Editor’s Notes: What would Warren Buffett do?

Climate Change, Inc. by Heather Shayne Blakeslee Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe (R), one of America’s most influential climate science deniers, famously threw a snowball on the floor of the Senate this past February, his way of calling for calm amid what he calls climate change “hysteria.” It was a publicity stunt that is, unfortunately, emblematic

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2 mins read

November 2015: Comings and Goings

StartUp PHL Grants $104kStartUp PHL, a city initiative to endorse and fund entrepreneurship in Philadelphia, has awarded $104,000 in grant money to six diverse organizations. Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, who was granted $20,000, will convert land at 6th and Susquehanna streets into a pop-up marketplace. Corzo Center for the Creative Economy at the University of

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4 mins read

Celebrate these long lasting winter vegetables

by Peggy Paul Casella Brussels SproutsThe Brussels sprout plant looks like a lanky sea monster: Its thick spine grows straight up from the soil, covered with mini-cabbage “eyes” and dozens of leafy arms. Though the leaves are also edible, like those of fellow Brassicas, the sprouts are the most commonly eaten part of the plant.

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1 min read

Your hybrid car isn’t good for the environment

Illustration by Kathleen White Car Culture Calculus by Jerry Silberman Question: What is best for the environment—a fuel-efficient internal combustion car, hybrid, or electric car? The Right Question: Is driving, regardless of the car, the biggest threat to the environment? When it comes to evaluating a car, we tend to look at how much gasoline

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2 mins read
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We need more girls who believe they can be makers

Illustration by Corey Brickley Hack the Gender Gap by Georgia Guthrie “Wow, that seems very complicated. I don’t think I would be able to do that.” “I just started learning myself, and believe me, if I can do it, you can, too!”  I heard this snippet of conversation during the Drop In + Do, the

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3 mins read
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The Singularity, and the next industrial revolution

Populist Mechanics by Heather Shayne Blakeslee Followers of advances in artificial intelligence are waiting for a tipping point they call the “Singularity.” It’s the moment in time when the computers and machines that we’ve designed are smart enough to design better versions of themselves, an event that would trigger a cascade of exponential improvement—as well

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2 mins read

The tyranny of consensus endangers lives

illustration by Kathleen White Muting the Feedback by Geoff Kees Thompson If you live near Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia, or traverse it on a regular basis, you’ve probably felt that this wide arterial corridor, a former rail yard, leaves something to be desired. Washington Avenue is a space given over to heavy car traffic,

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3 mins read
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A better future is out there. Will we build walls or bridges?

Our Infrastructure, Ourselves by Heather Shayne Blakeslee Humans move in response to stimuli, just like most other living beings on this planet, whether it’s reflexively withdrawing our hand when we are burned by a pot on the gas stove, or deciding to take a back road when the highway is jammed.  Both are relatively quick

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2 mins read
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