Author: kmenke

Detail of a 19-century painting depicting the Battle of Kulikovo (1380 CE). Research Brief / Cultural History

Testing 17 Theories on the Development of Complex Civilizations

Large-scale data project produces stark conclusion: military technology + agricultural productivity caused the takeoff

Close-up of a robotic hand calculating bills using calculator in office Research Brief / Technology

Technology’s Hidden Role in the Accountant Shortage

Software that saves time and money may paradoxically be resulting in a shortage of accountants

remote worker using technology Research Brief / Workplace

Technology Alone Won’t Decide the Future of Remote Work

Social and institutional forces ultimately enable — or stifle — change

Quiz

Techies Have Chance Encounters and Brainstorm — and If They Don’t, Innovation Suffers

What your genome says about college completion, and how likely a crash is after a credit boom

Woman working from home at standing desk Research Brief / Employment

Tech Workers Take Much Lower Pay to Ditch the Office

Offers of remote work far more valuable to job seekers than employers seem to understand

Aerial shot of an industrial district Forecast / Technology

Tech Sector Propels California’s Economy Faster than the Nation’s

New economic indicator allows forecasters to monitor the state’s performance more closely

Refueling an airplane on the airport Punta Cana at the Dominican Republic Forecast / Global Warming

Taxing Jet Fuel Could Reduce Airline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Now

Breakthrough technologies are years off for aviation, but incremental improvements are available

An illustration of a woman pulling a suitcase as she walks toward her ride share. Research Brief / Ride-Sharing Services

Surge Pricing’s Benefits Go to a Subset of Ride-Hailing Drivers

Full-timers gain the least, part-time drivers the most

Horizontal color image of modern plastic factory with industrial machinery. Research Brief / Supply Chain

Supply Chains Benefit When Manufacturers Adopt AI

Efficiencies spill over to suppliers even if they don’t adopt the technology themselves

A view of a petrochemical plant at night Research Brief / Competition

Sunk Costs Work as Barrier to Exit

Firms endure losses in hopes of a turnaround

The skyline of Shenzhen, China, amid pollution. Research Brief / Supply Chain

Strict Emissions Rules in China Spur Automotive Innovations

Tough standards led to an increase in auto-related patents

Three female engineers Feature / Strategy

STEM Careers: Accelerating Women’s Progress

How to build confidence with recognition incentives

Illustration of characters debating at a long table Feature / Organizational Culture

Status among Team Members: Conflict and Productivity

Groups with unsettled hierarchies can benefit from disagreements that establish a pecking order

A cartoon image of someone being handed money from several different hands Research Brief / Startups

State Tax Credits for Angel Investors Backfire

Good ideas may be scarce, capital to fund them is not

Map of the London Tube system Research Brief / Real Estate

Startups and Gentrification Go Hand in Hand, But How Does That Happen?

Looking at London, by one measure the world’s second strongest entrepreneurial center

Workers in a warehouse putting together packages Research Brief / Productivity

Startling Productivity Leap: an Algorithm, Not a Manager, Assigns Work

Warehouse pickers perceive process to be fairer