Culture

‘Pay What You Can Afford’ Runs Panera Out of Bread 0
- Culture
- February 13, 2019
Panera has announced that it will close the last of its charitable stores, which allowed people to pay whatever they wished for a meal, because it was costing too much dough. The Boston store will shut its doors permanently this Friday, February 15. “Panera Cares” were indistinguishable from other Panera eateries in their branding, menu, or furnishings,
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A Rational Checklist is No Match for Emotions in Matters of the Heart 0
- Culture
- February 13, 2019
For many people, there are few things more rewarding than crossing an item off a checklist. But what if the checklist is about your dream partner? And what if the checklist is wrong? “Relationshopping” is when you hunt for the perfect partner as if people were products. Online dating, now used by almost 40 percent
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Feminism and the Burden of Freedom 0
- Culture
- February 13, 2019
In her book on home organization, Marie Kondo helps people divest themselves of the “things that do not spark joy.” She seems to be somewhat suggesting that the ongoing burden of possessing things is more than we really want to pay. If rights = responsibilities, freedom has a cost. Given this, is it possible that
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Is Diversity an Enemy of Excellence?0
- Culture
- February 13, 2019
The National Science Foundation (NSF) was created by Congress in 1950 “to promote the progress of science….” Following a 2012 recommendation, NSF now has an Office of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). NSF was just following the crowd, for almost every academic and research institution now has a D&I program. No one wants to exclude people
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Evidence Suggests Some Schools are Finally Freeing Students from the Bonds of Mediocrity 0
- Culture
- February 12, 2019
By now, many parents know there is something seriously wrong with the average American school. Time and again, children go into the school system as bright bundles of energy, curious about the surrounding world, and time and again, they stagger through the system frustrated and losing their interest in learning. Unfortunately, parents have firsthand knowledge
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Fast Fashion on Its Last Legs — Thank Millennials 0
- Culture
- February 12, 2019
It’s become a joke by now. But the fact that young people are broke has changed how they see consumption as a whole. In switching from single-serving to long-lasting and in prioritizing quality over quantity, they no longer see fashion as young people did 10 years ago. And as retail giants that cater to young
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