Read — 2013/12/01

Today’s selection of articles includes:

1. “Millennial Searchers“, by Emily Esfahani Smith & Jennifer L. Aaker (NY Times). Distinguishing happiness from meaning in the search for a fulfilling life. The authors identify meaning with giving (investment in others) and happiness with taking (expenditure on self), and emphasize the impact that historical circumstance has on shaping our values.
2. “Inside the Race to Rescue a Health Care Site, and Obama“, by Sheryl Gay Stolberg & Michael D. Shear (NY Times). A detailed unfolding of the federal health insurance site, a saga rife with miscommunication, strategic gambits, and ultimate let-downs.
3. “When Algorithms Grow Accustomed to Your Face“, by Anne Eisenberg (NY Times). Private companies begin to sell software to analyze facial expressions, opening new possibilities (notably marketing applications and security screening) and privacy concerns.
4. “Where Factory Apprenticeship is Latest Model from Germany“, by Nelson D. Schwartz (NY Times). Apprenticeship programs, in which students do vocational schooling and hands-on training, garner limited but fervent support in the U.S. The article notes that “[a]bout 60 percent of German high school students go through some kind of apprenticeship program, which leads to a formal certificate”.