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Video games make up the largest sector of the entertainment industry by far, generating more revenue than movies, music and theme parks combined. The industry has come a long way since its humble beginnings 50 years ago, when, on Oct. 15, 1971, a trade show in Chicago debuted the unforgettable game Computer Space. Never heard of it? You’re not alone.
Delve into the history of video games and you’re likely to encounter a common explanation for why Computer Space failed to reach orbit. It’s a story of game maker overreach and confounded bar patrons. There’s just one problem: The story doesn’t hold water. University of California, Santa Cruz’s Noah Wardrip-Fruin reveals what he discovered about Computer Space’s inauspicious start while researching his latest book on video games.
The impact of global warming on Alaska’s bridges One of the US’s biggest killers? Medical mistakes Why shelves may still be empty come Christmas
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Eric Smalley
Science + Technology Editor
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Computer Space was innovative, but how was it to play?
Ed Fries
Noah Wardrip-Fruin, University of California, Santa Cruz
The game that launched today’s massive video game industry was not a roaring success. The oft-told story of why turns out to be off the mark.
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Health
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Michael J. Saks, Arizona State University
Mistakes at the hands of health care providers are a major cause of death in the U.S. And many of the blunders are a byproduct of the system.
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Katie Paulich, University of Colorado Boulder
New data suggests that lots of time on screens may even improve peer relationships. But the study comes with caveats.
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Economy + Business
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David A. Jaeger, University of St Andrews
David Card, Josh Angrist and Guido Imbens pushed economics closer to the traditional sciences with experiments that mimicked the randomised trials in drug tests.
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Kevin Ketels, Wayne State University
An expert on global supply chains explains why shortages of many products have persisted throughout the pandemic.
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Environment + Energy
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Guangqing Chi, Penn State; Davin Holen, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Heather Randell, Penn State; Megan Mucioki, Penn State; Rebecca Napolitano, Penn State
Alaska is warming faster than any other U.S. state. That’s causing problems for river crossings, as a team of bridge engineers and social scientists explains.
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Raz Godelnik, The New School
Publicly, companies have been paying more attention to social and environmental issues, but their priority remains profit. Climate change is forcing an evolution, a business strategy expert writes.
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Science + Technology
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David Gillum, Arizona State University; Kathleen Vogel, Arizona State University; Rebecca Moritz, Colorado State University
A centralized reporting system for laboratory incidents involving dangerous pathogens in biological research does not exist in the US or internationally.
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From our international editions
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Lukasz Swiatek, UNSW
The lives of Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov will be forever changed after winning the prize. But with a more visible presence comes increased scrutiny and threats from those in positions of power.
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Harry Sumnall, Liverpool John Moores University
It may have ‘worked’ for Winston Churchill. That doesn’t mean it will work for you.
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Ian Rocksborough-Smith, University of The Fraser Valley
Movements that challenge former national icons demonstrate the importance of history-making in an age of racial reconciliation. But ‘history wars’ won’t get us anywhere.
Today’s graphic
From the story, Flu season paired with COVID-19 presents the threat of a ‘twindemic,’ making the need for vaccination all the more urgent
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