Hate your cubicle? Thank medieval monks

The modern open-plan office and the cubicle have origins in historical periods such as ancient Rome and 18th-century London.

We can’t have smart guns but we could get smart vapes

This reusable beer bottle could change the way America drinks

Oregon’s ambitious project to bring the reusable bottle back is stirring interest across the country–and, in this case, a monopoly could be a good thing.

Top 5 ads of the week: Nike’s marathon man, Ad Council’s Honest Yearbook

A heartwarming lottery ad, a stirring political spot, and a breast pump ad you can dance to.

Don’t wait for New Year’s: Why you should be setting your goals now

Waiting until New Year’s Day to set goals is a rookie move.

“We’d be breaching precedent”: Leaked emails show Google workers discussing search tweaks

The future of humanity depends on design ethics, says Tim Wu

The preeminent media scholar and author of The Attention Merchants shares insights on how the design industry can better serve users–and humanity.

This real estate company figured out a simple way to offer the homeless a house and a job

It’s now started a nonprofit to help spread its simple solution: hire people who’ve lost their jobs and homes to be property managers–and have them live for cheap on-site.

Mr. Rogers’s Google Doodle is the neighborly animation we need right now