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Kite & Key gives you the essentials necessary to understand the issues that affect your life. In the videos below, you’ll find insights from the world’s best researchers, academics, and journalists on a wide range of issues. From economics to science, from education to the quality of life in our cities, let us be your guide to the world of public policy research.
Watch new Kite & Key Media videos every Wednesday.
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Why Americans Misunderstand the Supreme Court
November 2023“The Supreme Court has never been this out of control”… is a thing Americans have been saying at basically every point in our history. -
The Dark Secrets of Thanksgiving Dinner
November 2023From pumpkin pie to turkey to holiday cocktails, there’s a myth about nearly every item on your Thanksgiving table. -
Why America’s Military Readiness Is in Question
November 2023The threats to America’s national security are mounting. Are our armed forces up to the task? -
Where Do Americans Meet Across Class Lines?
November 2023Why the Olive Garden may be America’s last best hope for breaking down class barriers -
How Satellites Changed the World
October 2023From national security to environmental policy to agriculture, satellites are reshaping the world around us. -
What Are Americans' Biggest Phobias
October 2023From snakes to public speaking to clusters of small holes(?), the ideas most likely to give Americans the creeps. -
What if Anxiety Is Actually Good for You?
October 2023We tend to think of anxiety as an affliction. But what if it's a gift? -
The Weirdest Infrastructure America *Almost* Built
October 2023A domed city, an epic monument, and an infrastructure project that involved nuclear explosions. -
Why AI (Probably) Isn't Going to Steal Your Job
October 2023Are machines going to lead to widespread unemployment? Actually, it's a fear that's been around for centuries — and it's always been wrong. -
Social Security’s Coming Reckoning
September 2023Politicians are hesitant to reform Social Security — but inaction comes with a cost. -
The Relationship Between Extreme Weather and Climate Change
September 2023Wildfires. Hurricanes. Tornadoes. What do we actually know about climate change’s effect on extreme weather? -
America’s Extraordinary Progress Against Cancer
September 2023Thanks to improved technology and better drugs, death rates from cancer are on the decline. -
Why Is College So Expensive?
September 2023How degree inflation, a lack of transparency, and government subsidies drove up the cost of college. -
5 States That Are Growing — And 5 That Are Shrinking
August 2023Americans are flocking to the Sun Belt — and abandoning the Northeast. -
The Worst Natural Disasters in American History
August 2023A catastrophic earthquake, a forgotten fire, and the hurricane that changed the nation... -
The Biggest Hoaxes in American History
August 2023From life on the moon to the Balloon Boy, a chronicle of when the media got duped. -
How Science Can Help Us Distinguish Fake Health Scares from Real Ones
August 2023How pseudoscience is driving public health scares -
Why Is There So Much Plastic Waste in the Ocean?
August 2023About 1 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year. Where does it come from? -
What Social Science Tells Us About How to Escape Poverty
July 2023Why friendship may be the key to economic opportunity -
Why Humans Are Going (Back) to the Moon
July 2023No human has set foot on the moon since 1972. That’s going to change soon. -
How a Single Statistic Upended the American Economy
July 2023One tiny bit of questionable government accounting; one giant misperception about the country’s economy. -
Where Did the 50 States Come From?
July 2023From independent countries to breakaway territory, the history of how the U.S. got 50 states is weirder than you may think. -
Should We Worry About Plummeting Birthrates?
June 2023Birthrates are in free fall all over the world — is it time to panic? -
How America Lost Two Major Medical Innovations
June 2023America is second to none when it comes to medical innovation — but we could use some work on getting cures to those who need them. -
How America Is Weakening Its Electrical Grid
June 2023The grid of the future … may not work as well as the grid of the past. -
3 Surprising Truths About the American Economy
June 2023From who holds America’s debt to where we get oil, a lot of what we think we know about America’s role in the global economy … may not be true. -
The Biggest Misconceptions about American Healthcare
May 2023Some say American healthcare represents heartless capitalism. Others say it’s bureaucratic socialism. The reality? Neither answer is right — because our system isn’t nearly that coherent. -
Where Did America’s K-12 Students Go?
May 2023America’s public schools lost over 1.2 million students during the pandemic. What happened to them? -
Chinese Espionage in the West
May 2023From secret police stations to economic espionage to media propaganda, how China attempts to manipulate American culture from within. -
America’s Most Unusual States
May 2023From religion to education to who owns the most pets, a look at America’s demographic extremes. -
The Decline of American Men: What Happened?
