One of the more mystifying features of recent economic debate is how many people seem unbothered by the very real possibility of an old-fashioned trade war. Donald Trump, of course, relishes the possibility of such a battle — as he would, no doubt, any war he didn’t have to fight personally. Naturally, he’s convinced that the US would ‘win’ one. ...

The retail industry has plenty of reason to be upbeat in these early months of 2018. The holiday season was a roaring one, and Amazon.com Inc. didn’t claim all the spoils. Many big-name chains fared well, and consumer sentiment remains strong, suggesting the good times will keep rolling. But stepping back for a longer view of retail’s prospects, I’d caution ...

In Professor Dowell’s Head, a 1925 science fiction novel by Alexander Belyayev that was a must read when I was a kid, a dying scientist bequeaths his body to a colleague who then revives just the heart and the head. In this form, Professor Dowell lives on but hates it. The life of British physicist Stephen Hawking, who died on ...