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SmartPlanet Weekly

May 24, 2013

A weekly review of the best stories, one from each department, delivered every Friday.

The Bulletin

Is the student loan debt "bubble" bursting?

Student loan defaults in the United States are now at a record high and recent graduates are on average accumulating more debt than ever.

By David Worthington

The Report

The Golden Gate of Helsinki

The world's top architects are competing to design Finland's longest bridge. Why is it so special? Three words: no cars allowed.

By Virginia C. McGuire

The Take

Recycling is not architecture

The Take's C.C. Sullivan wonders why designers, architects and artists think that recycling is automatically an aesthetic success.

By C.C. Sullivan

Global Observer

In Mexico, investment with a social conscience

MEXICO CITY -- Philanthropy, meet venture capital. In Mexico, investments that offer a tangible social benefit are a growing market.

By Lauren Villagran

Pure Genius

Q&A: Leila Takayama, research scientist, on human-robot interaction

Leila Takayama imagines a world where human-friendly robots interact successfully with people. But it's not always easy teaching a 500-pound machine not to block the office coffee maker.

By Christina Hernandez Sherwood

The Big Story

Laughing, tweeting and eating: the soft power of Shaquille O'Neal

Social media is allowing brands and celebrities like Shaquille O'Neal to build their soft power and transfer it to profits. So what's the trick to creating an authentic Twitter relationship?

By Kevin Gray

The Word

Books | House arrest

A review of Snob Zones: Fear, Prejudice, and Real Estate by Lisa Prevost.

By Jenna Marotta

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