At the end of the 19th century in Italy, books and manuscripts were transferred from monasteries to public libraries, making much of the knowledge safeguarded in monastic libraries suddenly available to the public. This column explores the link between this development and innovation. Access to knowledge through public libraries significantly increased innovation: municipalities that received […]
A race is raging among global powers to secure access to critical minerals to power the simultaneous energy and digital transitions the world is experiencing. The extraordinary growth in demand for critical minerals is putting upward pressure on prices and stimulating new critical mineral discoveries all around the world. However, in developing countries, this new […]
Integrating ethnic minorities in the classroom enriches the educational environment, but some studies find that it lowers student test scores. This column explores what may drive such effects, using data from Taiwanese schools, where Indigenous students are randomly assigned to different classrooms. Students placed in classrooms with minority peers showed less effort, their parents invested […]
