POPULAR
This is Why Experts Think All People Should Have a Universal Basic Income
IN BRIEF Universal Basic Income not only can prepare society for increasing automation but also spur innovation and growth. Establishing a equal base level of security will ensure that when automation takes over, people out of a job will not be left behind. Consider for a moment that from this day forward, on the first day of every month, around $1,000 is deposited into your bank account — because you are a citizen . This income is independent of every other source of income and guarantees you a monthly starting salary above the poverty line for the rest of your life. What do you do? Possibly of more importance, what don’t you do? How does this firm foundation of economic security and positive freedom affect your present and future decisions, from the work you choose to the relationships you maintain, to the risks you take? The idea is called unconditional or universal basic income, or UBI . It’s like social security for all, and it’s taking root within minds aro
Pluto Reclassification
I N BRIEF In 2006, the planet known as Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf world. Over a decade later, this error is finally being corrected by astronomers. Welcome to a solar system that, once again, has nine planets. Today is a historic day—one that will bring joy to the hundreds of millions of Pluto lovers around the globe. The International Astronomical Union (IAU), the body that is responsible for naming and classifying objects in the cosmos, has just announced that Pluto has been reclassified as a major planet. Image credit: Quark Tees That’s right, the little dwarf will be rejoining the ranks of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Planet-X (the planet that will surely spell doom for all humanity). As many of you know, in 2006, the IAU made their infamous vote, deciding to demote everyone’s favorite planet to a “dwarf planet.” Their reasoning was that too many people would confuse Pluto (the doggy of Disney fame) with Pluto (the pl