Mars Is a Hellhole
Colonizing the red planet is a ridiculous way to help humanity.
5 Pandemic Mistakes We Keep Repeating
We can learn from our failures.
The Staggering, Heartless Cruelty Toward the Elderly
A global pandemic doesn’t give us cause to treat the aged callously.
The Surprising Key to Combatting Vaccine Refusal
It’s not just one problem—and we’re going to need a portfolio of approaches to solve it.
The Republican Party Is Now in Its End Stages
The GOP has become, in form if not in content, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union of the late 1970s.
The False Dilemma of Post-Vaccination Risk
We’ll never know for sure how contagious people are after they’re vaccinated, but we do know how they should act.
The Second COVID-19 Shot Is a Rude Reawakening for Immune Cells
Side effects are just a sign that protection is kicking in as it should.
The Man Who Refused to Bow
Adam Kinzinger says he’ll fight to take his party back from Donald Trump.
Nomadland Is a Gorgeous Journey Through the Wreckage of American Promise
Chloé Zhao’s Oscar contender about one woman’s itinerant life speaks volumes about this country’s myths of self-sufficiency.
The Most Likely Timeline for Life to Return to Normal
An uncertain spring, an amazing summer, a cautious fall and winter, and then, finally, relief.
You Got the Vaccine! What Can You Do Now?
A guide to America’s awkward, semi-vaccinated months
America Didn’t Need Sports After All
The public’s emotional connection to big-money athletics has been grossly overestimated.
The Invisibility of Older Women
As they age, women experience less public scrutiny—and entertain a wider set of choices about when and how they are seen.
A Sexual-Decision Flowchart That Makes Everything Simpler for Medieval Men
A visualization of early Christian rules about sex; or, why sex is still a weird thing today.
The Double Meaning of the American Dream
Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari is filled with symbols of abundance that are also residues of prosaic commercialism.
A Simple Rule of Thumb for Knowing When the Pandemic Is Over
At some point—maybe even soon—the emergency phase of the pandemic will end. But what, exactly, is that magic threshold?
‘To Me, This Penis Is Out of Control’
The Danish series John Dillermand makes a very big deal about a very big body part.
American Cynicism Has Reached a Breaking Point
The nation’s politics is in dire need of earnestness. Can its culture meet the moment?
The Prices on Your Monopoly Board Hold a Dark Secret
The property values of the popular game reflect a legacy of racism and inequality.
This Woman Surfed the Biggest Wave of the Year
Here’s why you probably haven’t heard about it.