Fiftysomethings Reflect on Twentysomethings
Summary: Everyone's been there. Oh, and Girls is horrifying.
The Next Big Thing for Exploring the Distant Universe: Balloons
A way to get 99 percent of the way into space, at 1 percent of the cost of a satellite
The George W. Bush Years Summed Up in One Image
Can you guess what word he used most in his annual State of the Union addresses?
Her Big Idea: Gabby Giffords
Why is she so optimistic?
'The Mom Test'
Need to field test your tech product? Look no further than your mom.
Here's One Example of What Free Media Can Do in Afghanistan
Saad Mohseni on incidental causes of social change
Her Big Idea: Madeleine Albright
International cooperation and foreign aid are key to solving the Middle East, she says.
Data Visualization, Inspired by ... Jack Kerouac
One artist is putting the humanity back in data -- with a little help from literature.
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Anna Deavere Smith Recites MLK's 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'
"I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the argument of 'outsiders coming in.'"
Anna Deavere Smith Recites MLK's 'Letter From a Birmingham Jail'
"I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the argument of 'outsiders coming in.'"
Obama: More George H.W. Bush Than George W. Bush?
Despite his campaign style and oratory, the 44th president has been more of a transactional than transformative leader, says Joseph Nye.
Asa Hutchinson's 'Small Government' Case for Marijuana Prohibition
The former drug czar warns that if we legalize pot, it might lead to kids getting scholarships. Would that really be so bad?
WiFi Capabilities Aside, Don't Plan on Skyping From the Sky Anytime Soon
We may be technologically capable of broad in-flight connectivity. The question is whether we want to take advantage of it.
Why Is Jack Lew So Optimistic About the Economy?
The treasury secretary's upbeat predictions about growth, immigration reform, and U.S.-China relations
Should the U.S. Have a Secretary of Culture?
Some 50 other countries carve space in their governments for artistic advancement -- the case that the U.S. should follow suit
Tahrir Square Redux: A Tipping Point for Democracy in Egypt?
Mona Eltahawy vs. Madeleine Albright on the future of the Arab Spring in the Middle East's most populous country
Debated: Does America Pay Too Much Attention to the Middle East?
The President of the Council on Foreign Relations says yes. The head of the Woodrow Wilson center says no.
The GOP Can't Win With Eric Cantor as Its Ambassador
Whatever his strengths, communicating a compelling vision to the American people isn't one of them.
His Big Idea: James L. Brooks
Binge-watching TV makes it better.
Apple's Power Over Design, in 4 Words
Even Silicon Valley's most influential designers are Apple fanboys.
'We Might Be Martians'
Dimitar Sasselov and Catharine Conley on life beyond Earth
Her Big Idea: Annie Lennox
We can overcome HIV/AIDS, she says.
Staring at the Sun (With a Telescope)
Thoughts on clearly viewing our star for the first time
Twitter Is the New Haiku
Are short bursts of information their own art form?
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo Can't Tell You About NSA Abuses
He did say that his company's policy is to fight what they regard as overly broad requests for information.
Rick Perry and the Muslim Brotherhood: Compare and Contrast
Mona Eltahawy on social conservatism in Egypt and the U.S.
His Big Idea: Lil' Buck
Some ideas are bendable.
Consider the Wine Glass
A wine glass is hard to hold and easy to break. And that's what makes it great.
Justice Kagan and Justice Scalia Are Hunting Buddies—Really
"I shot myself a deer," Elena Kagan said of a recent big game hunting trip with the conservative justice in Wyoming.
Her Big Idea: Mona Eltahawy
The Middle East needs a sexual revolution.
Michael Eisner on Kickstarter: 'I Think It's Only Positive'
The consummate Hollywood creator on the web-driven way to fund creativity
Is Abraham Lincoln the Most Unifying President in U.S. History?
Southerners think so at roughly the same rate as other Americans.
Marketers v. Redditors
Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian on which companies should fear the Internet
Jane Harman: The Top-Secret Clearance System Is Like Something Out of the 19th Century
One way to prevent future Snowdens is to transform a broken and "ridiculous" screening process, said the former congresswoman.
A Big Idea: Abraham Lincoln, MBA
Nancy Koehn finds business-leadership insights from Lincoln, Shackleton, and other historical figures.
That Time an Astronaut Got a Pie Sent to the International Space Station
Pie in the sky, literally.
Kickstarters of Yore: Mozart, Lady Liberty, Alexander Pope
"Hey guys, will ye funde my Kickstartere?'
