Weekend edition—Admissions scandal, rat race, celery obsession

It’s tempting to view this week’s college admissions scandal as an indictment of the inequities of higher education in the US. The revelations that wealthy families bribed their kids into elite universities makes plain what has been tacitly known for years: The wealthy and privileged carry huge advantages in college admissions. [Quartz Daily Brief: America]( Sponsored by Good morning, Quartz readers! It’s tempting to view this week’s [college admissions scandal]( as an indictment of the inequities of higher education in the US. The revelations that wealthy families bribed their kids into elite universities makes plain what has been tacitly known for years: The wealthy and privileged carry huge advantages in college admissions. But it’s also evidence that elite universities have actually become much more meritocratic, such that some mediocre but wealthy students who were once ushered into Ivy League colleges now feel they have to resort to bribery and fraud (or, at least, their parents do). It once was far easier to get into an elite university if you were white, male, and rich. In 1933, for example, [82% of Harvard applicants were admitted](. By 2003, the number [fell to 9.8%](. Last year the number [was 4.6%](. Elite universities are now drawing from a much wider base of applicants. In recent years, the growing wealth of Americans, the rise of a global middle class eager for a US education (particularly in China), and—to the credit of the colleges—much more generous financial aid (Harvard is basically free for families that earn [less than $65,000]( has meant there are fewer slots available for the mediocre children of the wealthy. Essentially, it’s a classic problem of supply and demand—demand soared while supply basically remained static. The number of seats for freshmen at the top schools has barely changed. At Dartmouth, for example, [the number of applicants]( doubled between 2003 and 2018, to 22,033, while the number of students admitted actually fell 8%, to 1,925. Universities, of course, benefit from this scarcity and are happy to trumpet the ever-escalating rise in applications: the more exclusive the good, the more they can charge, and the more prestigious and desirable the school. University admissions are still far from egalitarian, but they have made strides in leveling the playing field. Given the steepening odds, it’s no wonder the super rich, who use wealth to ease their passage past all other obstacles, might see college admission as just another problem solved with money. —Oliver Staley Sponsor content by Barclays Does society need a digital detox? Explore the impact of rising smartphone addiction on daily life and how industry, policymakers and individuals can help combat its most serious effects. [Read the latest findings from Barclays Research analysts](. Five things on Quartz we especially liked Celery is everywhere on Instagram, but this isn’t the first time it’s been a cultural obsession. The Victorians were the first to consider the tricky-to-grow swamp plant a status symbol—they even showed it off on the dinner table in special vases. But how does that forgotten fact explain the celery juice mania gripping social media today? In the Quartz Obsession, Jessanne Collins and Rosie Spinks explore [the surprisingly deep roots]( of a seemingly boring vegetable. Sovereign wealth funds’ quiet march on the world economy. Despite little media attention, these secretive state-run institutions have quadrupled in size since 2005 and now command cash equal to 10% of global GDP. Today they’re buying up not just stocks and bonds, but also direct stakes in the world’s most promising companies. As they do so, [writes Max de Haldevang]( (membership), they’re raising profound questions about the future of capitalism. The only metric of success that really matters is the one we ignore. Among the things that makes us happiest in life is connecting with other people, yet it’s often the first thing to fall off our priority list as we focus on exercise, diet, and productivity. [Jenny Anderson explores]( how she discovered what community means, why our social networks are shrinking in spite of our hyper-connectivity, and how to invest in building the communities we need. A dispatch from one of the world’s most polluted cities. During the winter, homes in Ulaanbaatar burn coal indoors to stay warm, which contributes to toxic levels of air pollution harming children in particular. From the Mongolian capital, [Annabelle Timsit reports on]( the government’s response to the public health crisis—and warns that the city provides a glimpse into our own future if we don’t quit our addiction to fossil fuels. Boeing’s sway over the US government. This week the plane maker and defense contractor was in the spotlight again following a second fatal crash involving its 737 Max jet. US authorities grounded the jet only well after other countries did so. Heather Timmons and Natasha Frost [show how the company]( has a direct line to the president, spends lobbying money on shifting debates, and enjoys hefty federal contracts while having an outsize effect on stock markets. Message from our Partner Tired of all the same ol’ stories from the cauldron of cable news? So are we. That’s why we created 'While You Were Working' SmartBrief. The world is still full of interesting people, places and things ... you just have to know where to [read about them](. Five things elsewhere that made us smarter One man’s obsessive quest to create “artificial general intelligence.” Most of us know about DeepMind’s AlphaGo defeating the world’s best Go players. Less familiar is the story of Demis Hassabis, the driving force behind DeepMind. For 1843 magazine, [Hal Hodson profiles]( the man who believes that AGI—a hypothetical computer program that can match or best people at performing intellectual tasks—will easily solve many of the world’s problems. Emulating the human brain’s “software” comes first. A world built on sand and oil. In discussions about global trade, oil and sand (behind concrete and the screen you’re reading this through) are not often brought together. But as [Laleh Khalili shows]( in Lapham’s Quarterly, there are many parallels in how the two natural resources are exploited—and in how that exploitation shapes geopolitics, inequality, and modern life around the world. (And sand, as she notes, is essential in fracking.) How trade schools in the US are shaking off the stigma of “not college.” As the university admissions scandal shows, some parents will cheat to get their kids into certain schools. Other families, though, are concluding that four-year programs don’t teach enough useful skills to justify the high tuition fees. As [Chuck Thompson writes]( in Popular Science, many are turning instead to shorter vocational programs that teach hands-on skills in fields like robotics, construction, and electronics. Online activists are silencing scientists. Chronic fatigue syndrome can bring crushing tiredness and pain. If you’re a researcher who believes it can be somewhat relieved by talking and exercise therapies, it can also bring near-daily online abuse by activists enraged at the suggestion the syndrome might be psychosomatic. That’s prompted some researchers to call it quits, writes [Kate Kelland for Reuters]( noting that other scientists face similar vitriol from climate skeptics and anti-vaxers. How rats became an inescapable part of city living. In Seattle, it’s increasingly common for rats, having climbed up sewer pipes, to emerge from toilets. Smoke-colored streaks on New York sidewalks indicate rat thoroughfares. In cities around the world, rat populations are rising. For National Geographic, [Emma Marris explains]( why the animal thrives in urban environments and will continue doing so, despite the best eradication techniques (and why you likely shuddered while reading this). Our best wishes for a relaxing but thought-filled weekend. Please send any news, comments, rat poison, and overlooked metrics of success to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by[downloading our app]( and[becoming a member](. Today’s Weekend Brief was edited by Steve Mollman and Holly Ojalvo. Enjoying the Daily Brief? Forward it to a friend! 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