98 Million TikTok Followers Can’t Be Wrong
How a 16-year-old from suburban Connecticut became the most famous teen in America
Dry Ice Is Hotter Than Ever
Solid carbon dioxide has long been essential to manufacturing, food processing, and high-school theater. Now it’s a key part of the race to get America vaccinated.
How Will the Future Remember COVID-19?
Three visions for a hypothetical pandemic memorial
Americans Got Tired of Looking Bad on Zoom
The pandemic’s at-home workers are discovering what internet influencers have long known: If you want to be taken seriously, get good lighting.
The Role-Playing Game That Predicted the Future
Mike Pondsmith created Cyberpunk in 1988. Now it’s the inspiration for a highly anticipated video game—and an unlikely oracle.
Twitter’s Next Trump Problem
Trump is exempt from many of Twitter’s policies because of his status as a world leader. Come January, he could lose his favorite toy and most powerful weapon.
Welcome to Election Purgatory
Time has stopped. Just keep scrolling.
QAnon Is Winning
Conspiracy thinking in America had a huge night on Tuesday.
The YouTuber Who Treats the Inner City Like a Safari
Charlie Moore turned the aesthetics of beat policing into a full-time job.
The Internet Won’t Be the Same After Trump
How the president changed life online—for better and for worse
This Will Change Your Life
Why the grandiose promises of multilevel marketing and QAnon conspiracy theories go hand in hand
The Pandemic Could End Waiting in Line
Theme-park designers, architects, and engineers have been fighting against queues for decades. COVID-19 could finally kill them for good.
America Will Sacrifice Anything for the College Experience
The pandemic has revealed that higher education was never about education.
America’s Toxic Love Affair With Technology
Major inventions cause major upheaval. Why don’t we take precautions?
Twitter Goofed It
By blocking the URL of a New York Post story without explanation, the company only stoked conspiracy theories.
The Creepy Trump Meme Taking Over Twitter
Reactions to the president’s illness got weird fast.
How an Anti-Shutdown Celebrity Is Made
Kyle Newell insists that he wasn’t trying to fuel a movement when he reopened his New Jersey gym. But strange things can happen in an online ecosystem that promotes vitriol and division when those feelings are already in plentiful supply.
Reddit Squashed QAnon by Accident
Two years ago, Reddit had the internet’s biggest QAnon problem. Today, that problem is gone—but the company can’t really explain why.
The Pandemic Has Remade Friendship
Every relationship is long-distance now—and that’s a good thing.
How Quickly Can a Girl Go Viral on TikTok?
Teens are making it big overnight, but that kind of fame can be a mixed bag.
Why Everything Is Sold Out
The pandemic broke online shopping.