In 2005 (how long ago that seems!) ex-Presidential candidate Al Gore premiered “An Inconvenient Truth”, that seminal documentary that introduced the public at large to the concept of anthropogenic climate change, global warming and greenhouse gasses. Almost immediately, his radical…
Smoke pot? Researchers looking for 25,000 recreational cannabis users for study
BY: JARED BEAUBIEN-TAYLOR Researchers are looking for 25,000 participants to take part in a recreational marijuana study. It aims to study the effects of pot on long-term recreational users. Berlin’s Research initiative on Cannabis Consumption submitted the “Scientific Study on…
Homeless in America: Man travelled across the country to give a voice to the homeless
BY: JESSICA BEUKER On August 12, 2016, recent Boise State graduate, Justin Doering, set off on a three-month, 14,000-mile journey across 34 states. The reason? To humanize America’s homeless through a project called Fifty Sandwiches. Fifty Sandwiches is a non-profit,…
UNICEF’s Kid Power fitness tracker tackles obesity and malnutrition at the same time
BY: ELIJAH BASSETT One of the darkest ironies of modern capitalism is that we in industrialized nations have more food than we know what to do with, while many people living in the Global South still struggle with malnutrition. But…
What is the transgender “bathroom bill” controversy really all about?
BY: ELIJAH BASSETT These past few years, it seems like conservative politicians, including Trump himself, have been weirdly fixated on trans people and public bathrooms. It may sound baffling – because it is – but there’s actually a method to…
This infographic maps out the 8 best road trips to take in North America
BY: JESSICA BEUKER Ask just about anyone who’s ever been on one – there is nothing better than a good ol’ fashioned road trip. Normally the thought of being stuck in a cramped vehicle for 15 hours at a time…
What a gun auction taught me about ‘middle America’
“Do you know why Lincoln was splittin’ wood?” My grandpa’s question, inspired by the sight of decades old split rail fences lining Highway 40, abruptly broke the silence. As my phone signal aggressively cut in and out, I couldn’t help…
This timeline shows how weed has been stirring up controversy for over a century (infographic)
Marijuana has been a prevalent part of society for over a century, yet the debate still rages on over whether or not it should be legalized. Today, marijuana is largely known for its healing properties, often used as a natural…
New supersonic plane will fly you from the US to Europe in 3 hours
BY: JESSICA BEUKER I have yet to meet someone who actually loves flying. Waiting at the airport, squishing down those tiny aisles to find your seat, which usually ends up being in between the woman with the screaming baby and…
America is getting an urban nature area 10 times bigger than Central Park
BY: CHARLOTTE LEFAVE A brand new park is being kick-started by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates in Dallas, Texas, around the Trinity River. The park will be the biggest Urban Nature Park in America, 10 times bigger than New York’s Central…
Someone mapped out the history of America’s unemployment rate- and it’s a complete shitshow
BY: SAMANTHA TAPP We know that unemployment rates have been, and will continue to be, a national problem. The unemployment rates seem to rise and then fall just as quickly on a monthly basis. According to the Washington Post, America…
What Americans can look forward to with President-elect Donald Trump
By: Zoe Melnyk One week ago, Americans woke up in complete shock that the “strong” and “bold” United States of America actually elected former reality T.V. celebrity and former beauty pageant owner Donald Trump as its leader. To be fair, Trump…
For 7 years this vagabond collected 1,000 stories from strangers who helped him on his journey
BY: JESSICA BEUKER All photos by Gabor Gabor hasn’t had a place to call home in over seven years. Instead he has spent those years backpacking the world and meeting new people. Gabor decided to document his journey through the…
The End of Privacy and the Dawn of the Surveillance State
BY: LIZ PEKLER The September 11 attacks have forever altered American society and the government’s attitude on security and surveillance. Our nation became embroiled in the War on Terror; the USA Patriot Act was signed into law, and our nation’s security and…
This secret prison in America proves that we haven’t learned from our past.
BY: M. TOMOSKI Illustration by: Ryan Garcia / The Plaid Zebra It’s a fine line to walk between tin-foil hats and hard facts whenever you hear the words “the government is hiding something.” In most cases, these are the people who…
Haunting photos of Atomic City, Idaho, reveal post-apocalyptic America, pre-apocalypse.
BY: ROB HOFFMAN In the fall of 1985, photographer David T. Hanson drove across the American west, photographing the social landscape of a booming nation. Atomic City, an abandoned nuclear town in Idaho dating back to the ’50s, didn’t make…
The first openly transgender White House official could change American politics
BY: MELISSA MYERS Raffi Freedman-Gurspan is the first openly transgender person to join the White House staff, and a transgender women of colour at that. This announcement comes less than two months after same-sex marriage was declared a right in…
9 totally free adventures to take in America to satisfy your wanderlust
BY: ZOE MELNYK For some, adventure is all about the distance; the farther the destination the larger the experience. Adventure doesn’t necessarily need to be defined by the miles travelled. An expedition an hour away from home can be just…
Michigan State PhD candidate just statistically-optimized the most epic US road-trip possible
BY: DANIEL KORN Randy Olsen is a Michigan State University doctoral candidate who previously created an algorithm which plots the fastest search path through any page of a Where’s Waldo? book. On recommendation from Discovery, he turned this same skill-set…
This Oregon tantric sex cult committed the largest incidence of bioterrorism on U.S. soil
BY: SINEAD MULHERN Nearly 30 years ago, one of America’s most dangerous cults was at its peak. When one man presented himself as a guru and established a following of wealthy westerners, he left his home in India to set…