One possible strategy in dealing with the so-called “Adam Smith Problem” is to probe the architectural unity of his two major works, The Theory of Moral Sentiments and the Wealth of Nations. The architectural elements of a theory consist of premises and perspectives chosen, processes and mechanisms described, and results obtained. In this essay, I trace in the Wealth of Nations the architectural building blocks as known from The Theory of Moral Sentiments, by analogy, all the way up to the Impartial Spectator. The key challenge of this thought exercise is to not simply carry over the ethical categories of The Theory of Moral Sentiments to the Wealth of Nations, but to remain entirely within its economic framework. There is no explicit mention of the Impartial Spectator in the Wealth of Nations, but one can find his counterpart in connection with prudence, the dimmed-down self-regarding virtue that connects the two books and drives much of the action in the economic realm. Specifically, it is the long-sightedness of prudence, that is, the consideration of the consequences of one’s economic actions on oneself and others over a longer time-horizon, that allows for an analogy to the Impartial Spectator procedure. Just as the Impartial Spectator from The Theory of Moral Sentiments is the result of spinning off from one’s person an imagined disinterested, more objective judge of one’s conduct, the unnamed Long-sighted Spectator of the Wealth of Nations would be conjured up by the economic agent to ensure better judgment and sustainable economic behavior over time.

Periviable births, occurring between 20 and 25 weeks of gestation, present significant challenges due to varying survival rates and potential morbidities for survivors. Medical decision-making in this context raises ethical and legal questions, including considerations of sanctity of life versus quality of life and challenges in the clinician-parent relationship. This article outlines the complex ethical and legal landscape surrounding parental medical decision-making for periviable infants in the United States, discussing the evolution of federal and state laws. Existing laws highlight a vitalist approach that prioritizes life preservation despite potential harm and overlook non-heteronormative and non-traditional family structures, complicating decision-making. The impact of post-Dobbs state abortion bans on parental and clinician autonomy have exacerbated these challenges. We advocate for legislative support for inclusive definitions of legal parenthood to facilitate evidence-based decision-making centered on patients and families. Also needed are legal frameworks that accommodate the intricacies of periviable birth decisions while respecting patient autonomy and medical expertise, especially amidst the evolving legislative environment.

This article continues a long-term investigation into the nature of legislation, regulation, and administration across United States history. In contrast to persistent myths about an original American legal and political inheritance dedicated primarily to private rights, limited government, and laissez-faire economics, this article explores the earliest roots of American public rights, popular lawmaking, and regulatory policymaking. In the very first activities of revolutionary Provincial Congresses and Committees of Safety, this article locates a surprisingly robust template for the future development of American state police power, public provisioning, general-welfare legislation, and socio-economic regulation.

The West Area of Samos Archaeological Project (WASAP) conducted fieldwork over four years (2021–4), with the aim of investigating the western portion of the island of Samos. This article presents the results of the work undertaken in the southern part of the WASAP study area. WASAP fieldwork in this area was focused on the plain of Marathokampos, and areas of the southern coastline between Koumeiika in the east and Limnionas in the west. The data collected sheds new light on activity in this area between the Archaic and Byzantine periods.

With more than sixty percent of U.S. adults struggling with at least one diet-related health condition, the relationship between nutrition and public health has never been clearer. Indeed, for the first time in over a century, food has a prominent place on the national political stage and is one of the exceedingly few issues that has garnered bipartisan support. The recent rise in popularity of “Food Is Medicine” initiatives, which seek to provide medically tailored or healthy meals to vulnerable populations, underscores the critical importance of food to public health. Yet, while “Food Is Medicine” is shifting the insurance, business, and nutritional landscape, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) — the primary regulator in charge of both food and drug safety — treats food as anything but medicine. Known and unknown food additives, color dyes categorically banned in other countries, chemicals leaching from paper and plastic, and environmental toxins and pathogens all contaminate our food and sicken children and adults alike. All the while, the FDA acts as if it were powerless to fulfill its mission of protecting the public from unsafe food.

