Searching for California’s Lost Viking Treasure Ship
A look at the work of the people who are convinced that a Viking treasure ship is buried somewhere in the California’s Colorado Desert.
Speak, Memory
When Belarusian entrepreneur Roman Mazurenko died, his friend built a memorial to him – a chatbot that uses an archive of his text messages to recreate his voice and identity.
Inside the Deadly World of Private Prisoner Transport
Prisoner transport operations run by third party contractors can be very dangerous indeed.
Double Cross – The Ukrainian Hacker Who Became The FBI’s Best Weapon – And Worst Nightmare
A blackhat hacker operated on both sides of the fence, working with both the FBI and the criminals they were trying to stop.
Inside the slimy underground hunt for humanity’s antibiotic saviour
Superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics are one of the major global health concerns today. This piece looks at scientists’ efforts to develop new antibiotics to combat them.
Where Is Barack Obama?
A piece examining the post-presidency of Barack Obama and his engagement with his successor’s administration.
Welcome to the automated warehouse of the future
A look at the Ocado warehouse in Andover, UK, where automation has been implemented sufficiently effectively to allow the company to sell their solution to other organisations.
Can Jim Mattis Hold the Line in Trump’s “War Cabinet”?
A profile of James Mattis, the US Defence Secretary, and the last remaining core member of the so-called “Committee to save America”, after the recent dismissals of H.R McMaster and Rex Tillerson.
A Kingdom from Dust
A profile of the biggest farmers in the US “a married couple working in partnership” and the story of their extraordinary rise via floor cleaning, security, plastic figurines, advertising, and philanthropy. Their story is also now the story of water in California as the yields from their crops continue to increase just as the water supply has declined through nearly a half-decade of drought.
Flat Earthers and the Psychology Behind Conspiracy Theories
The piece asks why conspiracy theories gain so much traction, and finds that good stories, and the clarity they offer, are at least part of the answer. The author asserts that conspiracy theories share the same attraction to us as science fiction narratives that find “pattern and meaning in this senseless racket of life”.