May 2023Fewer jobs. Lower levels of education. Struggles with addiction and depression. What happened to men? -
Popular Myths About How the Brain Works
April 2023Are you left-brained or right-brained? A visual learner or an auditory learner? Actually … none of those things mean what you think. -
The Biggest Threats to America’s Critical Infrastructure
April 2023From a power station in California to a children’s hospital in Massachusetts, America’s enemies are targeting our vulnerabilities. -
Why Doing Taxes Is Simpler in Other Countries
April 2023Americans spend long hours on their tax returns. Compared to the rest of the world … that’s not normal. -
-
Biggest Medical Breakthroughs of the Past Year
March 2023How innovation is easing the burden of many medical conditions -
The Supply Chain Problem is Bigger than COVID
March 2023COVID may be waning — but that doesn’t mean supply chain issues will disappear. -
Bipartisan Agreement on 5 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
March 2023Working across party lines, legal scholars come up with 5 proposed constitutional amendments. -
How Innovation Can Lead to Climate Adaptation
March 2023What can we do about the consequences of climate change? Actually, kind of a lot. -
3 Disasters That Nearly Changed History
February 2023Between a misfired missile, a nuclear mishap, and a scientific probe that almost set off a war, history is full of barely avoided catastrophes. -
America’s Expensive, Not Very Effective Obsession with Happiness
February 2023Happiness in America is a $10 billion industry. But what do we have to show for it? -
Countries that Lead the World
February 2023The happiest country, the safest, the wealthiest, and other global leaders -
How Buying a House Became so Unaffordable
February 2023Housing prices have skyrocketed. Why can fewer of us afford homes? -
The Biggest Obstacles for High-Skilled Immigrants
February 2023What’s keeping the world’s most talented workers from coming to the U.S.? -
A Revolution in Agricultural Productivity
January 2023From organic food to buying local, recent food trends have one thing in common: they can’t go to scale. -
What Makes American Healthcare Unique
January 2023Whether you think American healthcare is better or worse than the rest of the world, it’s definitely distinctive. -
Are we losing our edge on scientific innovation?
January 2023Why aren’t transformational scientific breakthroughs happening more often? -
Popular Beliefs About Food … That Are Totally False
January 2023The surprising truth about Twinkies, expiration dates, throwing rice at weddings, and fortune cookies -
Uplifting Stories from 2022
December 2022Positive developments in conservation, climate, and public safety. -
The Holiday Season’s Wasted Billions
December 2022Bad news: Economists think you’re a terrible gift giver. -
How Free Trade Affects the U.S.
December 2022Is free trade an engine of growth or a burden on the most vulnerable Americans? The answer is … complicated. -
Five States with Highest Population Growth
December 2022Which states are growing in the U.S. — and which are losing residents? Over the last decade, some state populations have exploded while others have dwindled. -
Benjamin Franklin’s Inventions and Accomplishments
November 2022Almost every trait you think of as part of our national character … is something you can find in the life of Benjamin Franklin. -
The Weird History Behind the Holiday
November 2022Much of what you think you know about Thanksgiving may not be true. -
The Difficulties of Transforming the Energy Economy
November 2022Visions of a future dominated by renewable energy have at least one big problem: batteries. -
Studying Got Easier. Getting Good Grades Didn’t.
November 2022Homework is supposed to help students retain information. But technology has weakened that process. -
Are “Ethical” Companies Actually Making the World a Better Place?
November 2022For all the talk of corporate responsibility, many companies’ actions don’t match their purported values. -
America’s Most Eccentric State Governments
October 2022A constitution that protects bingo games? An elected mine inspector? The U.S. has plenty of weird political practices. -
Why Voters Have More Power Than They Think
October 2022Many Americans think their vote doesn’t actually influence how the country is run. But the evidence for that belief is … pretty weak. -
Should Lawmakers Be Kept from Reelection?
October 2022The American people overwhelmingly support term limiting politicians. But what are the consequences? -
The Worldwide Race for Talent
October 2022Many of America’s greatest technological innovations have come from skilled immigrants. These days, however, the country’s ability to attract the world’s most talented workers may be slipping. -
What the Country’s Children Want to be When They Grow Up
September 2022What did you want to be when you were growing up? Chances are your child has a different answer. -
How You Can Catch an Illness Over the Internet
September 2022Vulnerable social media users can be just one click away from the phenomenon of mass psychogenic illness. -
Quantifying Persecuted Populations
September 2022How many refugees are there throughout the world? Which countries produce the most? And how many does the U.S. plan to take in? -
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The Country’s Most Popular Pets
August 2022Americans love their pets. But who’s winning in the battle between cats and dogs? -
The U.S.’s Most Popular Summer Vacation Spots
August 2022Where do Americans go for summer vacation? -
America’s Quiet Revolution on Environmental Health
August 2022How the U.S. has cleaned up its air and water, protected forests and endangered species, and lowered carbon emissions. -
Why Paperwork Makes It Harder To Fight Wildfires
August 2022Preventing wildfires is difficult, in part because of complicated regulations. -
How Humanity Benefits from Exploring Outer Space
July 2022Space shapes our technology, our security, and our future. -
States with the Highest And Lowest Tax Burdens
July 2022How big your tax burden is depends in part on your ZIP code. Which states in America have the highest tax bills? -
How Much Should We Spend on America’s Armed Forces?
July 2022Does the U.S. spend too much or too little on national defense? -
What’s Next in Outer Space?