In a time when the political will to reform our food system and rid it of harmful chemicals and ingredients is high, this article offers a blueprint for how to do so in a scientifically grounded, legally consistent, and lasting manner. Starting from the basic premise that food can be medicine, the article explores ways to bring food safety review closer to the much more demanding safety process for pharmaceuticals. Part I defends the premise that food is every bit as important to human health as medicine — both for good and for ill — and posits that food safety should be regulated just as much as (even if not in identical ways to) the safety of medical drugs. Parts II and III offer a comparison between the rigors of drug safety review, albeit with its own set of problems, and the laxity and at times utter lack of food safety review. Finally, Part IV advances a comprehensive package of both legislative and regulatory reforms, all designed to shift the de facto burden of proving the safety of food ingredients from the overtaxed FDA and the overburdened consumers to food manufacturers.

When The Builders Association began working on their Ayn Rand–inspired, technofeudalist-satirizing production of ATLAS DRUGGED (Tools for Tomorrow), the 2024 election was still years away. By the time the show premiered at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in October 2024, it was just around the corner. This dossier—comprising an interview with Richard Schechner, commentary, script excerpts, and a summary of the Builders’ mediaturgy—is a comprehensive examination of the factors that influenced the genesis of ATLAS DRUGGED, and the ludicrous “predictions” made by the sprawling, technologically advanced work that have since come true.

Here There Are Blueberries (2018–ongoing), the Tectonic Theater Project’s most recent work, tells the story of a photo album from Auschwitz collected in 1944 by Obersturmführer Karl-Friedrich Höcker, adjutant to camp commander SS-Sturmbannführer Richard Baer. The photos, now at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, show Nazi soldiers, their families, and concentration-extermination camp staff relaxing and socializing. Tectonic not only presents the photos but also investigates curating, memory, and historical responsibility. The interview details the process that brought Here There Are Blueberries into existence.

The clinical case describes a 13-year-old boy with a history of transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, and pulmonary stenosis who underwent surgical correction at age 1 with the REV procedure and the Lecompte maneuver. At age 2, severe subaortic obstruction required reoperation for subaortic tunnel reconstruction, myectomy, and reimplantation. Due to severe right ventricular outflow tract dysfunction, a 19 mm No-React Injectable BioPulmonic prosthesis was implanted. At 12 years, the patient presented with reduced exercise tolerance. Echocardiography and cardiac catheterisation demonstrated severe stenosis and regurgitation of the pulmonary bioprosthesis, right ventricular dilatation and hypertrophy, and an increased right ventricular–pulmonary artery gradient with normal pulmonary artery pressures. The manuscript presents an in vitro test demonstrating that the No-React Injectable BioPulmonic prosthesis frame can be modified using high-pressure balloons to increase its true inner diameter. The patient subsequently underwent transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation of a 23 mm Sapien 3 following pre-dilation and frame modification of the 19 mm No-React Injectable BioPulmonic prosthesis with a 22 × 20 mm Atlas Gold balloon, achieving an favourable haemodynamic outcome. Post-implant pulmonary arteriography excluded any intra-perivalvular regurgitation. Post-procedure haemodynamic assessment showed a residual peak-to-peak gradient of 10 mmHg, with systolic right ventricular pressures below half of systemic pressure. At the 6-month follow-up after the procedure, the post-procedural peak echocardiographic gradient across the pulmonary prosthesis was measured at 28 mmHg, with no evidence of regurgitation. Short-term results have been optimal, which encourages the use of this strategy for the treatment of similar cases.

This paper investigates the everyday use of coins at the Roman Red Sea ports of Berenike and Myos Hormos, challenging their conventional interpretation as mere indicators of trade prosperity. Adopting a contextualized approach, the paper analyzes coin finds alongside non-numismatic evidence – including ceramics, botanical and zoological remains, and epigraphic records – to uncover their role in daily economic activities. The study demonstrates how coins functioned across diverse settings such as marketplaces, industrial zones, religious sites, and residential areas, highlighting their integration into the economic, social, and cultural fabric of the ports. Beyond serving as a medium of exchange, coins played crucial roles in taxation, service payments, and religious offerings. By reconstructing the transactional dynamics of the ancient ports, the paper provides new insights into the interactions between residents and visitors, enriching our understanding of daily life in these vibrant hubs through a holistic archaeological perspective.