College Football Is Cannibalizing Itself
In pursuit of money, universities and conferences are uprooting traditional rivalries and regional loyalties.
The World Is Turning Back to Coal
Two big ways carbon pollution is different this year
We’ve Never Seen Mars Quite Like This
The planet is looking extra sharp in photo dispatches from NASA’s newest rover.
The Cult Classic That Captures the Grind of Dead-End Jobs
Pop culture tends to romanticize bookstores as workplaces. Imogen Binnie’s Nevada does the opposite.
A Simple Fix for a Better Marriage Proposal
One partner—any partner—proposes. Later, the other one does too.
The Game Is (Probably) Up for Boris Johnson
His most senior ministers are getting off the carousel of chaos because they just don’t see...
Maybe Ridding the World of Superheroes Isn’t Such a Bad Idea
Though Thor’s muscles are resplendent in Marvel’s latest film, his heart isn’t in it.
The Future of Mud
A Senegalese architecture firm is championing a lower-tech material than concrete to help cities prepare for...
Uber Pool Is a Zombie
Shared rides are back for the first time since March 2020. Did anyone notice?
Should Americans Have a Right to Absolute Privacy?
Nine readers on the constitutional amendment they would—or would not—write.
Eight Books in Which Ignorance Is the Point
People are always searching for answers, but not knowing can be its own reward.
Letter: The NIH Has Responded Forcefully to COVID-19
The nation’s leading health-research agency, its acting director writes, has moved with unprecedented speed against a...
The Older Woman Comes of Age
In a new comedy, Emma Thompson plays a woman who finally sees her body, the actor...
A Crisis Historian Has Some Bad News for Us
Adam Tooze, a historian of economic disaster, sees a combination of worrisome signs.
The Origin of Vibes
The same commentators who use vibes today might have reached for charisma. But while charisma was...
Hell Yeah, Tom Cruise
The seductions of Top Gun, a movie about a bunch of killing machines vrooming around
Actually Good News About Voting for a Change
Colorado’s simple plan to increase voter registration is already working.
How to Forgive Ourselves for What We Can’t Change
The things we can’t change often come back to haunt us. But our capacity to change...
What’s Better in Britain
Yes, the roads are confusing, the food portions unambitious, the peanut butter not so good, but...
America’s Necessary Myth for the World
The great paradox in the world today is that the “dumb simplicity” of America’s self-perception is...
Truly Humbled to Be the Author of This Article
How to flaunt your modesty online, in three easy steps
North Carolina Is a Warning
With its even partisan split, its history of racist policies, and its stark urban-rural divide, the...
If It Can Happen in San Francisco, It Can Happen Anywhere
The deep-blue city seems to have grown weary of the more radical elements of the new...
The January 6 Committee Is Going to Have the Final Word
By establishing an official record of the insurrection, the members are creating clarity in a political...
What Lies Behind That ‘No Trespass’ Sign
Once upon a time in America, people were free to roam. Then came the Civil War,...
The Accidental Trumpification of NATO
In a narrow but important sense, the world has become more amenable to the former president....
Rock Never Dies—But It Does Get Older and Wiser
Rock is for the young, but rockers can age gracefully.
A Portrait of the Artist Who Never Makes Art
In her latest novel, Nell Zink offers up a classic künstlerroman—the story of an artist’s becoming—but...
What Comes After Roe?
Two Atlantic writers on the future of abortion access in America
Don’t Worry, It’s Not COVID
Some tips for how to be a good sick person in the COVID era, whatever is...
Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ Belongs to Everyone
What is it about the once virtually unknown song that inspires so many musicians to make...
Literature for a Post-Roe World
Fiction and poetry can help us grapple with our fears for the future—and remind us what...
You’re Not Allowed to Have the Best Sunscreens in the World
Newer, better UV-blocking agents have been in use in other countries for years. Why can’t we...
The Coming Rise of Abortion as a Crime
In places where abortion is now illegal, a range of pregnancy losses could be subject to...
Ukraine Has Exposed Russia as a Not-So-Great Power
Kyiv’s success against Moscow forces us to reexamine our assumptions about what it means to be...
Photos of the Week: Lightning Rod, Crown Fountain, Lunar Transit
Surfing at a water park in Italy, Ivan Kupala day in Russia, a robotic rover on...
The Summer of Our Discontent
Washington summers are always miserable, but this one will be worse.
Is Biden a Man Out of Time?
Democrats have a growing sense of panic about conservative advances but are not seeing a president...
Marcel the Shell Is the Hero the World Needs
The fragile little adventurer can teach us something powerful about navigating obstacles with grace.
The Supreme Court’s EPA Ruling Is Going to Be Very, Very Expensive
The agency can still regulate carbon pollution, just not in the most efficient, system-wide ways.
What a Story of 1970s Abortion Activism Can Teach Us Today
For the Jane Collective, organizing safe abortions in pre-Roe America didn’t just serve people in need—it...
Don’t Surround Yourself With Admirers
Instead, befriend people who inspire awe in you.
The Domino Effects of New Anti-abortion Laws
Plus: Thomas Chatterton Williams on abolishing the fiction of racial difference, and reader views on humor...