Dying Alone in Japan: The Industry Devoted to What’s Left Behind
Companies that deal with the belongings left behind after you die are in demand in Japan, “where each year more people die with no one to mourn them.”
The New Startup South
Greenville, South Carolina has discovered a way to revitalize its postindustrial spaces: by incubating start-ups and joining the knowledge economy. Can other mid-size Southern cities do the same?
The Legend of Nintendo
How can a perennial blockbuster like Nintendo fall down for more than a century, innovate continuously from that prone position, and rise up, as if on cue, to master the art of fairytale comebacks time and time again? Felix Gillette tries to crack the code behind the gaming giant’s success, which remains as mysterious and unlikely as lucking into a banana bunch in the depths of an abandoned mineshaft.
The Gambler Who Cracked the Horse-Racing Code
Bill Benter did the impossible: He wrote an algorithm that couldn’t lose at the track. Close to a billion dollars later, he tells his story for the first time.
Japan’s Prisons Are a Haven for Elderly Women
Elderly Japanese women — many of whom live lonely lives even in the company of husbands and children — are turning to petty theft and are thriving in prison, a place where they find the companionship and security lacking in their lives on the outside.
How Defective Guns Became the Only Product That Can’t Be Recalled
Unlike with thousands of other consumer products, no government entity in the U.S. has the power to police defective firearms or ammunition. Taurus has sold nearly a million handguns that can potentially fire even if no one pulls the trigger. After the accidental death of their son, one family is seeking justice.
Americans Will Struggle to Grow Old at Home
Most Americans want to live at home in their old age, but our current home-based health care system won’t be able to adequately serve their growing numbers.
The Fall of Travis Kalanick Was a Lot Weirder and Darker Than You Thought
A behind-the-scenes account of how Travis Kalanick was ousted from Uber as chief executive officer.
America’s Worst Graveyard Shift Is Grinding Up Workers
Companies pay undocumented immigrants low wages to sanitize dangerous slaughterhouse equipment quickly, under pressure and cloak of night, because undocumented workers don’t always understand their worker rights, and they want to avoid deportation. This is the human cost of America’s affordable meat.
Business Is Booming for America’s Survival Food King
By capitalizing on the growing unease about our unstable world, Wise Co. is expanding its business to average Americans and stores like Walmart. The logic: if you have a flashlight and first-aid kit, shouldn’t you stockpile some Mylar food pouches, too?
