For a changing America, mushrooms are new taste makers Move over succulents — there’s a new “It” plant in town. Or rather, a new fungus. The New York Times recently declared that the fungus is among us, and it’s hard to disagree. If the exaltation of the mushroom is news…

Deep-seated fears about ghosts and…Airbnb hosts? For years I worked on the commercials for Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights (temporarily RIP, 2020). The job was a bit ironic, since scary movies give me the willies. Nonetheless, I quickly discovered that making a truly, enticingly creepy ad wasn’t as simple…

The most flown generation shares their thoughts on their post-Coronavirus travel A decade ago, I left my hometown of fifty-thousand people and endless beige strip malls, nervously clutching a boarding pass. It was my first international flight. A year abroad would soon turn me into a life-long parishioner of the…

Waxy scented clues about our societal values, attitudes and fears If you heard about a company making a $6.5 million expansion, with a 20,000 square-foot research and development lab for prototyping, your head would likely to go to many places; maybe burgeoning tech, or some innovative new product. But it…

How American cities will sound 30 years from now Imagine the sounds of London, 1800. Maybe you hear hooves clomping on cobblestone, vendors yelling their wares, newspaper boys singing out hoarse and high. Now take your ears to Woodstock, 1969; you hear the raucous laughter, off-key singing from hundreds of…