November 2009

Shannon Brownlee and Jeanne Lenzer question the effectiveness of the H1N1 vaccine; Wayne Curtis on the houses of the future; Brave Thinkers—twenty-seven people with courageous ideas; Nadya Labi on the business of retrieving abducted children; Benjamin Schwarz on Mad Men; and much more.

Features

Does the Vaccine Matter?

To prevent a devastating flu pandemic, the government is relying heavily on vaccines and antivirals. Some experts say that both are quite possibly useless.
Q&A: The authors answer questions about H1N1 diagnosis and immunity.

Houses of the Future

In New Orleans, a new kind of house is rising from the ruins of Katrina. Cheap, green, and radically hip, it may change architecture for a generation.
Interactive Map: Explore the new homes described in Wayne Curtis's story

Brave Thinkers

Twenty-seven people with courageous ideas—from relocating endangered species to hiring autistics to printing loads of money—that are shaping our future. The first installment of an annual feature.
Video: Watch mini-documentaries about the Brave Thinkers featured in this issue and submit your own nominations

The Snatchback

When Todd Hopson wanted to get Andres, the 9-year-old boy he'd raised from infancy, back from his biological father in Costa Rica, he called Gus Zamora, who retrieves internationally abducted children for a living. Here’s what happened next.
Sidebar: The author explains how she ended up following Gus Zamora around the globe
Audio: Labi’s sound recording of the actual snatchback in Costa Rica (with transcript)

Dispatches

How I Survived China

Our man in Beijing returns home, with lungs only somewhat the worse for wear.

The Boar War

A wild menace invades Houston.

Wipeout

Guam’s surfers fret about the impact of a billion defense buildup on their island.

Oil on Ice

Will Greenland become the Nigeria of the Arctic?

¡Hola, Hezbollah!

How a Lebanese mullah found happiness in Paraguay

The World on the Rocks

For fans of the legendary cocktail writer Charles H. Baker, the contents of a drink are less compelling than the story behind it.
Recipes: Exotic concoctions from the files of Charles H. Baker

Finding Peace in Colombia

A thrill seeker surrenders to South America’s scariest nation.

Filtering Reality

How an emerging technology could threaten civility

Books

Mad About Mad Men

What’s wrong—and what’s gloriously right—with AMC’s hit show
Video: Benjamin Schwarz deconstructs scenes from Mad Men that reveal Don Draper’s vulnerable side

The Pity of War

Is leading one’s own troops to slaughter ever justified?

Cover to Cover

Alice Munro's way with women; the obstetric dialectic; and more

Columns

Misleading Indicator

Will the Great Recession finally end our misguided obsession with gross domestic product?

Retching With the Stars

The addictive appeal of Dr. Drew Pinsky’s Celebrity Rehab
Video: James Parker comments on his favorite scenes from the VH1 show


Video

Miami: The Next Big Start-Up City?

How the city became a center for innovation

Video

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A Brief History of Romantic Comedies

From The Atlantic's Chris Orr

Video

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Life in 'the New Arctic'

A moving portrait of a fading landscape

Video

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The Rise of New York City

A fascinating look at Manhattan in the 1940s

Video

'I Thought It Was Really Funny, but No One Else Did'

A day with New Yorker cartoonist Joe Dator

Video

New Yorkers: The Winemaker

Make your own wine ... in New York City

Video

What Is Methane Hydrate?

"Flaming ice" is a vast natural energy source

Video

NASA's Time-Lapse of the Sun

Now with epic dubstep music

Video

A Video Letter From the Editor

Highlights from the May 2013 issue

Video

Shaken Not Tuned: Cocktail Experiments

Can a tuning fork improve a cocktail?

Video

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The Rise of Environmentalism

Tracking 50 years, from the Love Canal disaster to Greenpeace

Video

Is He Cheating? A 1950s Guide

'That little blonde secretary from the office?’

Video

New Yorkers: Vintage Vacuum-Tube Amps

Risking electric shock to restore old amplifiers

Video

The DIY Piano-Bicycle

Everybody needs a hobby

Writers

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