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On March 26, construction crews started work on the Dakota Prairie Refinery, the first new oil refinery in the contiguous United States since 1977 and the first in North Dakota since 1956. The new refinery will process 20,000 of the 770,000 barrels of crude that oil producers pump out of…

We do not yet know who perpetrated yesterday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon—whether it was a “lone wolf” or a group, or whether those responsible are foreign or domestic. Nor do we know whether the attackers were motivated by personal grudges or by ideology, or whether the acts were state-sponsored.…

Scientists at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have recently developed a new medical implant device that works with a person’s smartphone or tablet to relay medical conditions to its receiver. The 14 millimeter device can detect a variety of chemical levels in the blood and warn its…

The revolution in 3D printing—a manufacturing process in which “printers” build plastic or metal components—has taken a big step forward with a new machine purchased by the Anschutz Medical Campus in Colorado. A news release from the University of Colorado (which houses the medical center) aptly summarizes the potential: “Metal…

In honor of Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, here’s a subtle yet powerful tribute to him (and men of his kind) from Ayn Rand: In Atlas Shrugged, I discussed the “pyramid of ability” in the realm of economics. There is another kind of social pyramid. The genius who fights “every form of…

The use of standardized testing in government schools—as mandated by George W. Bush’s 2001 No Child Left Behind Act and supported by the Obama administration—has triggered “an expanding revolt against high-stakes standardized tests and the use of students’ scores to evaluate teachers, schools, districts and states,” writes Valerie Strauss for…

Two great Britons died this week. One, Margaret Thatcher, is well known, and her passing has been widely noted. The other, Robert Edwards, is a brilliant physiologist whose work lead to the first successful human conception, and subsequent birth, through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). His passing has been relatively unnoticed, and…

"We are seeing an incredible acceleration in the speed and in the breadth of the restrictions on abortion that are passing” at the state level, says Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights and a supporter of abortion rights. The Wall Street Journal reports that, among recently passed…

"Fossil Fuels Improve the Planet," Alex Epstein argued in a March 29 talk (which I attended) at Vassar College. The event almost didn’t take place. Student members of the group 350.org—which opposes the development of fossil fuels—petitioned to have the talk canceled. When that didn’t work, some set out to…

One need not agree with everything Margaret Thatcher said or did to recognize her as among the most important political leaders of the 20th century—the Iron Lady of British politics—a champion of freer markets, and a stern critic and dogged opponent of socialism. She is best remembered by some of…

This MSNBC video featuring Melissa Harris-Perry (see below) will shock anyone with even a shred of respect for America’s founding principle of individual rights. Here is what Harris-Perry, a professor of political science at Tulane, has to say about children: We have never invested as much in public education as…

In October 2012, an Italian court convicted six scientists and one government official on the charge of manslaughter, sentencing them each to six years in prison. The alleged crime: their failure to predict a 2009 earthquake resulting in the deaths of 309 people. As of last month, all seven defendants…

In this episode of Reason at Large, I address the question "Why do you use 'sacrifice' to mean giving up a greater value for a lesser value, when the widely accepted meaning of that term is the opposite: giving up a lesser value for the sake of a greater value?"…

Two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court—separate challenges to California’s Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)—could lead to a momentous decision on gay marriage. But there are indications that the court may sidestep the broader issue of whether gay marriage is a constitutional right, and instead…

The California city of Stockton has declared bankruptcy. Why? The Los Angeles Times reports a major reason: “The $900 million Stockton owes to the California Public Employees' Retirement [CalPERS] System to cover pensions is its biggest debt—as is the case with many cities in California.” CalPERS reports that nearly a…