Digging Up the Roots of Language
…are found in the most remote parts of the planet, the ones that took humans the longest to colonize. So while some of the ancient click languages of African bushmen…
…are found in the most remote parts of the planet, the ones that took humans the longest to colonize. So while some of the ancient click languages of African bushmen…
Prenatal lead exposure linked to male obesity. (Earlier) Researchers test Iraqi teenagers’ self-esteem. Cities in Japan, Sardinia, California boast the world’s longest-living populations. Helvetica makes list of “Top Ten new…
…was dead set on getting into the book myself. The record: world’s longest gum-wrapper chain. I don’t remember how it got started, but somehow Judy Munson (the older sister of…
…down the field to score. A 95-yard drive against the Jets — the longest they’ve allowed all season, capped off by a 20-yard touchdown run. How rare is that? Out…
…sentencing him to 100 months in prison, the longest sentence for a member of Congress on record. Q: You depict Cunningham as a war hero of questionable intelligence who, upon…
The National Institutes of Health is the backbone of health research in the U.S., and Collins has been in charge for more than a decade. Now that he’s stepping down,…
…Bowman Gray Stadium, NASCAR’s longest-running weekly track, was so loud that it hums still in my ears today). NASCAR is the subject of our latest “Freakonomics” column, in the upcoming…
How did Chick-fil-A become the third-largest restaurant chain in the U.S.? Why does it serve salad? And can Angie’s moral compass override her craving for a chicken sandwich?…
…in construction: 10 years. Commute: Longest: about 25 miles, shortest: about 100 yards. Salary: From $50k to $100K. Benefits (medical and dental) for union jobs only. What’s one safety rule…
…Give the smallest room to the guy least likely to have sleepover guests. 5. All three roommates hold hands over open flame; whoever lasts longest gets room of his choice….
…was Jeff “Critter” Crittenden, one of the world’s longest drivers of the golf ball. This is a guy who has won long driving contests with balls that travel well more…
We Americans may love our democracy — at least in theory — but at the moment our feelings toward the Federal government lie somewhere between disdain and hatred. Which electoral…
…only “race” during my preparation was a ten miler, which took me 79 minutes. But don’t expect me to keep up that pace: My longest training run was 32 km,…
…every one of them arrives safely. The last accident involving a U.S. major carrier was almost six years ago — the longest such stretch in the industry’s history. There are…
How is the brain affected by solitary confinement? How would you deal with being stranded on a deserted island? And do baby monkeys make the best therapists?…
Stephen Dubner’s conversation with the Facebook founder and C.E.O., recorded for the Freakonomics Radio series “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.”…
It takes fungi-sniffing dogs, back-room deals, and a guy named “The Kingpin” for the world’s most coveted morsel to end up on your plate. Zachary Crockett picks up the scent.
It takes fungi-sniffing dogs, back-room deals, and a guy named “The Kingpin” for the world’s most coveted morsel to end up on your plate. Zachary Crockett picks up the scent.
Sarah Stein Greenberg runs Stanford’s d.school, which teaches design as a mode of problem solving. She and Steve talk about what makes her field different from other academic disciplines, how…
Victoria Groce is the best trivia contestant on earth. The winner of the 2024 World Quizzing Championship explains the structure of a good question, why she knits during competitions, and…
…the longest hours, who shops the most, to who is most trusting of others. The annual report, titled “Society at a Glance 2011 – OECD Social Indicators,” is chock-full with…
Among O.E.C.D. nations, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of child poverty. Until recently, it looked as if Washington was about to change that. But then … Washington…
Computer scientist Fei-Fei Li had a wild idea: download one billion images from the internet and teach a computer to recognize them. She ended up advancing the state of artificial…
How do you know when it’s the right time to retire? What does a “good” retirement look like? And will Stephen and Angela ever really hang up their hats?…
Why learning to say “I don’t know” is one of the best things you can do.
Ideas are currency. This couldn’t be more true in academia, where it’s the job of researchers to think of questions and, hopefully, find answers. Bapu talks with economists Steve Levitt…
…mayor, and a large cast of econo-nerds. Along the way, we hear some surprisingly good news: Washington is finally ready to attack the problem head-on. (This is part of the…
…“The Art of Happiness” are among the books to stay for the longest period of time on the New York Times bestseller list without ever making it to number 1….
…measured against traditional musicals? A: Smokey Joe’s Cafe was the longest running review in history. I expect it will be surpassed by Jersey Boys. Generally, these shows are more successful…
