Society

Some were "incensed" over the message.

Lately it’s big thing in rpg discussion to bemoan tribalism and cliquishness in the varying scenes on line. This recent exchange between Rob Kuntz and Dungeon Delver is representative: These …

What is culture, and how would you describe it? Sociologists have the answer. Find out more, including why culture matters to sociologists.

Here are the details about what went wrong on Friday.

AI certainly isn't the only sector to use tons of water, but it's wasting it in a way that's especially disruptive to fresh water supplies.

The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as 50 million people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. The disease is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and spread by fleas and through the air. One of the most significant events in European history, the Black Death had far-reaching population, economic, and cultural impacts. It was the beginning of the second plague pandemic. The plague created religious, social and economic upheavals, with profound effects on the course of European history.

Precarious immigration status creates an exploitable labor force, allowing bosses to drive down wages for everyone. Inside the labor case for open borders:

The Republican VP nominee's Venmo network reveals connections ranging from the architects of Project 2025 to enemies of Donald Trump—and the populist's close ties to the very elites he rails against.

Just a year ago, I was living the American Dream. Today, I’m fighting for survival. This isn’t just my story — it’s a wake-up call for an…

Persistent political and public health failures expose us to pandemics, while vastly underestimating their long-term health effects.

Manufacturers that strong-arm reviewers who don’t say nice things about products cannot become the norm. Which is why it’s good to see reviewers pushing back.

This blog began in 2004. Back then, my life was changing fast, and I was dreaming of a future creative studio. Where is that dream today?

Opinion: Subscribers keep paying more and getting the same.

The hiatus and possible breakup of Tenacious D makes me feel sad about the state of creative partnerships, and how power dynamics can break them.

Today Kim Kelly returns to write about two contrasting speeches by labor leaders this week: UAW President Shawn Fain at Netroots Nation and Teamsters President Sean O’Brien at the Republican National Convention (not great man!) Previously Kim wrote for Hell World about her Last Normal Day before covid and

Interaction bait is killing social media. You know what I’m talking about. Those posts that are designed to get you to comment, like, or share. They’re everywhere, and they’re getting more and more…

The rallying of the open-source community against CA SB 1047 can represent a turning point for AI regulation.

Ever heard of the “mudsill theory”? Well, it goes back to the slaveholding South. And it explains a lot.

In 1898, Frederick Taylor was hired as a consultant by the Bethlehem Iron Company with the stated mission of improving the efficiency of the workers. It was there that Taylorism morphed from the wh...

Photo by Andy Feliciotti on Unsplash If you’ve been a regular reader, you know I’m a little skeptical of government regulators (including the FTC and DOJ) being able to control and rein in Big Tech…

Cory Doctorow invented the perfect word for our time of collapsing complexity.

When lawmakers voted to allow hemp production in 2018, they quietly opened the door to legal THC in all 50 states.