Most people might think it's crazy to drive directly into the eye of an oncoming storm but for others it's a matter of protecting what's theirs. Hurricane season hits the east coast of America from early summer to late fall, this is similar to Typhoon season in Taiwan.

Hurricanes bring strong winds, rough seas, and cause catastrophic damage. Hurricane Ian which struck Florida in September caused millions of dollars in damage and has been blamed for over 100 deaths. Florida is known as a state with many vacation homes. Many Floridians stayed put during the storm making sure their property was protected, boarding up windows, and placing sandbags in front of doors.

Sometimes it's not the storm people have to be worried about but the reality of looting. After major disasters cities can be decimated and emergency services like the police work overtime, making it difficult for them to protect everyone. Some Floridians took this threat seriously, posting signs warning people, “you loot, I shoot.”

October 2022. Subscribe to Download.

    The World Cup comes once every four years and is the largest, most watched international sporting event on the planet. Normally the tournament is held in the beginning of the summer, however, circumstances surrounding this years tournament are anything but ordinary. FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, has come under scrutiny for their decision to host the World Cup in Qatar, a gulf state known for its oil wealth and authoritarian government.

Critics initially blasted the decision due to the climate. Temperatures in the gulf state regularly exceed 120 degrees (48 degrees Celsius) in summer. Due to this unavoidable situation, the tournament has been pushed into the late fall to make sure players do not suffer from heat stroke. Further criticism came when human rights groups uncovered the deplorable working condition which some argued bordered on slavery. New stadiums had to be built in order to host the tournament and in an effort to avoid high labor costs the Qatari government turned to migrant workers. They reported having their passports confiscated upon arrival, living in squalid conditions, and going unpaid for months. Despite these revelations, the tournament will go head as scheduled. Although the sun will be shining, a dark cloud looms over the games.

November 2022. Subscribe to Download.

    Technological progress has always been met with a mixture of optimism and anxiety. New technologies can improve efficiency, increase safety, and drive profits. Meanwhile, optimism is often tempered by fears of displacement.

During the industrial revolution in England, movements such as the Luddites, named after a mythical character in English folklore, openly rebelled against industrialization. Over time, fear of displacement has not dissipated, even though economists observe that technological progress has created more jobs not less.

Angst about automation persists and some academic circles have justified that feeling. Studies such as an Oxford University paper published in 2013 predicted 47% of jobs would be displaced by machines in one to two decades. The results of that paper are being called into question. Unemployment across most developing countries is at all-time lows. Routine jobs, usually the first to go, have actually increased in countries like America. Some argue that the main macroeconomic issue is not unemployment caused by automation but a lack of supply in the labor market. Its easier to see jobs that have been replaced by machines than those that have been created. This reality may explain why despite scant evidence people still meet technological progress with skepticism and fear.

November 2022. Subscribe to Download.