July 2022By 2050, humans hope to explore Mars, 3-D print human organs, and even mine space rocks. -
America’s 50 Million Immigrants, Explained
June 2022The United States is home to more immigrants than any other country in the world. Here’s what the demographics look like. -
America’s Coming National Debt Crisis
June 2022As of 2021, the federal government was in the hole by $23 trillion dollars. What happens when the bill comes due? -
Why the Location of Your State Government Matters
June 2022State governments tend to be more corrupt when the capital city is far away from major cities. -
What Does “American Exceptionalism” Mean?
June 2022American Exceptionalism doesn't mean that we're better or worse than other countries. It means America is different. Like … really different. -
How Americans Misunderstand Each Other
May 2022How many Americans are vegans? How do Americans feel about immigration? On these and many other questions … we don’t know our countrymen very well. -
The Surprising Truth About Recycling
May 2022In the 1980s, Americans were told that recycling would solve their waste management woes — reducing trash in landfills and facilitating the reuse of plastics. Turns out, recycling isn’t the panacea we imagined it would be. -
How Americans Changed Their Country’s Physical Landscape
May 2022Over the last 250 years, we’ve made big changes to America’s natural landscape. We built a city out of trash. Intentionally flooded a national park. And that’s just the start... -
When a College Education Helps — And When It Hurts
May 2022A bachelor’s degree can be the prerequisite for getting a good job. But in some cases it can leave students worse off than if they never went to college in the first place. -
Reforming Med School Could Help Address America’s Doctor Shortage
May 2022America is facing a physician shortage. By 2034, the country could be shy anywhere between 37,000 and 124,000 doctors. How do we get more physicians stat? One idea is to reform medical school. -
How American Air Travel Got Really, Really Safe
April 2022In the 1990s, American air travel looked destined for a safety crisis. Today, plane crashes have been virtually eliminated. So, what happened? -
The Stunning Stats Behind America’s Most Populous Megaregions
April 2022Some of America’s biggest population centers dwarf entire countries — and even a continent. -
The Role of Pipelines in America's Energy Infrastructure
April 2022Americans rely heavily on natural gas and petroleum to keep the lights on. How does most of this energy reach consumers? Pipelines. -
Who’s Shouldering America’s Tax Burden?
April 2022Whether you think taxes should be higher or lower, you may be surprised to learn who’s paying — and how much. -
Curbing Crime by Tidying Up Dangerous Neighborhoods
March 2022The signs of high-crime neighborhoods — graffiti, vacant lots, trash — signal to criminals that it’s safe to do business. So, what would happen if we … just stopped sending those signals? -
When Ancient History … Isn’t Exactly Ancient.
March 2022Many practices we associate with the distant past were probably still happening during your lifetime. -
Genetically Modified Organisms: Separating Fact from Fiction
March 2022A biotech breakthrough that’s badly misunderstood. -
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Can We Stop a Planet-Threatening Asteroid?
March 2022NASA scientists are on a mission to protect Earth from asteroid strikes. -
3 Recent Medical Innovations You Probably Haven’t Heard About
February 2022While America focused on COVID, incredible breakthroughs were also taking place in other parts of medicine. -
How the role of America’s chief executive has changed
February 2022What is the president's job? Since America’s founding, that answer has evolved ... a lot. -
Why the Car-Buying Process is Miserable
February 2022A series of obscure laws passed decades ago still complicate the car-buying process. -
The (Surprising) Truth About Nuclear Waste
January 2022Everything you’ve heard about nuclear waste — from the danger it poses to the way it looks — is probably wrong. -
Civilization on the brink of disaster
January 2022Between meteor strikes, nuclear war, and catastrophic flooding, recent history is full of barely avoided catastrophes. -
Why a Complex Government Is an Ineffective Government
January 2022The more complicated the rules, the harder life becomes for the average American. -
Five Major U.S. Metros with Highest Population Growth
January 2022Where are Americans moving these days? Over the last decade, some cities experienced explosive growth while others stalled out. -
America’s Wildest Places
January 2022From the highest peak and the lowest valley to the hottest desert and the coldest taiga, America’s landscapes offer wild extremes. -
Three Positive Stories from a Turbulent Year
December 2021From life-saving scientific breakthroughs to environmental innovations, maybe 2021 was better than you think. -
America’s Rowdy Christmas History
December 2021Historically speaking, Christmas is one of the newsiest times of the year. -
A year of misleading reporting
December 2021When we’re denied context, understanding the year’s major news stories is next to impossible. -
Why Renewables Can’t Meet America’s Energy Needs
November 2021A country powered purely by wind and solar … will be a country that can’t keep the lights on. -
How the Chinese Government Conquered Hollywood
November 2021A surprising amount of what ends up on the big screen is influenced by Beijing. -
Why is the National Debt Ballooning?
November 2021Figuring out how to fix the national debt is complicated. Figuring out what’s causing it … isn’t. -
The Reasons We Change the Clocks … Are Weird
November 2021Why a bug collector — and Coldplay — are partially responsible for disrupting your sleep cycle. -
The pandemic’s effect on American schools
October 2021Post-COVID, American education may never look the same. -
Why Americans Don't Understand Each Other
October 2021What if America’s social and political polarization is driven partially by … misunderstanding? -
What’s Keeping Your Lights On?
