Business

A century ago, people relied on nature to make basic things: toothbrushes were made of silver, combs were made of ivory, and clothes were made of cotton. In a lot of ways, life as we know it today, is possible because of plastic. We can now afford phones, computers and medical devices in part because of one chemist's discovery a century ago. But his descendants have some regrets.

Wells Fargo's John Stumpf was pilloried again Thursday in an appearance before the House Financial Services Committee. Stumpf reiterated his apology for the fake accounts scandal and promised the bank would do better, but it did little good. Many lawmakers wanted to know why it took the bank so long to put an end to the fraudulent practices.

Today instant ramen is consumed in at least 80 countries — with culturally specific adaptations. The U.S., for instance, gets shorter noodles, because Americans don't slurp them up like the Japanese.