Even before 1960, when seventeen countries in Africa gained independence in a single year, American diplomats had identified ...

Alex Shams is a writer and anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Chicago. His work has appeared in New York Magazine, The New Republic, and elsewhere. A political and literary forum, ...

Critics are right: the algorithms that increasingly run the world can be dangerous. Are human systems always better?

This is a perilous moment for independent media. As a small nonprofit—with no sponsor or endowment—we rely on the generosity of readers to support our work. Will you please consider making a ...