Society

When picturing humanity's future, dark visions are everywhere - but are there alternatives? Historian Thomas Moynihan explores what we can learn from forecasters 100 years ago.

Syntax is a magazine about culture and the internet.

The most intractable problem I see in this century is the coming population implosion. (Climate change is a trackable problem; we know what we have to do.) On average, humans are not replacing themselves today, and beginning in a few … Continue reading →

This is who really rules Washington.

In an era where many films and albums are stored in the cloud, "streaming anxiety" is making people buy more DVDs, records – and even cassette tapes.

Platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ were supposed to do away with pirated media. Instead, they may make them stronger than ever.

This wrestling you’re doing is holy work, and I want us to do it as we move towards justice, together.

Today I got a great question from author Joel Dietz, who asked me, “I’m curious why you think California tech culture has never left a legacy of monumental artifacts? The only thing notable in the region is the Stanford mausoleum;  … Continue reading →

Online trust will reach an all-time low thanks to unchecked disinformation, AI-generated content, and social platforms pulling up their data drawbridges.

Demetrios Kouzoukas’s nomination battle offers the perfect opportunity for Democrats to prove themselves to voters.

A new book documents the lost (and pro-Democratic) world of Pennsylvania steelworkers and how it became Republican.

Walmart is the most popular grocery store chain nationwide.

Pandemic overhiring + AI-generated cuts at the entry level = A bad year to be an IT pro says Janco

“Imagined Communities” is far weirder than you remember.

We won’t reverse the damage done by Trumpism—like the attack on the Capitol—by doubling down on authoritarian policies like surveillance, policing, and censorship. We need to address systemic injustice at its root.

NAFTA and USMCA have dramatically reshaped Mexico.

I reckon most of us have certain books, movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, and other media that we turn to when we need some comfo

Progressives have abandoned the working class and embraced the oligarchs.

We live in very interesting (economic) times.