October 2021When it comes to energy, one size doesn’t fit all. Where you get your power … depends on where you live. -
Our (Skewed) Perspective on Wealth
October 2021We take economic growth for granted — even though our ancestors barely had any. -
Earth's Last Unexplored Frontier
September 2021The deep ocean is a mystery to us. Could it provide solutions to some of society’s most pressing problems? -
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Who Makes It Into “The Top One Percent”?
September 2021The highest-earning Americans … often don’t stay at the top for long. -
Why the West Keeps Burning
September 2021To avoid future catastrophes, states like California will have to quite literally fight fire with fire. -
Got a hefty mortgage? Your local government might be partly to blame.
August 2021How zoning keeps some cities affordable ... and sends home prices soaring in others. -
America’s Deadliest Animal … Isn’t What You Think
August 2021The animals we’re the most scared of are actually responsible for a vanishingly small number of deaths. -
One surprisingly simple answer to high drug prices
August 2021Prescription drugs often start out expensive. But they rarely stay that way. -
The real problem with plastics pollution…
August 2021There is a real problem with ocean pollution — but the story isn’t about America’s use of plastics. -
The states where you’ll pay the most (and least) in taxes
August 2021How big is your tax burden? That depends in part on where you live. How does your state compare? -
The Untapped Potential of Nuclear Energy
July 2021Nuclear power is America’s single largest source of clean energy. So why are nuclear plants all around the country closing? -
Good News on Vaccine Safety
July 2021Serious side effects are rare and appear six to eight weeks after inoculation. -
How We’re Failing the Mentally Ill
July 2021Closing asylums was supposed to end mistreatment of the mentally ill. But what followed was just as tragic. -
The Surprising Truth About MSG
July 2021Scientific research has repeatedly demonstrated that MSG is safe. -
The Triumph of — and Backlash Against — Charter Schools
June 2021Charter schools offer opportunity to millions of disadvantaged kids. So why do some people oppose them? -
Here’s What's Next from Kite & Key Media
June 2021An exclusive preview of what we’ve got coming in the months ahead from Kite & Key MediaCities | Education | Future | Health | History & Civics | Human Rights | Money | Psychology | Science | Security | Tech -
The History of Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Plans
June 2021If relying on your employer for health coverage seems strange, it’s because our insurance system is one big accident. If companies gave workers money to buy insurance directly, employee pay could increase as much as 30%. -
Should America Abolish the Penny?
June 2021Eliminating the penny would save the United States a lot of money. -
Infrastructure in America: Why Can't the U.S. Build Anymore?
May 2021America used to build monumental structures in record time — cheaply, efficiently, and flexibly. What happened? -
Surprising Facts About Education Policy Around the World
May 2021From time spent in the classroom to the number of vacation days, countries across the globe take wildly different approaches to the school year. -
What We Get Wrong About Homelessness
May 2021Should homelessness policy focus on helping individuals in need or maintaining order in our cities? Any successful approach must do both. -
The Economic and Environmental Costs of (Not) Fracking
May 2021Restricting fracking will cost the western U.S. roughly $8 billion over 5 years. Environmentally, fracking actually helps to reduce carbon emissions. -
U.S. Government Mistakenly Loses Billions of Taxpayer Dollars
May 2021The government spends trillions every year, and inevitably some of those funds end up in the wrong place. But how much money is incorrectly doled out? -
Unraveling the Standardized Testing Requirement in College Admissions
April 2021More than half of U.S. colleges have dropped the SAT requirement — but what if this actually hurts the students it's intended to help? -
Warren Buffet's Secret to Wealth
April 2021Admit it. You’ve fantasized about being rich. We all have. But what if the key to personal wealth isn't some high-paying job? -
Electric Vehicles and the Climate
April 2021What if we spent billions trying to combat climate change — and made virtually no difference? -
What is a supervolcano and how can we prevent an eruption?
April 2021There are three supervolcanoes in the U.S. alone. But before you panic, know this: scientific minds are trying to minimize chance of an eruption. -
Is overpopulation a threat to the United States?
March 2021In reality, the country is largely empty. 2010 census data found that 47% of the U.S. is in fact uninhabited. -
How COVID Unleashed Innovation
March 2021The speed of scientific breakthroughs achieved during COVID-19 couldn’t have happened without the government throwing away the rulebook. -
Can street lights deter crime?
March 2021In cities across America, public spaces are too often unlit — and chaos too often follows. Could combatting violence be as simple as flipping a switch? -
Does a cashless society have drawbacks? Ask Aretha Franklin.
March 2021With debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal, and tons of other options, Americans are using less cash than ever before. What if that's a problem? -
Why is housing so expensive?
March 2021If home prices are high, it’s likely due to a housing shortage. But why is there such limited supply? -
The truth about mining and clean energy…
March 2021Clean energy requires far more minerals than the fuel sources it would replace. And there’s a practical problem on top of the ethical ones...
