Universities Race to Nurture Start-Up Founders of the Future
Are these entrepreneurial programs going to create the next Mark Zuckerberg or are they promoting narrow skill sets without encouraging students to tackle complex problems? The New York Times tries to answer.
—Megan Barnett, deputy editor

The Terrible Beauty of Brain Surgery
A recommended read by our editor in chief and publisher.
—Jason Pontin

How to Let Instagram Be Your Travel Guide
Instagram can be quite the visually enchanting travel buddy, if you’re a little discerning (i.e., if you can distinguish between what actually looks good and what looks good behind 18 different filters). The app has led me to some of my favorite restaurants and art galleries while exploring new cities, serving me better than any TripAdvisor-like sites ever have. And this Boston Globe article elevates it to a bona fide travel technique.
—Julia Sklar, interim associate Web producer

Dear Architects: Sound Matters
In this interactive think piece from the New York Times, an architectural critic tells why acoustical design is just as important to the feeling of a physical space as any visual or ergonomic detail. To illustrate the point, the article is accompanied by 3-D sound bites of places like Grand Central Station or the New York Public Library, which, if listened to with headphones, really make you feel you’re there, even if you’re on your couch.
—Julia Sklar

13 Times Washington Tried to Sell Encryption Workarounds in 2015
Watch the U.S. government’s arguments evolve throughout the year as the encryption debate grew more heated.
—Mike Orcutt, research editor

Posture Affects Standing, and Not Just the Physical Kind
Poor posture is bad for your health, but more importantly, “poor posture can even leave you vulnerable to street crime.”
—J. Juniper Friedman, associate Web producer