Then What Now

Health

Doctors Used to Hand Out Cigarettes. A Look at Medical Advice That Aged Terribly.

From cigarette endorsements to prescribing bed rest after heart attacks, mainstream medicine has gotten some things spectacularly wrong — and with complete confidence. Here's a tour through the advice that once seemed settled, and what it might tell us about what we think we know today.

Mar 13, 2026

Finance

One Paycheck, One House: How America Lost Its Most Reliable Path to the Middle Class

In 1975, a single income could put a family in a home with money left over for summer vacation. Today, two incomes barely cover the down payment. Here's the story of how one of America's most fundamental promises quietly fell apart.

Mar 13, 2026

Finance

Your Dad Bought a House on One Paycheck. Why Can't You?

In 1970, a single income was enough to buy a home, raise a family, and still take a summer vacation. Today, two salaries, a side hustle, and years of scrimping might barely cover a down payment. Here's how dramatically the math changed — and why.

Mar 13, 2026

Health

Cocaine in Your Cough Syrup: The Surprisingly Recent History of American Medicine

For most of American history, you could walk into a pharmacy and buy heroin for a headache, cocaine for a toothache, or arsenic as a general tonic — no prescription required. The system that regulates your medicine cabinet today is far newer than most people realize, and the road to get here was stranger than you'd expect.

Mar 13, 2026

Travel

No GPS, No Guarantees: What a Cross-Country Drive Actually Meant in 1955

Driving across America in 1955 meant paper maps, unmarked roads, and absolutely no guarantee you'd find a gas station before dark. Today's road trip is a different animal entirely — guided by satellites, cushioned by apps, and almost impossible to get truly lost on. But something changed along the way.

Mar 13, 2026