitigate them.
Coronavirus face masks: Why men are less likely to wear masks
Around the globe and regardless of politics, men are less likely than women to wear facial coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read about some of the reasons for this disparity.
A Rocket Scientist’s Love Algorithm Adds Up During Covid-19
The search for true love is always complicated. Find out how one NASA engineer attempted to crack the code.
The effect of Black Lives Matter protests on coronavirus cases, explained
Widespread protests led some to predict a spike in coronavirus cases. Read about why that result didn’t materialize.
‘We were shocked’: RAND study uncovers massive income shift to the top 1%
Are Americans living in a new gilded age? See what the numbers say.