Sophie Weiner
If you remember this playground, your childhood was awesome
The story of Bob Leathers, the architect whose kid-designed playgrounds shaped a generation of play.
What it's like to be a travel writer, from free booze to near-death experiences
We spoke with three travel writers who report from exotic, wild or luxurious destinations for money.
New Yorkers' seven most common
anxieties, illustrated
Hopes&Fears talked to more than a dozen New York mental health professionals to find out what their clients fear most.
Why do people want to be good?
Hopes&Fears talked to experts on altruism, prosocial behavior, morality, and ethics about the “goodness” drive, and how it plays out in politics, society, and daily life.
How common is alcohol abuse in cities around the world?
From Dublin to Dubai, Hopes&Fears looked at self-reported statistics and factors that affect alcohol abuse around the world.
Is it possible to run out of empathy?
Hopes&Fears asked psychologists, philosophers and scholars of empathy for their insight on the limits of compassion.
Rigorous fun: A conversation with PBS Idea Channel's Mike Rugnetta
Hopes&Fears sat down with the YouTube empresario to discuss his process, his (failed) attempt to improve arguing online, and "decreasing world suck."
Dungeons & Dragons and the ethics of imaginary violence
“Right” is a relative concept in Dungeons & Dragons. But can in-game violence actually teach people morality?
How will "likes" and "hearts" change Twitter?
Twitter users were surprised today when their favs were replaced by cutesy hearts. We asked experts how Twitter's new "likes" will affect the way we use the platform.
What are the highest grossing horror films shot in cities around the world?
From The Grudge (Tokyo) to The Exorcist (Washington, D.C.), we rounded up the highest grossing horror movies shot in specific cities around the world.
What will people do if they don't have to work for a living?
Hopes&Fears answers questions with the help of experts. Today, we asked economists, media theorists and authors to predict what our lives will look like in a post-labor world.
How much paid leave do people get in cities around the world?
Hopes&Fears gathered information on the paid leave, whether for vacation, state holidays, illness or parental leave, legally guaranteed to workers in cities around the world.
Should you get paid sick days for mental health?
Hopes&Fears answers questions with the help of experts. Today, we ask experts in mental health advocacy, employee rights and public health care if sick days legislation should apply to mental health.
Pitchfork's female contributors respond to Condé Nast's acquisition and "millennial males” comment
Condé Nast's chief digital officer Fred Santarpia said that the music site's value comes from a “very passionate audience of millennial males." We asked female contributors to respond.
A bloody hot mess of photos from NYC's Blade Rave
Amy Lombard photographs BBQ Film's dance party tribute to the 90s cult vampire flick Blade, with the Crystal Method, Pictureplane and fanged fans.
How hard is it to legally buy a gun in cities around the world?
How hard is it to buy a legal gun? Is it really so much easier in the US than abroad? We researched the specific steps to acquiring a gun in three US cities and in six cities around the world.
Philly band Nothing wants to leave label backed by drug price-gouger Martin Shkreli
Hopes&Fears talked to Nothing's lead singer, Dominic Palermo about the band's predicament and his plans going forward.
"It's not enough": A roundtable discussion on music venue accessibility
Hopes & Fears assembled four advocates for music venue accessibility to discuss the complex issues people with disabilities face in the realm of live music, and what we can do to create change.
These artists turned a glitch into a building
We spoke to Zurich collective !Mediengruppe Bitnik about what architecture and performance have in common, and how they transformed a momentary digital error into permanent stone.
Colorado, Washington have collected a combined $200 million in taxes from legal weed sales
Colorado has used this revenue to fund the many costs of legalization, including building a regulatory infrastructure.
Hip-hop historian Dan Charnas hopes "gangsta rap doesn't come back"
We spoke to the author of 'The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-hop' about moguls, the culture of the 90s and how now it's "the activists who are doing the work, not the rappers."
60% of Australian students are studying for jobs that will soon be automated
Currently, 30% of young people in Australia are unemployed.
John Oliver takes on the lingering presence of legal LGBT discrimination in the US
"The Constitution isn't the star in Super Mario Brothers. It doesn't make you invincible so you can just do whatever the fuck you want."
Ken Burns speaks on the centrality of slavery in the American Civil War
"When Thomas Jefferson says all men are created equal, he owns a couple hundred human beings and he doesn’t see the contradiction or the hypocrisy..."
Michel'le, Dr. Dre's former girlfriend, speaks on his abuse
R&B singer Michel'le and others reignite allegations against the rapper in light of his new film.
Watch Chatroulette randoms find themselves in a real-life first person shooter
To play, people shouted commands to an actor wearing a camera helmet.
22 veterans commit suicide in the US every day
A new bill passed by the US senate aims to reduce this epidemic.
The essential long reads on Hurricane Katrina's 10-year anniversary
Thankfully, on this sombre anniversary, journalists around the country are tackling this history in creative and moving ways.
Japan can no longer afford to give every new centenarian a silver sake cup
The country may end the gift-giving entirely, or find a cheaper way to continue the tradition.
Who was Khaled al-Asaad and why should we remember him?
Khaled al-Asaad worked for 50 years as the head of antiquities in the Syrian city Palmyra, where he was killed.
This USB stick loaded with data collected by The Data Drive is for sale on eBay
According to the listing, the drive includes 3500 pieces of data from 1700 unique visitors to the site.
You can own Buffalo Bill's home from 'Silence of the Lambs' for only $300,000
The old Victorian house includes four bedrooms, one bathroom and yes, a basement.
How does your
brain remember
a face?
We spoke with Dr. James Knierim about cognitive maps, Jennifer Aniston and how our brains are like a democracy.
Facebook tests new Notes feature with a Medium-like design
Yesterday, developer David Winer spotted a new format for Facebook's old Notes section, which has been largely inactive for years.
Stephen Colbert on suffering: “Acceptance is not defeat."
"I love the thing that I most wish had not happened.
Jeff Bezos says New York Times exposé "doesn’t describe the Amazon I know"
He asked that staff members alert HR to any practices like those described in the article, which he called "callous".