Filter Categories
All
Cities
Demographics
Education
Future
Health
History & Civics
Human Rights
Money
Psychology
Science
Security
-
Why Americans Misunderstand the Supreme Court
November 2023“The Supreme Court has never been this out of control”… is a thing Americans have been saying at basically every point in our history. -
The Dark Secrets of Thanksgiving Dinner
November 2023From pumpkin pie to turkey to holiday cocktails, there’s a myth about nearly every item on your Thanksgiving table. -
Why America’s Military Readiness Is in Question
November 2023The threats to America’s national security are mounting. Are our armed forces up to the task? -
Where Do Americans Meet Across Class Lines?
November 2023Why the Olive Garden may be America’s last best hope for breaking down class barriers -
How Satellites Changed the World
October 2023From national security to environmental policy to agriculture, satellites are reshaping the world around us. -
What Are Americans' Biggest Phobias
October 2023From snakes to public speaking to clusters of small holes(?), the ideas most likely to give Americans the creeps. -
What if Anxiety Is Actually Good for You?
October 2023We tend to think of anxiety as an affliction. But what if it's a gift? -
The Weirdest Infrastructure America *Almost* Built
October 2023A domed city, an epic monument, and an infrastructure project that involved nuclear explosions. -
Why AI (Probably) Isn't Going to Steal Your Job
October 2023Are machines going to lead to widespread unemployment? Actually, it's a fear that's been around for centuries — and it's always been wrong. -
Social Security’s Coming Reckoning
September 2023Politicians are hesitant to reform Social Security — but inaction comes with a cost. -
The Relationship Between Extreme Weather and Climate Change
September 2023Wildfires. Hurricanes. Tornadoes. What do we actually know about climate change’s effect on extreme weather? -
America’s Extraordinary Progress Against Cancer
September 2023Thanks to improved technology and better drugs, death rates from cancer are on the decline. -
Why Is College So Expensive?
September 2023How degree inflation, a lack of transparency, and government subsidies drove up the cost of college. -
5 States That Are Growing — And 5 That Are Shrinking
August 2023Americans are flocking to the Sun Belt — and abandoning the Northeast. -
The Worst Natural Disasters in American History
August 2023A catastrophic earthquake, a forgotten fire, and the hurricane that changed the nation... -
The Biggest Hoaxes in American History
August 2023From life on the moon to the Balloon Boy, a chronicle of when the media got duped. -
How Science Can Help Us Distinguish Fake Health Scares from Real Ones
August 2023How pseudoscience is driving public health scares -
Why Is There So Much Plastic Waste in the Ocean?
August 2023About 1 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year. Where does it come from? -
What Social Science Tells Us About How to Escape Poverty
July 2023Why friendship may be the key to economic opportunity -
Why Humans Are Going (Back) to the Moon
July 2023No human has set foot on the moon since 1972. That’s going to change soon. -
How a Single Statistic Upended the American Economy
July 2023One tiny bit of questionable government accounting; one giant misperception about the country’s economy. -
Where Did the 50 States Come From?
July 2023From independent countries to breakaway territory, the history of how the U.S. got 50 states is weirder than you may think. -
Should We Worry About Plummeting Birthrates?
June 2023Birthrates are in free fall all over the world — is it time to panic? -
How America Lost Two Major Medical Innovations
June 2023America is second to none when it comes to medical innovation — but we could use some work on getting cures to those who need them. -
How America Is Weakening Its Electrical Grid
June 2023The grid of the future … may not work as well as the grid of the past. -
3 Surprising Truths About the American Economy
June 2023From who holds America’s debt to where we get oil, a lot of what we think we know about America’s role in the global economy … may not be true. -
The Biggest Misconceptions about American Healthcare
May 2023Some say American healthcare represents heartless capitalism. Others say it’s bureaucratic socialism. The reality? Neither answer is right — because our system isn’t nearly that coherent. -
Where Did America’s K-12 Students Go?
May 2023America’s public schools lost over 1.2 million students during the pandemic. What happened to them? -
Chinese Espionage in the West
May 2023From secret police stations to economic espionage to media propaganda, how China attempts to manipulate American culture from within. -
America’s Most Unusual States
May 2023From religion to education to who owns the most pets, a look at America’s demographic extremes. -
The Decline of American Men: What Happened?
