Geopolitics
International affairs, defense, intelligence, and regional conflicts
#2899: Can We Trust Palestinian Polls in Wartime?
How one man's surveys became the world's only window into Palestinian opinion—and whether the data is real.
#2898: The Bean That Built the Ancient Levant
How the fava bean went from ancient staple to menu afterthought — and why its revival is failing.
#2880: Israel-Greece-Cyprus: The Alliance That Outlasted Its Pipeline
How three eastern Mediterranean countries built a durable partnership around gas, electricity, and a shared strategic interest.
#2879: Are Most Chinese People Actually Atheist?
Only 14% of Chinese adults identify as atheists. The reality of belief in China is far more complex.
#2878: How China Controls Foreign Critics and Domestic Media
China blocks foreign critics at the border while running a sophisticated domestic media control system. Here's how both work.
#2877: How China Cut Air Pollution 65% in a Decade
China's air quality has improved dramatically since 2013, but gains are uneven across cities and seasons.
#2876: When Iran Recruits Your Iran Experts
How a DIA contractor with top secret clearance gave Iran dossiers on US intelligence officers — and why cultural expertise can be a vulnerability.
#2875: How Polls Actually Make Samples "Representative
The secret behind "representative samples" — and why the margin of error is just the beginning of the story.
#2869: China's Special Puzzle Pieces: Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan
How "one country, two systems" works differently for Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan — and what's changed.
#2868: Measuring Hidden Opinions in Iran and China
How researchers use digital snowball sampling and list experiments to gauge real public sentiment under authoritarian rule.
#2863: Why Fintechs Leave Israel After Launching There
Why Israeli fintechs scale in Europe instead of serving their home market — and what the EU figured out that Israel hasn't.
#2862: How a $3 Paint Marker Reveals Israel's Import Maze
Why does a $3 German marker cost $6 in Tel Aviv? The answer reveals how Israel's import system really works.
#2856: How Paleo-Hebrew Evolved Over Six Centuries
The Paleo-Hebrew script evolved through distinct phases over 600 years—here’s how scholars trace its development.
#2853: What the Nordics Actually Struggle With
Beyond bike lanes and pastries—what Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have genuinely figured out, and where their model cracks.
#2849: Fixing Israel's Broken Link Between Voters and Government
How Israel's party-list voting crowds out local issues — and what Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland do differently.
#2845: Why Reading Patents Is Always Free
Google Patents, Espacenet, and the secret weapon of classification codes for tracking ANC innovation.
#2838: Can Random Citizens Fix Broken Democracies?
What if the best way to fix democracy isn't voting, but picking lawmakers by lottery? Real experiments from Ireland to Belgium.
#2833: What Police Actually Do All Day
Most officers make one arrest every two weeks. Here's what fills the other 90% of their time.
#2813: How Jerusalem Day Went From Thanksgiving to Sovereignty Display
The holiday began as a rabbinic day of thanks. Now 70,000 people march through the Muslim Quarter. How did it shift?
#2809: What Enforcement Leaves Behind
How border enforcement fractures economies, families, and institutions in ways the headlines miss.