The Archives

1996

“The paradox of our time is that we are feeling bad about doing well,” Newsweek explored the nation’s gloom. “We didn’t merely expect things to get better. We expected all social problems to be solved. What frightens and infuriates us now is that we haven’t arrived at this new, improved America.” Today, people seem to be mired in similar discontent. Research shows that 65 percent of Americans don’t trust Washington to do the right thing, a sentiment that lasted for two decades. The 2021 index of citizens’ satisfaction with federal services dropped to an all-time low, 63.4 out of 100.

1975

“Motivations for the slaughter are as various—and perverse—as human nature,” Newsweek said. “Pesticides take their toll. So do zoos, the pet trade and the demands of scientific research.” Well over 42 thousand species are threatened with extinction in 2022, though most species weren’t even evaluated.

2011

“Why skills we’re already good at don’t make us much smarter: we don’t pay much attention to them,” Newsweek reported. “Attention is almost magical in its ability to physically alter the brain and enlarge functional circuits.” Recent studies explain attention fluctuations and find that it is inherently rhythmic, with up to eight cycles per second.