From the beginning of agriculture until the mid-twentieth century, growth in the world grain harvest came almost entirely from expanding the cultivated area. Rises in land productivity were too slow to be visible within a single generation. It is only within the last 60 years or so that rising yields have replaced area expansion as […] … learn more→

As a new president in the 1990s, one of my early tasks was to sign an exchange agreement with a private Russian university. The provost and I completed our business in Moscow and headed through London to visit a second exchange program of long-standing with a British institution. While passing through Heathrow airport, a British […] … learn more→

This week, the mother and stepfather of Daniel Pelka each received a life sentence for his murder. Daniel was four when he died in March last year. In the last few months of his short life, he was beaten, starved, held under water until he lost consciousness so that his mother could enjoy some ‘quiet […] … learn more→

The Curies called radium and polonium their \”enfants.\” Nietzsche coddled his Zarathustra as \”my son.\” Relativity is known as \”Einstein\’s brainchild.\” What nestles in this parental metaphor? Sometimes a whole career. Not long ago, a retiring colleague sighed, stared at her empty hands, and told me she had forgone parenting to devote herself to scholarship. […] … learn more→

Jobs that benefit the environment and conserve natural resources are considered green by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Green jobs have outpaced those in other categories by almost 250 percent over the last ten years, reports U.S. News. Industries include energy, transportation, lodging, health care, water, consumer products, travel—everyone has a green niche. For example, […] … learn more→

Modern-day philanthropy is merely a means of buying indulgences: giving those who created problems such as global poverty an easy conscience and a better brand. The mega-philanthropists makes themselves out to look like altruists, but really it’s all a facade, serving to hide the world’s real need for deep, systemic change. Or so says Warren […] … learn more→

\”An Industry of Mediocrity\”— The Chronicle of Higher Education \”Teacher Training\’s Low Grade\”— The Wall Street Journal \”Are Teacher Prep Programs Worth the Money?\” ­— Marketplace Headlines were unanimous after the June release of the National Council on Teacher Quality\’s national study of teacher-preparation programs. The study\’s conclusions were precisely what the public had expected, […] … learn more→

It\’s no secret that the job-seeker\’s relationship with recruiters and HR people can be fraught with fear, confusion, irritation and anger. It doesn\’t take long in this business, or in your job search, to hear those feelings surface among people looking for, or open to, new employment. So let me explain why recruiters aren\’t jerks, […] … learn more→

The world installed 31,100 megawatts of solar photovoltaics (PV) in 2012—an all-time annual high that pushed global PV capacity above 100,000 megawatts. There is now enough PV operating to meet the household electricity needs of nearly 70 million people at the European level of use. While PV production has become increasingly concentrated in one country—China—the […] … learn more→

Bradley Manning’s conviction for espionage marks the closing stages in the US Army private’s personal battle. Yet for Julian Assange, founder of whistleblower website WikiLeaks and Australian Senate candidate, Manning is but a casualty in a much grander mission. WikiLeaks seeks to end the power of governments to judge when national security decisions should be […] … learn more→