May 2023Fewer jobs. Lower levels of education. Struggles with addiction and depression. What happened to men? -
Popular Myths About How the Brain Works
April 2023Are you left-brained or right-brained? A visual learner or an auditory learner? Actually … none of those things mean what you think. -
The Biggest Threats to America’s Critical Infrastructure
April 2023From a power station in California to a children’s hospital in Massachusetts, America’s enemies are targeting our vulnerabilities. -
Why Doing Taxes Is Simpler in Other Countries
April 2023Americans spend long hours on their tax returns. Compared to the rest of the world … that’s not normal. -
-
Biggest Medical Breakthroughs of the Past Year
March 2023How innovation is easing the burden of many medical conditions -
The Supply Chain Problem is Bigger than COVID
March 2023COVID may be waning — but that doesn’t mean supply chain issues will disappear. -
Bipartisan Agreement on 5 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
March 2023Working across party lines, legal scholars come up with 5 proposed constitutional amendments. -
How Innovation Can Lead to Climate Adaptation
March 2023What can we do about the consequences of climate change? Actually, kind of a lot. -
3 Disasters That Nearly Changed History
February 2023Between a misfired missile, a nuclear mishap, and a scientific probe that almost set off a war, history is full of barely avoided catastrophes. -
America’s Expensive, Not Very Effective Obsession with Happiness
February 2023Happiness in America is a $10 billion industry. But what do we have to show for it? -
Countries that Lead the World
February 2023The happiest country, the safest, the wealthiest, and other global leaders -
How Buying a House Became so Unaffordable
February 2023Housing prices have skyrocketed. Why can fewer of us afford homes? -
The Biggest Obstacles for High-Skilled Immigrants
February 2023What’s keeping the world’s most talented workers from coming to the U.S.? -
A Revolution in Agricultural Productivity
January 2023From organic food to buying local, recent food trends have one thing in common: they can’t go to scale. -
What Makes American Healthcare Unique
January 2023Whether you think American healthcare is better or worse than the rest of the world, it’s definitely distinctive. -
Are we losing our edge on scientific innovation?
January 2023Why aren’t transformational scientific breakthroughs happening more often? -
Popular Beliefs About Food … That Are Totally False
January 2023The surprising truth about Twinkies, expiration dates, throwing rice at weddings, and fortune cookies -
Uplifting Stories from 2022
December 2022Positive developments in conservation, climate, and public safety. -
The Holiday Season’s Wasted Billions
December 2022Bad news: Economists think you’re a terrible gift giver. -
How Free Trade Affects the U.S.
December 2022Is free trade an engine of growth or a burden on the most vulnerable Americans? The answer is … complicated. -
Five States with Highest Population Growth
December 2022Which states are growing in the U.S. — and which are losing residents? Over the last decade, some state populations have exploded while others have dwindled. -
Benjamin Franklin’s Inventions and Accomplishments
November 2022Almost every trait you think of as part of our national character … is something you can find in the life of Benjamin Franklin. -
The Weird History Behind the Holiday
November 2022Much of what you think you know about Thanksgiving may not be true. -
The Difficulties of Transforming the Energy Economy
November 2022Visions of a future dominated by renewable energy have at least one big problem: batteries. -
Studying Got Easier. Getting Good Grades Didn’t.
November 2022Homework is supposed to help students retain information. But technology has weakened that process. -
Are “Ethical” Companies Actually Making the World a Better Place?
November 2022For all the talk of corporate responsibility, many companies’ actions don’t match their purported values. -
America’s Most Eccentric State Governments
October 2022A constitution that protects bingo games? An elected mine inspector? The U.S. has plenty of weird political practices. -
Why Voters Have More Power Than They Think
October 2022Many Americans think their vote doesn’t actually influence how the country is run. But the evidence for that belief is … pretty weak. -
Should Lawmakers Be Kept from Reelection?
October 2022The American people overwhelmingly support term limiting politicians. But what are the consequences? -
The Worldwide Race for Talent
October 2022Many of America’s greatest technological innovations have come from skilled immigrants. These days, however, the country’s ability to attract the world’s most talented workers may be slipping. -
What the Country’s Children Want to be When They Grow Up
September 2022What did you want to be when you were growing up? Chances are your child has a different answer. -
How You Can Catch an Illness Over the Internet
September 2022Vulnerable social media users can be just one click away from the phenomenon of mass psychogenic illness. -
Quantifying Persecuted Populations
September 2022How many refugees are there throughout the world? Which countries produce the most? And how many does the U.S. plan to take in? -
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The Country’s Most Popular Pets
August 2022Americans love their pets. But who’s winning in the battle between cats and dogs? -
The U.S.’s Most Popular Summer Vacation Spots
August 2022Where do Americans go for summer vacation? -
America’s Quiet Revolution on Environmental Health
August 2022How the U.S. has cleaned up its air and water, protected forests and endangered species, and lowered carbon emissions. -
Why Paperwork Makes It Harder To Fight Wildfires
August 2022Preventing wildfires is difficult, in part because of complicated regulations. -
How Humanity Benefits from Exploring Outer Space
July 2022Space shapes our technology, our security, and our future. -
States with the Highest And Lowest Tax Burdens
July 2022How big your tax burden is depends in part on your ZIP code. Which states in America have the highest tax bills? -
How Much Should We Spend on America’s Armed Forces?
July 2022Does the U.S. spend too much or too little on national defense? -
What’s Next in Outer Space?
