Ideas, opinions, politics, humanities
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World’s university student inflation: Has higher education become too common?
For centuries, a university education was reserved for a small intellectual elite. Universities trained future scientists, physicians, lawyers, engineers, philosophers, and public administrators. Admission was difficult, graduation even more so, and holding a university degree carried immense prestige. Today, the situation is very different. In many developed countries, between one-third and one-half of young adults…
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Why society’s best minds work in the wrong places
Every election campaign sounds remarkably similar. Politicians promise better schools, better healthcare, more efficient public administration, and greater investment in science. Almost everyone agrees that these are among the pillars of a prosperous civilization. Parents want excellent teachers. Patients want excellent doctors. Citizens want competent public officials. Every country hopes for groundbreaking scientists whose discoveries…
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IQ and openness to experience: Why intelligence alone is not enough
Intelligence is often viewed as the key to success in education and intellectual achievement. Yet anyone who has met exceptionally bright people knows that high IQ does not automatically translate into broad knowledge, expertise, or creativity. Some individuals with extraordinary cognitive abilities spend their lives pursuing ideas, while others rarely engage in intellectual activities beyond…
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How the education system maintains economic class structures
Education is often presented as society’s great equalizer. Regardless of where a person is born, the argument goes, talent and hard work should enable them to achieve success through learning. This belief forms the foundation of modern meritocracy. Schools and universities promise to reward intelligence, perseverance, and ability rather than family wealth or social background.…
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Tech Bros: One algorithm elects president
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.”— President Joe Biden, farewell address, January 15, 2025 When Joe Biden delivered his farewell address, one sentence stood out above all…
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Elon Musk: The tech elite’s biggest mistake
What exactly connects Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Page? On the surface, the answer appears obvious and even flattering. All three possess extremely high IQs that place them in the rarefied air of genuine intellectual outliers; all three demonstrate a fiercely business-minded attitude that has allowed them to build global empires from nothing more…
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Ceuta: Dehumanizing refugees and shooting them is not enough
The debate surrounding Ceuta has become about far more than border security. It has exposed a disturbing willingness among many Europeans to forget that refugees are human beings before they are migrants. The headline suggesting that those trying to cross into Ceuta deserved even harsher treatment was not an attempt to inform readers. It was…
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The media like the establishment: Another Watergate impossible?
When the Watergate scandal forced President Richard Nixon to resign in 1974, it became the defining moment of modern investigative journalism. The work of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein showed that determined reporters could uncover wrongdoing at the very highest levels of government. Their investigation demonstrated that no one, not even the President of the…
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Israelis and Palestinians: Can tribalism get worse?
The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is one of the clearest demonstrations of how tribalism can overwhelm empathy, reason, and moral consistency. It is also one of the few conflicts where many people appear unable to condemn atrocities committed by “their own side” while readily condemning identical acts committed by the other. Before anything else,…
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Will political culture deteriorate even more?
For much of the twentieth century, democratic politics operated according to a relatively stable set of unwritten rules. Politicians accused of serious corruption, financial crimes, or abuse of office often saw their careers collapse long before a court reached its final verdict. Public trust mattered, and even the appearance of wrongdoing could permanently damage a…