Ideas
We're Hiring a Contributing Editor for Books and Culture
Pacific Standard is looking for a part-time contract editor to help us expand and elevate the profile of our books and culture coverage.
How Ideas Spread Through the Academy
A new study questions the place of meritocracy in higher education.
Cancer Drugs on a Raft Made of Algae
Researchers engineer tiny organisms to deliver cancer drugs to tumors without the usual nasty side effects—and at much less cost than conventional methods.
Has 'Conspiracy Theory' Lost Its Negative Connotations?
Research finds the label no longer implies an idea worthy of immediate dismissal.
Five of the Silliest Ideas About the Near-Future of Work
The way we work is changing, but not quickly enough for the boosters peddling these ideas.
The Pseudoscience of Jane Jacobs and Innovation Districts
Where we find innovation, we find industry clusters. That doesn't mean the two are causally linked.
The 30 Top Thinkers Under 30: Nominate Someone for a Future List
For the month of April we’re profiling the individuals who made our inaugural list of the 30 top thinkers under 30, the young men and women we predict will have a serious impact on the social, political, and economic issues we cover every day here at Pacific Standard. Use this form to nominate someone you know—or yourself—for inclusion in a future list of bright young minds.
Think Think Tanks Are Nonpartisan? Think Again
Once seen as non-ideological “universities without students,” the American think tank has, in many cases, become a partisan stalking horse that devalues the sector’s scholarship.
Light Bulbs Really Do Foster Bright Ideas
New research finds exposure to a bare, illuminated light bulb — a universal symbol of bright ideas — is a catalyst to reaching insights.