July 2022By 2050, humans hope to explore Mars, 3-D print human organs, and even mine space rocks. -
America’s 50 Million Immigrants, Explained
June 2022The United States is home to more immigrants than any other country in the world. Here’s what the demographics look like. -
America’s Coming National Debt Crisis
June 2022As of 2021, the federal government was in the hole by $23 trillion dollars. What happens when the bill comes due? -
Why the Location of Your State Government Matters
June 2022State governments tend to be more corrupt when the capital city is far away from major cities. -
What Does “American Exceptionalism” Mean?
June 2022American Exceptionalism doesn't mean that we're better or worse than other countries. It means America is different. Like … really different. -
How Americans Misunderstand Each Other
May 2022How many Americans are vegans? How do Americans feel about immigration? On these and many other questions … we don’t know our countrymen very well. -
The Surprising Truth About Recycling
May 2022In the 1980s, Americans were told that recycling would solve their waste management woes — reducing trash in landfills and facilitating the reuse of plastics. Turns out, recycling isn’t the panacea we imagined it would be. -
How Americans Changed Their Country’s Physical Landscape
May 2022Over the last 250 years, we’ve made big changes to America’s natural landscape. We built a city out of trash. Intentionally flooded a national park. And that’s just the start... -
When a College Education Helps — And When It Hurts
May 2022A bachelor’s degree can be the prerequisite for getting a good job. But in some cases it can leave students worse off than if they never went to college in the first place. -
Reforming Med School Could Help Address America’s Doctor Shortage
May 2022America is facing a physician shortage. By 2034, the country could be shy anywhere between 37,000 and 124,000 doctors. How do we get more physicians stat? One idea is to reform medical school. -
How American Air Travel Got Really, Really Safe
April 2022In the 1990s, American air travel looked destined for a safety crisis. Today, plane crashes have been virtually eliminated. So, what happened? -
The Stunning Stats Behind America’s Most Populous Megaregions
April 2022Some of America’s biggest population centers dwarf entire countries — and even a continent. -
The Role of Pipelines in America's Energy Infrastructure
April 2022Americans rely heavily on natural gas and petroleum to keep the lights on. How does most of this energy reach consumers? Pipelines. -
Who’s Shouldering America’s Tax Burden?
April 2022Whether you think taxes should be higher or lower, you may be surprised to learn who’s paying — and how much. -
Curbing Crime by Tidying Up Dangerous Neighborhoods
March 2022The signs of high-crime neighborhoods — graffiti, vacant lots, trash — signal to criminals that it’s safe to do business. So, what would happen if we … just stopped sending those signals? -
When Ancient History … Isn’t Exactly Ancient.
March 2022Many practices we associate with the distant past were probably still happening during your lifetime. -
Genetically Modified Organisms: Separating Fact from Fiction
March 2022A biotech breakthrough that’s badly misunderstood. -
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Can We Stop a Planet-Threatening Asteroid?
March 2022NASA scientists are on a mission to protect Earth from asteroid strikes. -
3 Recent Medical Innovations You Probably Haven’t Heard About
February 2022While America focused on COVID, incredible breakthroughs were also taking place in other parts of medicine. -
How the role of America’s chief executive has changed
February 2022What is the president's job? Since America’s founding, that answer has evolved ... a lot. -
Why the Car-Buying Process is Miserable
February 2022A series of obscure laws passed decades ago still complicate the car-buying process. -
The (Surprising) Truth About Nuclear Waste
January 2022Everything you’ve heard about nuclear waste — from the danger it poses to the way it looks — is probably wrong. -
Civilization on the brink of disaster
January 2022Between meteor strikes, nuclear war, and catastrophic flooding, recent history is full of barely avoided catastrophes. -
Why a Complex Government Is an Ineffective Government
January 2022The more complicated the rules, the harder life becomes for the average American. -
Five Major U.S. Metros with Highest Population Growth
January 2022Where are Americans moving these days? Over the last decade, some cities experienced explosive growth while others stalled out. -
America’s Wildest Places
January 2022From the highest peak and the lowest valley to the hottest desert and the coldest taiga, America’s landscapes offer wild extremes. -
Three Positive Stories from a Turbulent Year
December 2021From life-saving scientific breakthroughs to environmental innovations, maybe 2021 was better than you think. -
America’s Rowdy Christmas History
December 2021Historically speaking, Christmas is one of the newsiest times of the year. -
A year of misleading reporting
December 2021When we’re denied context, understanding the year’s major news stories is next to impossible. -
Why Renewables Can’t Meet America’s Energy Needs
November 2021A country powered purely by wind and solar … will be a country that can’t keep the lights on. -
How the Chinese Government Conquered Hollywood
November 2021A surprising amount of what ends up on the big screen is influenced by Beijing. -
Why is the National Debt Ballooning?
November 2021Figuring out how to fix the national debt is complicated. Figuring out what’s causing it … isn’t. -
The Reasons We Change the Clocks … Are Weird
November 2021Why a bug collector — and Coldplay — are partially responsible for disrupting your sleep cycle. -
The pandemic’s effect on American schools
October 2021Post-COVID, American education may never look the same. -
Why Americans Don't Understand Each Other
October 2021What if America’s social and political polarization is driven partially by … misunderstanding? -
What’s Keeping Your Lights On?
