April Qian

For a conversation between two men, Tim Walz and JD Vance spent a lot of time talking about "women" at the vice presidential debate on Oct. 1. But the way they did, showed that their views are worlds apart. The Storybench team combed through the text transcript of the debate and found that, while Walz and Vance occasionally used similar words, they did so in very different contexts, often using the same terms to refer to different ideas.

From heated exchanges to subtle digs, the Harris-Trump debate on September 10 left plenty to unpack. The debate offered a window into the distinct communication strategies and policy priorities of both candidates. Here at Storybench, we love a good data-driven debrief. Theatricality and noise aside - let's dig into what the candidates actually said. Are you talking to me?

Laces. Sole. Heeltab. Toebox. An exploded axonometric model of a single blue Nike Air Jordan sat at the entrance of "The Secret Life of Sneakers," revealing individual components of the shoe's structure. Walking past it, viewers entered a data physicalization exhibit aimed at raising awareness for more sustainable practices in the sneaker life cycle. The installation, which opened on Friday, Feb. 2, was created by XYZ Data Labs at Northeastern University in partnership with The Footwear Collective.