Three things to know: Con men - and women - have been around for as long as we’ve been around. So why do we keep falling for their tricks? Maria Konnikova explains the science of the swindle. There’s no international law on time zones or daylight savings. And the result? Chaos. But Steve Hanke has a simple solution: universal time. Flint, Michigan, was just the beginning. Marc Edwards says that our country is relying on a network of very old pipes, many of them lined with lead.

Americans are becoming increasingly dependant on our calendars. But what happens when you start to schedule free time? Bad things, says Selin Malkoc.

This just in: reading just might help you live longer. Bookworms everywhere celebrate by going to the library.

From illuminated manuscripts to your dog-eared copy of The Hobbit, the book has had a tremendously important place in human history. Keith Houston talks about how books changed the world.

Violence is usually seen as some sort of moral failing. Gary Slutkin says we should instead treat it like a disease. As anyone who’s left a Hershey’s bar too long in their pocket can tell you… chocolate melts pretty easily. A scientist has uncovered the gene that could change that. The shape and form of the book hasn’t changed all that much since the Middle Ages. But it has definitely changed us.

Chocolate’s melting point makes it one of the most fickle sweets in the world. It also prevents manufacturers from transporting it to large swaths of the globe. But the discovery of one of its most important genes could make a big difference.

One man’s life turns around because, of all things, nougat. We recount the surprising rise of a giant in the world of candy.

What if the spread of violence was treated like the spread of a disease? University of Illinois at Chicago’s Gary Slutkin tells us why we need to take a public health approach to preventing violence in America.

Winter can be the hardest time of the year to stay in shape. But now that the holidays have passed, many Americans are looking to lose a few pounds in preparation for beach weather. It's a perfect time to focus in on our country’s growing obesity problem -- what’s caused it and what we can do about it.

We get high from making money. Literally. Former Wall Street executive and author Kabir Sehgal explains our obsession with cash and coin.