AUGUST 7, 1983

Full News Archive

• Headline: Newark Cityscape: A Cargo Container Perspective. Impact: These empty containers became a symbolic representation of urban decay, leading to countless art projects and Instagram accounts dedicated to abandoned industrial sites. Who knew they’d inspire a generation of ‘influencers’ with a penchant for decay?. Fact: Fun fact: those empty containers actually house the hopes and dreams of every aspiring urban explorer. Spoiler: they usually end up being just empty..
• Headline: New Jersey's Debt Collection Strikes Hard. Impact: The Treasurer's aggressive approach to debt collection inspired future politicians to adopt 'tough love' tactics, making it socially acceptable to treat taxpayers like rebellious teenagers. Who knew financial responsibility could be so... fun?. Fact: Did you know that squeezing 195,000 people for $400 million is just the state’s way of saying 'we care'? Isn’t that sweet?.
• Headline: BOOM DAYS FOR POLITICAL RISK CONSULTANTS. Impact: The Iranian hostage crisis not only made political risk consulting a booming business but also led to the invention of the phrase 'risk it for the biscuit.' Thanks to those students, risk management became a lucrative career path for the paranoid.. Fact: Did you know that the only thing riskier than hosting a political consultant is trusting your neighbor with your Wi-Fi password?.
• Headline: BELL LABS IS LOSING ECONOMICS CENTER. Impact: The closure of the Economics Research Center was the start of a downward spiral for Bell Labs, which ultimately led to the rise of tech startups in garages everywhere. So, thank you, antitrust laws, for birthing a million side hustles!. Fact: Fun fact: Bell Labs was once the place where innovation thrived, but now it’s just a cautionary tale on why you should never let lawyers near scientists..
• Headline: GARDENING; FLOWERS THAT COMBAT HEAT AND DROUGHT. Impact: The rise of drought-resistant plants led to a gardening revolution, where people realized that they could, in fact, keep their gardens alive without turning into full-time water police. This eventually inspired the movement for succulents, aka 'the plants for people who forget to water.'. Fact: Did you know that the secret to a thriving garden is just choosing plants that are better at surviving than their owners?.
• Headline: INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSION MARKS WORK OF PAINTER FROM CHINA. Impact: Yuan Yunshen's emphasis on individual expression set off a wave of artists around the globe claiming that their cats were their muses, thus launching a million 'cat art' projects. In the end, it was less about feeling and more about fur.. Fact: Did you know that 'individual expression' is code for 'I can't paint within the lines'?.
• Headline: PEACE AND PLENTY-TWO WEEKS AT EASE IN RURAL FRANCE. Impact: This idyllic portrayal of rural France inspired countless Americans to abandon their 9-to-5 jobs in search of the 'simple life,' leading to a global increase in wine consumption and a serious shortage of baguettes.. Fact: Did you know that the real reason Americans love France is because they think it's an all-you-can-eat cheese buffet?.
• Headline: NATURE WATCH; BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON; Nycticorax nycticorax. Impact: The study of the Black-Crowned Night Heron sparked a newfound interest in birdwatching, leading to the creation of countless social clubs where people sit around and argue about whether it’s ‘Nycticorax nycticorax’ or just ‘that bird over there.’. Fact: Did you know that the Black-Crowned Night Heron often gets mistaken for a goth kid at a family picnic? Who knew birds could have style?.
• Headline: VOTE DRIVES UNDER WAY TO REGISTER CITIES' POOR. Impact: These vote drives turned out to be the catalyst for grassroots movements, eventually leading to the rise of social media campaigns and the phrase 'I can't even' becoming the unofficial slogan of disenfranchised youth everywhere.. Fact: Did you know that registering voters from poor neighborhoods is just a fancy way of saying, 'Let's see if we can get them to care about politics this time'?.