Rethinking Language
A selection of nine poems from eight young writers
Signs That the Supreme Court May Push Back Against the NSA
A recent ruling in a case on cell-phone searches may point to future limitations on surveillance.
Martin Indyk Explains the Collapse of the Middle East Peace Process
There is a "deep loathing" between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, America's Mideast envoy said in his first interview since stepping down.
We're Already Designing Babies
Even today, parents are selecting for the traits they want in their offspring. But how far should the genetic tailoring go?
For Pride and Prejudice to Make Sense Today, Jane Has to Be 40
While the novel remains a classic because of its timeless characters, one thing doesn't translate: its heroines' ages.
The Power of Memory in the Civil-Rights Movement
The events of the 1960s are fading into history, but John Lewis believes eyewitness accounts are key to continued progress.
Burnout: The Enemy of Sleep
Arianna Huffington explains how banishing glowy devices and going to bed earlier lead to healthier work practices.
The Case Against Hobby Lobby, by the Man Who Won Citizens United
Ted Olson often receives credit/blame for helping to create corporate personhood, but he's not so sure about the recent Supreme Court decision.
Why Putin Turned Against the U.S.
Former ambassador Michael McFaul on what really motivated Russia to invade Ukraine
Is America to Thank for the Global Decline in Poverty?
Arthur Brooks thinks the world's poor were motivated to "throw off their chains of poverty" because they envied Americans.
Larry Summers's 4-Point Plan for Saving the Economy
Don't get distracted by the deficit: It's time to start fixing America's crumbling infrastructure.
Newt Gingrich Predicts the Future
The former House speaker loves Dallas Buyers Club, fears Michael Bloomberg, and says Congress needs a total overhaul.
Why College Students Need a Class in Dating
As they polish their resumes and rack up extracurriculars, today's young people have forgotten how to love, some argue.
Is It Racist to Ask People Where They're From?
The importance of context
Arguing With Michael Hayden in Aspen
The former NSA and CIA director says the phone dragnet was approved by all three branches of government. Actually, its adoption raises severe Madisonian problems.
UC Berkeley's Chancellor on the Career Paths of Elite Collegians
Nicholas Dirks drew comparisons between Columbia, Stanford, and the institution he runs.
Instagram Was First Called 'Burbn'
Yes, after the drink.
Up to 1,800 Pounds of Seafood Is Stolen From the Seas Every Second
How we can stop illegal fishing
How Hobby Lobby Explains the Middle East
The stakes are different, but our struggles to define the role of religion in public life are similar.
Can Millennials Save Jazz?
Using the power of live performance to reach new audiences
Colorado's Governor on Marijuana Legalization
John Hickenlooper opposed voter efforts to end prohibition. Now he is charged with implementing one of the first recreational weed markets in America.
Facebook Lawyer: That Emotion-Manipulation Study Was About Customer Service
The research is part of the social network's drive, Monika Bickert said, to give you what it knows you want.
Former NSA Chief Clashes With ACLU Head in Debate
Keith Alexander and Anthony Romero each led a team of panelists who argued about government surveillance and civil liberties.
The Internet Would Like You to Stop With All the Cat-Video Talk
The whole the Internet-is-for-cats thing? Such a cliche.
David Brooks's 5-Step Guide to Being Deep
A manifesto against America's 'happiness' and 'resume' cultures
Why Tattooing Is Universal
A National Geographic photographer explains why many cultures view the body as a blank canvas.
Why PepsiCo CEO Indra K. Nooyi Can't Have It All
"If you ask our daughters," she said in a frank interview on work-life balance, "I'm not sure they will say that I've been a good mom."
Bombing the Tracks: U.S. Power and the Future of Arab Democracy
George Mitchell, Marwan Muasher, and Anne-Marie Slaughter discuss American intervention and the prospects for democratic self-governance in the Middle East
Hillary Clinton's Formidable Strengths—and Greatest Weakness
The former senator has yet to publicly come to terms with her catastrophic decision on Iraq.