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Lloyd Blankfein on Short-Term Profits vs. Long-Term Value
Even investment banks want people to love their brands
Lloyd Blankfein on Short-Term Profits vs. Long-Term Value
Even investment banks want people to love their brands
New Orleans: Corrupt City, Model Democracy
Discerning zingers from the eminently quotable Husain Haqqani
A Reddit Co-Founder's Devastating One-Line Takedown of Facebook
Alexis Ohanian's case for interacting with people who aren't your friends.
Booz Allen Leader: How We See Snowden Inside the Company
Vice Chairman Mike McConnell said those he talks to see the NSA leaker as a traitor.
Ezra Klein's Case Against Getting Your News From Twitter
The Washington Post blogger advises against obsessing over the platform.
Unironically Loving Bad TV
"You couldn't script something as real as Real Housewives," Girls writer Sarah Heyward says.
Death by Asteroid?
"Eventually, our number will be up."
A Case for Regulating Sugar Like Alcohol
Robert Lustig on reining in what's toxic, addictive, and everywhere
Contra George Mitchell, NSA Surveillance Is Not a Minor Issue
The former Senate majority leader suggested that controversies over surveillance, the IRS and Benghazi are distractions.
Her Big Idea: Paula Crown
Even after all these years, self-portraits can be transformative.
The Philosophy of Netflix: Its Chief Content Officer Champions Storytelling
Expect more original programming, including a show set in a women's prison.
A Big Idea: Pianos in Public Parks
Soprano singers Camille Zamora and Monica Yunus take art beyond the opera house.
You're Interacting With Dark Matter Right Now
... But scientists have no idea how.
Ten Years After the Fall of Saddam, How Do Iraqis Look Back on the War?
A decidedly non-negative view from the Kurdish North, via Barham Salih
In the Future, Your Seat Belt Could Be Tailored to Your Body
Good news! Maybe! Your car may soon be weighing and measuring you in the name of keeping you safe.
Does the Rise of the Super-Wealthy Require New Global Rules?
Chrystia Freeland on the power of plutocrats
Big in Pakistan: Malala Yousafzai Conspiracy Theories
She's an icon for her girls-rights activism around the world, but what's popular opinion make of her at home?
George Mitchell Distills What Leadership Requires in Washington
A comment on how to represent citizens who hold contradictory positions
His Big Idea: Ehab Al Shihabi
Can Al Jazeera make it in America?
How Silicon Valley's Tech Reign Will End
Technology is people. And more people are choosing to live in cities.
Nate Silver: Hillary Is the Strongest Non-Incumbent Ever
The New York Times polling analyst predicted Clinton will need to get the game by early 2015 if she wants to win the Democratic primary, even with her unusual advantages.
How ESPN Makes Money—in 1 Graph
Nearly two-thirds of its enormous revenue comes from your monthly cable payments.
Unfathomable: How Much We Don't Know About the Ocean
A brief reflection on our surprising ignorance, past and present, about the underwater world.
The Divided States of America, in 25 Charts
Six in 10 Americans believe the nation is more fragmented that it was during Vietnam, Watergate, and the Great Depression. Happy Fourth of July.
American Values Survey, 2013
The Atlantic and the Aspen Institute polled 2,000 people on the degree to which the nation is united or divided.
One Nation, Divisible
Our annual American Values Survey finds that the country is badly polarized -- and the blame falls squarely on our political leaders.
His Big Idea: Yo-Yo Ma
A world-famous cellist lobbies to change the way we think about STEM.
Lawrence O'Donnell on How to Be Successful on Cable News in Prime Time
The MSNBC host says that his business is the broadcast analogue to the New York Times op-ed page.
A Sneak Peek at the American TV News Network Al Jazeera Is Building
An idealistic plan for the future of tv journalism -- and a skeptic who swears it will never work.
That One Time Karl Rove Imitated Bill Clinton
Everyone wants to take a turn as the former president. Even Bush's former brain.
Stay Away From 'Digital Pixie Dust'
And other lessons from entrepreneur gurus Steve and Jean Case
India and Pakistan's Relationship, According to Space
The divide between the two countries, as seen from low-Earth orbit
This Octopus's Camouflage Is Almost Unbelievable
Witness nature's closest thing to an invisibility cloak
Her Big Idea: Malala Yousafzai
According to this young activist, educating one girl can change everything.
The Most Dangerous Threat to the World Is ... Collective Psychosis in Pakistan?
Yikes. Islamabad's former ambassador to the United States has a provocative frame for a nuanced analysis of his home country.
How We Name the Things We Find on Mars
Hint: it can involve ... theme weeks.
Karl Rove: Here Are the 2 Tactical Fails That Cost Romney the Election
The GOP strategist says he tried to signal to the Romney campaign that it should change course, but they didn't follow his lead.
Former Bush Speechwriter: The GOP Needs Shock Therapy on Immigration
Michael Gerson argues that "an element of the party has set out to positively alienate the Hispanic community."
