(AP Photo / David Zalubowski ) 

First: Americans love small businesses, but economist Robert D. Atkinson says that big business is better for workers, consumers, and the world.

Then: From standard measurements to interchangeable parts, precision engineering created the modern world. Author Simon Winchester explains how the precision revolution got started in the first place.

Finally: We tend to become friends with people who share our interests and passions. But the connections don’t stop there—new research now shows that the brain activity of close friends is similar.