How to Get Into Harvard
Simple advice from the president of America's most venerable university
Hillary Clinton on Hobby Lobby: 'I Find It Deeply Disturbing'
The former secretary of state sees those who would deny women birth control or reject compromise as akin to the theocratic zealots she encountered on her travels overseas.
'Economicism,' n.: The Intrusion of Economics Into Everything Else
Are we losing a more humanistic understanding of the world when we think about relationships, work, and life in terms of costs and benefits, comparative advantage, and ROI?
Toy Story Was Originally Going to Feature G.I. Joe and Barbie
If you were to see an early version of the movie's script, you probably wouldn't be able to recognize the film we know today.
Taking the Long View on the Middle East
The region is undergoing a convulsion that could take decades to sort itself out.
Mark Oppenheimer on Religion and Fatherhood
A short interview on big subjects
Airbnb CEO: Cities Are Becoming Villages
For the first time in centuries, we're trusting our neighbors, Brian Chesky says.
Why We Can't Talk About Gun Control
When one writer suggested that guns can be regulated without anyone's rights being infringed, he lost his job. Dick Metcalf told his story this morning to a skeptical crowd.
Firing Bad Teachers: A Superintendent and a Teacher's Union Official Debate
Can due process for educators coexist with the ability to terminate abusive or unqualified individuals?
Dads on Sitcoms
On television shows, dads have been portrayed as incompetent dolts reflecting and encouraging a damaging attitude towards men and childcare.
Mayors of Atlanta and New Orleans: Uber Will Beat the Taxi Industry
But first, both men agree, the company faces 15-round fights in cities across America.
News of America's Demographic Revolution Came in a Cheerios Ad
The U.S. population is graying and increasingly non-white. And the Super Bowl proved it.
'70% of India Has Yet to Be Built'
Can the government turn slums into the world's greenest cities?
House of Cards and the Era of Graphic Dramas About Antiheroes
In conversation with the screenwriter for the Netflix series, entertainment executive Michael Eisner marvels at how much creatives can now get away with.
Everyone Was an Artist in Kindergarten
Creativity is contingent on willingness to be judged. At some point, many people lose that.
Art Is Vital
The best education enables artistic voice and creative habits of mind.
Would You Rather Get Tips From an Expert or an Algorithm?
Reflections on shopping in the era of iTunes and Amazon.com
We're Not Ready for Robots
The U.S. government, an insider argues, is ill-equipped for a world of automated warfare.
The Case Against Mix-and-Match Spirituality
Religious institutions force members to grapple with hard ideas, to interact with different kinds of people, and to receive the wisdom of the ages.
The End of the Age Pyramid
Around the world, older generations are becoming the dominant demographic groups.
Is America Incapable of Regulating Robots?
A law professor argues that a new federal agency is needed to keep pace with technological change.
Israel's Former Ambassador: Militant Shias Are More Dangerous Than Sunnis
Michael Oren made the provocative claim that "the lesser evil is the Sunnis over the Shias," while insisting that the U.S. should never ally with Iran, even against Sunni terrorists.
When Hunter S. Thompson Ran for Sheriff of Aspen
"Hunter represents something wholly alien to the other candidates for sheriff—ideas."
Thought and Beauty in Aspen
Amid the spectacular scenery, it's hard not to feel hopeful.
A Decade at the Aspen Ideas Festival
Highlights from recent years of The Atlantic's collaboration with the Aspen Institute
Secrets of the Creative Brain
A leading neuroscientist who has spent decades studying creativity shares her research on where genius comes from, whether it is dependent on high IQ, and why it is so often accompanied by mental illness.
Creative Pairs, in Their Own Words
Members of creative pairs on their partners
The Power of Two
Despite the mythology around the idea of the lone genius, the famous partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney demonstrates the brilliance of creative pairs.