The Gilden Age, as its name suggests, was appealing on the surface, but many objectionable qualities laid below the exterior. Compare our current time period to the late 1800s.
Tag Archives: Opinion
Poll Shows Americans Shun Physical Robots But Welcome Smart Home Assistants
Why do Americans distrust robots? Do we have anything to fear? Read information from both sides of the debate.
Why figuring out what’s behind a big gender paradox won’t be easy
Science reporter Cathleen O’Grady explains the gender-equality paradox and and why drawing any conclusions from the research on it is tricky.
Is There Any Point to Protesting?
Weaving in examples throughout history, columnist Nathan Heller argues that even when marches and protests are ineffective, they are still important.
How to disagree productively and find common ground
Former world debate champion and business strategist Julia Dhar argues that debating ideas instead of identities is the key to productive conversations.
Is love losing its soul in the digital age?
Philosophy professor Firmin DeBrabander contemplates how couples display their relationships on social media.
Martin Luther King was no prophet of unity. He was a radical
This opinion piece points out that people tend to remember Martin Luther King Jr. fondly as a civil rights leader while overlooking the fact that his views and actions were radical.
Should America Take Down Monuments That Romanticize Conquistadors?
Statues of conquistadors are facing many of the same criticisms as Confederate statues. How should we treat these statues? Read the article for commentary on a complicated issue.
The real risks of artificial intelligence
Science jouranlist Bianca Nogrady argues that we shouldn’t worry about AI taking over, but about AI solving problems incorrectly.
Teens struggle to combat conformity
A middle-school student shares her thoughts about the challenges today’s teenagers face.
Stop making second American Civil War clickbait
Pundits from both political extremes sometimes bring up the idea of the United States having a new civil war. Here’s why that’s not going to happen.
The remarkable power of sport to bring about reconciliation
Journalist James Richradson argues that sports can break down barriers and bring people together.
The Words That Remade America
Garry Wills, journalist and historian, recounts the events surrounding the Gettysburg Address and argues that Lincoln’s words changed the way Americans viewed country’s founding documents.
Bucket lists are a good way to ruin the experience of nature
Writer and researcher Tom Winterbottom argues that the key to enjoying nature is to slow down.
Kate Tempest: a winning wielder of words
In this summary of Kate Tempest’s career as a rapper and poet, critic Michael Hogan praises her work.
Do We Code-Switch Our Laughter?
Code-switching, a means for assimilation, is at the forefront of a larger discussion about race and culture. Laughter, it seems, may be one of the traits people change to fit into the larger scheme of society.
What makes a hero? – Matthew Winkler
What do you have in common with heroes in literature, movies, and television? It may be more than you think. Watch this short video to learn about the the hero’s journey myth.
Do Women Take as Many Risks as Men?
Author Doug Sundheim was surprised when he realized his book, Taking Smart Risks, included far fewer stories about women. In this article he investigates how that happened.
Where’s Bobbi Fischer?
Writer Hana Schank analyzes the lack of women who play chess and argues that it’s important for females to participate in male-dominated fields.
Are Family Traditions Important?
As our lives become ever fuller with individual commitments and distractions, it’s easy to let go of family traditions that might not seem as pressing. But what might we lose in the long run when we skip out on things that were once important enough to have become traditions?