Sep/Oct 2013
Study: Why Subway Isn't Always a Healthier Option for Lunch
Just because Subway offers healthier options than some of the other popular fast-food restaurants doesn't mean people take advantage of them.
In the Picture: A Street Scene in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
In every issue, we fix our gaze on an everyday photograph and chase down facts about details in the frame.
Want to Swim Faster? Terry Laughlin Says Relax
Terry Laughlin doesn’t coach any elite athletes or teams. And he doesn't have a case full of medals. But he did write one of the best-selling books on swimming. And, if that's not enough, he promises to lead clients to "a personal nirvana."
NASA Attempts to Conquer One of the Great Challenges of Space Travel
Meet the six-person team working high on the dry, volcanic terrain of Mauna Loa—an area remarkably similar to the Martian landscape—to develop new foods for astronauts.
Quick Study: Would Corporate Crime Fall If More Women Were in Power?
A Penn State study of corporate fraud in America found that men were almost always to blame.
On How Quickly New Immigrants Start to Resemble Americans, Health-Wise
As immigrants to the United States adjust to life in a new country, their diets and habits start to resemble those of the native-born—and that's not a good thing.
Tracking Blocked Searches on China's Homegrown Version of Twitter
Hair bacon, Tigger, Falun Gong: On Sina Weibo, you've got to be careful what you say.
Jeffrey Sachs' Failure to Eradicate Poverty in Africa
Jeffrey Sachs was certain he knew how to rid the world of poverty. He even said it would be easy. The world had other ideas.
What If the Best Remedy for a Broken Family Is No Family at All?
The San Pasqual Academy argues we should let foster teenagers create their own tribe.
Study: High School Football Victories Increase Surrounding Home Values
The easiest way to increase the value of your home? Live near a winning high school football team.
The Concept That Helps to Explain Why 'Tetris' Is So Addictive
There's a name for that.
On America's Farms, Data Is the New Cash Crop
Today's farmers are using all of the technology at their disposal to increase yields, which is critical if we hope to feed a rapidly growing population. But digitally driven farming is not without its potential downsides.
Did Stanley Milgram's Famous Obedience Experiments Prove Anything?
Stanley Milgram's test subjects were not the only ones misled by his famous experiments on obedience.
Flexian Invasion: Strange Creatures Capture the Capital!
A new professional class of movers and shakers—people who serve overlapping roles in government, business, and media with smiling finesse—is controlling the flow of power and money in America. The anthropologist Janine Wedel is bent on making us understand just how dangerous this new normal can be.
'Candy,' 'Scarcity,' and 'War Play': Book Reviews in 100 Words or Less
What you need to know about Candy: A Century of Panic and Pleasure, Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much, and War Play: Video Games and the Future of Armed Conflict.
Exploring Subculture in America: My Life as a Therian
Meet Shiro Ulv, a 19-year-old IT specialist who considers himself a wolf trapped in a human body.
Economics Column: The Case of the (Still) Missing Jobs
The good news: Economists are starting to come up with some decent theories as to why this recovery is so bad at generating employment. Now here's the bad news.
The Social Life of Genes: Shaping Your Molecular Composition
Your DNA is not a blueprint. Day by day, week by week, your genes are in a conversation with your surroundings. Your neighbors, your family, your feelings of loneliness: They don't just get under your skin, they get into the control rooms of your cells. Inside the new social science of genetics.
Datebook: What’s Happening in September and October—and Why It Matters
From the special election for New Jersey's senate seat to the beginning of Oktoberfest, events you should be aware of.
4 Conferences Worth Attending in September and October
From Self-Sacrifice and Martyrdom to Sixteenth Century Society, academic gatherings you should be aware of.
Social Networking: Responses to the July/August Pacific Standard
Letters and other responses to stories from the July/August issue of Pacific Standard.
Since We Last Spoke: Updates to Previous Pacific Standard Stories
Updates to past Pacific Standard print stories.
Contributors: Writers for the September/October 2013 Pacific Standard
Meet some of the people behind the September/October 2013 issue of Pacific Standard.