October 2021When it comes to energy, one size doesn’t fit all. Where you get your power … depends on where you live. -
Our (Skewed) Perspective on Wealth
October 2021We take economic growth for granted — even though our ancestors barely had any. -
Earth's Last Unexplored Frontier
September 2021The deep ocean is a mystery to us. Could it provide solutions to some of society’s most pressing problems? -
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Who Makes It Into “The Top One Percent”?
September 2021The highest-earning Americans … often don’t stay at the top for long. -
Why the West Keeps Burning
September 2021To avoid future catastrophes, states like California will have to quite literally fight fire with fire. -
Got a hefty mortgage? Your local government might be partly to blame.
August 2021How zoning keeps some cities affordable ... and sends home prices soaring in others. -
America’s Deadliest Animal … Isn’t What You Think
August 2021The animals we’re the most scared of are actually responsible for a vanishingly small number of deaths. -
One surprisingly simple answer to high drug prices
August 2021Prescription drugs often start out expensive. But they rarely stay that way. -
The real problem with plastics pollution…
August 2021There is a real problem with ocean pollution — but the story isn’t about America’s use of plastics. -
The states where you’ll pay the most (and least) in taxes
August 2021How big is your tax burden? That depends in part on where you live. How does your state compare? -
The Untapped Potential of Nuclear Energy
July 2021Nuclear power is America’s single largest source of clean energy. So why are nuclear plants all around the country closing? -
Good News on Vaccine Safety
July 2021Serious side effects are rare and appear six to eight weeks after inoculation. -
How We’re Failing the Mentally Ill
July 2021Closing asylums was supposed to end mistreatment of the mentally ill. But what followed was just as tragic. -
The Surprising Truth About MSG
July 2021Scientific research has repeatedly demonstrated that MSG is safe. -
The Triumph of — and Backlash Against — Charter Schools
June 2021Charter schools offer opportunity to millions of disadvantaged kids. So why do some people oppose them? -
Here’s What's Next from Kite & Key Media
June 2021An exclusive preview of what we’ve got coming in the months ahead from Kite & Key MediaCities | Education | Future | Health | History & Civics | Human Rights | Money | Psychology | Science | Security | Tech -
The History of Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Plans
June 2021If relying on your employer for health coverage seems strange, it’s because our insurance system is one big accident. If companies gave workers money to buy insurance directly, employee pay could increase as much as 30%. -
Should America Abolish the Penny?
June 2021Eliminating the penny would save the United States a lot of money. -
Infrastructure in America: Why Can't the U.S. Build Anymore?
May 2021America used to build monumental structures in record time — cheaply, efficiently, and flexibly. What happened? -
Surprising Facts About Education Policy Around the World
May 2021From time spent in the classroom to the number of vacation days, countries across the globe take wildly different approaches to the school year. -
What We Get Wrong About Homelessness
May 2021Should homelessness policy focus on helping individuals in need or maintaining order in our cities? Any successful approach must do both. -
The Economic and Environmental Costs of (Not) Fracking
May 2021Restricting fracking will cost the western U.S. roughly $8 billion over 5 years. Environmentally, fracking actually helps to reduce carbon emissions. -
U.S. Government Mistakenly Loses Billions of Taxpayer Dollars
May 2021The government spends trillions every year, and inevitably some of those funds end up in the wrong place. But how much money is incorrectly doled out? -
Unraveling the Standardized Testing Requirement in College Admissions
April 2021More than half of U.S. colleges have dropped the SAT requirement — but what if this actually hurts the students it's intended to help? -
Warren Buffet's Secret to Wealth
April 2021Admit it. You’ve fantasized about being rich. We all have. But what if the key to personal wealth isn't some high-paying job? -
Electric Vehicles and the Climate
April 2021What if we spent billions trying to combat climate change — and made virtually no difference? -
What is a supervolcano and how can we prevent an eruption?
April 2021There are three supervolcanoes in the U.S. alone. But before you panic, know this: scientific minds are trying to minimize chance of an eruption. -
Is overpopulation a threat to the United States?
March 2021In reality, the country is largely empty. 2010 census data found that 47% of the U.S. is in fact uninhabited. -
How COVID Unleashed Innovation
March 2021The speed of scientific breakthroughs achieved during COVID-19 couldn’t have happened without the government throwing away the rulebook. -
Can street lights deter crime?
March 2021In cities across America, public spaces are too often unlit — and chaos too often follows. Could combatting violence be as simple as flipping a switch? -
Does a cashless society have drawbacks? Ask Aretha Franklin.
March 2021With debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Venmo, PayPal, and tons of other options, Americans are using less cash than ever before. What if that's a problem? -
Why is housing so expensive?
March 2021If home prices are high, it’s likely due to a housing shortage. But why is there such limited supply? -
The truth about mining and clean energy…
March 2021Clean energy requires far more minerals than the fuel sources it would replace. And there’s a practical problem on top of the ethical ones...
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