Rand Paul Is a Savvier Politician Than Karl Rove Would Prefer
The Kentucky Senator was the surprising focus of an Aspen Ideas Festival panel on the future of the Republican Party.
A Quick Catalog of Thought-Leader Hand Gestures
You know you want to be caught in Katie Couric's gaze.
The Curious Relevance of the Gilded Age
Let's capture the best of Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, Alexander Graham Bell and more.
When We're Looking for Life on Other Planets, What Exactly Are We Looking For?
Answering some of the biggest questions about our universe requires us to be a little bit self-centered.
Unsexy Ways to Cut Defense Spending
Now is not the time to retrench, says Michèle Flournoy.
Arianna Huffington Implores You: Stop Taking Bright Devices Into the Bedroom
She's talking about tablets, smart phones, iPods -- anything that is backlit. The light can significantly diminish your ability to sleep.
What Careerist Americans Can Learn From Ike, Dorothy Day and Jimmy Buffett
For some, intense work should eventually give way to introspection. Other people should just chill out immediately.
Things You Might Not Know About Aspen
The source of a famous chunk of precious metal, the temporary home of a notorious criminal, and the object of a great Jim Carrey reference
The Case Against Universal National Service
Everyone has an obligation to give back, but a one-size-fits-all program could never be implemented justly.
Flying Cars, Divided America, and the Future of TV: Aspen Ideas Festival 2013
Hunting for big ideas in the Roaring Fork Valley
Dumb Questions Good: Science Journalists, Ask About the Basics
Cassandra Willyard's smart advice for technical writers (or anyone, for that matter)
Speed Chess Changed My Brain
Mastering the three-minute game saw improved skills in unexpected places, from poker to planking.
So Technology Changes the World? What World?
The pleasures and challenges of capturing -- accurately -- technology's impact on our lives
Actually, the Humanities Aren't in Crisis
Has there ever been a moment in American life when the humanities were less cherished? Yes. That would be 1985.
Is Obesity Really a Disease?
The relationship between health and body weight is not as straightforward as the American Medical Association might have us believe.
The Distributed Future of Manufacturing: Think Ikea, Minus the Furniture
A start-up called AtFAB sends customers the files for its designs, which can then be built at a local maker shop.
The Wait We Carry: Using Data Visualization to Capture America's Failure to Take Care of Its Veterans
Some 600,000 veterans have seen their disability-benefit claims founder unanswered for more than 125 days.
Caffeine: For the More Creative Mind
Does caffeine "cramp creativity"? It shouldn't. More likely the opposite, if you do it right.
Must Every New Coming-of-Age Novel Be 'the Next Catcher in the Rye?'
For decades, reviewers and readers have eagerly compared works of fiction about young people to J.D. Salinger's 1951 classic—which is more apt in some cases than in others.
The Revolt of the Global Middle Class
Here's what protests in Turkey and Brazil have in common.
Can Democrats Win Back the Deep South?
It may be less far-fetched than you think, at least according to a new crop of activists who are trying to turn back the Republican tide in America's reddest region.
Why Is It So Hard to Hire Great People?
Inside the messy art (and questionable science) of predicting stars at Google, the NFL, and the NBA
Women Are More Likely Than Men to Be Engaged in Their Jobs
It's not clear why, but it may be because women tend to have more flexible work arrangements.
3D Printing: Not Every Hobby Turns Into the PC Industry
Despite the massive increase in hype, 3D printing's growth rate has hardly changed in recent years.
The Discovery of What It Means to Be a Man
What I learned about the so-called "masculinity crisis" as I transitioned from female to male
How Reading Makes Us More Human
A debate has erupted over whether reading fiction makes human beings more moral. But what if its real value consists in something even more fundamental?
What the Digital Brains of the Future Might Be Like
An entrepreneur and long-time neuroscience hobbyist attempts to merge his two loves.
The Electronic Future of Cigarettes
Aiming for a tobacco-free society is myopic. Embrace the safer alternative.
Innovation: The History of a Buzzword
In the 17th century, "innovators" didn't get accolades. They got their ears cut off.
The Incarceration Epidemic
About one-fourth of all incarcerated people on Earth is in the U.S. That constitutes a public health problem.
Sleep Deprivation in Hospitals Is a Real Problem
Simple changes can make recovery more restful, and better overall.
Has the U.S. Passed Peak Car?
A new analysis suggests we may have. Here's why you should still be skeptical.
PRISM Is Bad for American Soft Power
We need a real debate on how much privacy we're ready to sacrifice in exchange for security.
What Does 'American' Actually Mean?
In Latin America, "American" means anyone from the American continent. U.S. citizens claiming the word are considered gauche or imperialist. So what's the solution?