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If you’re one of the millions of Americans struggling with your tax forms today, you’re not alone. Even Albert Einstein allegedly found income taxes to be “the hardest thing in the world to understand.” But how did our tax system become so complicated? From Revolution to Revenue: The Birth of American Taxation America’s relationship with
3 months ago

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More from 99% Invisible

Food Deserts

Woonsocket, Rhode Island was once home to many locally owned and regional grocers. There were small stores such as Fernandes Produce and Big D’s. The city also had supermarkets from classic New England chains like Star Market and Almacs. Over the years, however, the city’s economy took a turn for the worse. Factories closed and

2 weeks ago 16 votes
Open Borders

A border is an idea so powerful that we never even have to see it to believe it. Or believe in it. Global borders can be sites of peace and conflict, violence and celebration, opportunity and confinement. And borders as they exist today – which is to say, increasingly militarized and clearly defined – are

3 weeks ago 18 votes
The Titanic’s Best Lifeboat

Everyone grows up learning the same story about the RMS Titanic, that when the ship set out on its maiden voyage in 1912, the owners and authorities, confident that the ship was unsinkable, did not require it to carry a full complement of lifeboats. So when the Titanic sank in the frigid waters of the

a month ago 27 votes
Flag Days: The Red, the Black & the Green

After Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd last year, tens of thousands of people all over the world took to the streets to protest police violence against Black people. And if you look at images from these marches, you will probably start to notice a common color scheme — one involving a lot

a month ago 22 votes
The Return of Con Law

In President Trump’s first term, Roman Mars treated the U.S. Constitution like a warm blanket, something to turn to for comfort as Trump stomped all over the country’s laws and centuries of precedence. Roman even enlisted his neighbor and constitutional law professor, Elizabeth Joh, to co-host the podcast What Trump Can Teach Us About Con

a month ago 31 votes

More in architecture

Where are Vacation Homes Located in the US?

As of 2023, the US has around 142.3 million housing units: roughly one home for every 2.4 people in the country.

2 days ago 5 votes
Archinect Meets: The Daily Splice

Cutting up, piecing together, remixing, and collaging have been essential and time-tested elements of the creative process, including architecture. British graphic designer and animator Adam Hale, however, takes the medium to another level with a steady stream of often humorous — and always fascinating — animated collages on his popular Instagram account The Daily Splice. In today's Archinect Meets, we chat with him about his introduction to making collages, his connection to the built environment, and his preferred digital tools.

3 days ago 6 votes
A Change of Course – Honing Network Rail’s Wayfinding Guidance

Finding your way around a Network Rail station is becoming another step easier. The publication of the most recent version of Network Rail’s Wayfinding design manual represents the latest step in the company’s quest to design the best possible signage system for stations. Given the ongoing moves towards re-integrating large parts of the railway network […]

3 days ago 8 votes
What Is a “Director of Visualization” in the Age of AI and Fake News?

A talk with Thomas Bates, the renderings guru at VMDO Architects.

3 days ago 5 votes
Archinect City Guide: Get Your Portland Travel Tips from Chris Brown of Observation Studio

Archinect City Guide dives into Portland, Oregon, today, featuring some of the favorite spots for dining, gallery-hopping, and discovery shared by Observation Studio founding principal Chris Brown. (Avid Archinect readers will remember him from our Studio Snapshot of Linden, Brown Architecture, which rebranded as Observation Studio in 2024.)  In true Pacific Northwest spirit, Brown has several authentic and rooted spots in and around Portland to recommend for architects and designers visiting the city. Is he keeping it weird? Let's find out. Are you a Portland local with your own go-to spots? Or have a city you think we should cover next? Share your thoughts, suggestions, and favorite places in the comments.

5 days ago 9 votes