Topic: Technology

Handmade leather sandals, isolated on white background. Research Brief / E-commerce

How Many Pairs of Sandals Would You Look at Online?

On your phone, about 20. How retailers can best harvest sales from those glances

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

Two jigsaw puzzle pieces held together by staples. Research Brief / Mergers and Acquisitions

Two Tech Giants — and Two Very Different Acquisition Strategies

Alphabet’s M&A feeds its core business; Amazon’s more likely to push into new areas

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

Taxing Jet Fuel Could Reduce Airline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Now

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

Man using a laptop computer chatting with an intelligent artificial intelligence asks for the answers he wants. Feature / Investing

They’re Calling It the AI Bull Market

After launch of ChatGPT, swift reappraisal by investors

An older man fills out forms in front of a bank teller while an older woman on the right talks to a bank teller. Research Brief / Banking

Mobile Banking, a Boon to Many, Disadvantages Those Who Bank at Branches

Banks close neighborhood outlets and raise prices for branch-delivered services

White tiles with arrows pointed right lined up on a blue background with one red tile that shoes the arrow moving out of the line. Research Brief / Competition

A Renter and Property Owner Meet on Airbnb: Will They Ditch the Site?

The risk for matching platforms is affected by levels of fees and what’s disclosed about buyer and seller

A screenshot of an online selling tutorial on Amazon. Research Brief / Competition

Amazon (and Other Platforms) vs. Third-Party Sellers: Complicated Debate

Some data shows competing against the platform can help sellers, if not consumers

A laptop open on a table. A doctor is seen on the screen and the patient is seen in a box on the screen during a telehealth appointment. Research Brief / Health Care

Dividing Patients Between Telehealth, In-Office Primary Care and Referral to Specialists

Getting the mix right is the goal of a Medicare pilot, which itself could use substantial improvement

Two men sit on a bench in a scene from the TV show "Silicon Valley." Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

The Role of Chance Encounters in Silicon Valley Innovation

Cellphone signals and patent citations approximate a theory’s long-sought paper trail

A color image of a genome. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

College Completion and Your Genome (Don’t Get Too Excited)

It’s still early days in genetic research, though advances will aid study of educational attainment and, notably, disease

A sleeping baby wrapped in a white blanket wearing a black graduation cap with a red tasle Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

How Far Would You Go for an Ivy League Kid?

Study finds interest in screening embryos for education propensity, especially if everyone else is doing it

A man sitting with his dog on the couch talking to his grandma on a cellphone Research Brief / Behavioral Decision Making

People Prioritize Shared Experiences, Even When Apart

People will endure inconvenience to synchronize events, regardless of proximity

A screen grab of the Volunteer Match website that reads "How do I?' on an orange and white background. Research Brief / Technology

Matching Algorithms Work Fine — Until Bypassed By External Links

How to rebalance supply and demand amid today’s chaotic internet traffic

A cube of hundred dollar bills wrapped in a blue bow Research Brief / Productivity

Trying Out Bonus-Pay Theory on Unsupervised, Low-Skill Tasks

Incentives boost output, but benefits level off at a fairly low point

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