The Toilet Theory of the Internet
Google is serving an audience that wants quick and easy results. That may lead to disaster.
An Insurrectionist on the Supreme Court?
Justice Alito blamed his wife for the upside-down flag that flew outside his home just days...
The Sad Desk Salad Is Getting Sadder
There isn’t always time for a lunch break. But there’s always arugula.
‘An Entire Life Handed Over to Art’
Alice Munro’s death was an occasion to praise her life as a writer as much as...
The UN’s Gaza Statistics Make No Sense
The actual death toll matters—first, because of the dignity of those killed or still living.
Giant Heaps of Plastic Are Helping Vegetables Grow
Plastic allows farmers to use less water and fertilizer. But at the end of each season,...
The ‘America First’ Chaos Caucus Is Forcing a Moment of Truth
Does the Republican Party still believe in American leadership abroad?
Your Childhood Home Might Never Stop Haunting You
Many of us feel pulled toward the places where we grew up. But it can be...
The One Place in Airports People Actually Want to Be
Inside the competition to lure affluent travelers with luxurious lounges
Photos of the Week: Dock Diving, Buddha Cleaning, Vapor Falls
Surgery at a teddy-bear hospital in Germany, a performance at the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden,...
The Funding Crisis Behind Teacher Layoffs
A looming deadline is already causing cuts in school budgets.
The Study-Abroad Accent Might Be the Real Deal
Our speech patterns can change with remarkable speed—if we want them to.
No, No, No
Back to Black re-creates the tragedy of what happened to Amy Winehouse without trying to understand...
Winners of the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2024
A collection of winning and honored images from this year’s nature photo competition
The Cruel Social Experiment of Reality TV
The new Hulu film about an atrocious moment in ’90s television is shocking, but revelatory.
New Male Contraceptives Could Be Infuriatingly Pain-Free and Easy
Why don’t women have options like that?
In the Game of Spy vs. Spy, Israel Keeps Getting the Better of Iran
Repressing dissent, putting innocent people in prison, flubbing operations abroad—Iran just can’t seem to get out...
How to Be Your Best Despite the Passing Years
There is no age or time of life that isn’t still an opportunity for personal progress.
The Israeli Defense Establishment Revolts Against Netanyahu
To appease his far-right flank, the prime minister has refused to commit to Palestinian governance of...
Photos From the 2024 Westminster Dog Show
Images of the dogs and their handlers taking part in the annual competition
Google and OpenAI Are Battling for AI Supremacy
This week, the tech giants announced different visions for the future of generative AI.
The Eight Dynamics That Will Shape the Election
And that will decide the outcome in November
China Has Gotten the Trade War It Deserves
The Biden administration’s steep new tariffs are a rational response to Xi Jinping’s aggressive economic policies.
The New Workplace Power Symbols
Corner offices used to be the emblem of corporate success. But modern workplaces have new ways...
The 'Baby Reindeer' Mess Was Inevitable
The hit Netflix show appeals to many of our worst instincts as viewers.
A Gaza Protester Who’s Willing to Suffer
An interview with David Chmielewski, a Princeton student who went on a hunger strike to demand...
The Horseshoe Theory of Google Search
New generative-AI features are bringing the company back to basics.
The Battleground States That Will Shape the Election
New polling shows Biden falling behind Trump in key swing states. What issues matter most to...
Jerry Seinfeld’s Speech Was the Real News
Why did the media focus less on his words and more on the 30 protesters who...
Biden’s Weakness With Young Voters Isn’t About Gaza
Very few Americans—even young ones—rank the Israel-Hamas war as one of their top voting priorities.
Announcing New Atlantic Podcast, Good on Paper With Jerusalem Demsas, Launching June 4
The weekly interview podcast will engage with the important policy questions of the day and question...
The Vatican’s Gamble With Beijing Is Costing China’s Catholics
In trying to hold the Church together, Pope Francis has compromised on religious freedom.
The Wild Blood Dynasty
What a little-known family reveals about the nation’s untamed spirit
25 Books to Get Lost in This Summer
The Atlantic’s writers and editors have chosen fiction and nonfiction to match all sorts of moods.
Introducing: 'Good on Paper'
A new show hosted by Jerusalem Demsas questions what we really know about the narratives driving...
The Real ID Deadline Will Never Arrive
The enhanced-license requirement survives despite—or maybe because of—its lack of urgency.
The Cicadas Are Here
A historic double brood is upon us. They’ve waited years for this moment.
The New York Trump Case Is Kind of Perfect
I thought this trial was a sideshow; I now think I was wrong.
Attack a Democrat Charged With Corruption? Republicans Wouldn’t Dare.
Why is the GOP passing up such an easy election-year attack?
Conan O’Brien Keeps It Old-School
His true gift lies in his combination of an entertainer’s desperate desire to be liked and...
Should the Hawthorn Be Saved?
These trees once proliferated wildly across eastern North America, but now they’re dying out.
The Fad Diet to End All Fad Diets
There isn’t much evidence that intermittent fasting leads to lasting weight loss. Why is it still...
A Family Story About Colonialism and Its Aftereffects
Claire Messud tells a complicated and ambivalent tale about her French family’s history in Algeria.
Why Do So Many Parents Think Kids Need Their Own Bedroom?
Some go to great lengths to give kids their own room. But children can thrive without...
How to Know If Your Friends Are Real
There are more ways to connect with people than ever before. But are these connections real?...
A Gross and Fabulous Mother’s Day, Courtesy of ‘SNL’
Maya Rudolph’s return to the show proved why she’s so beloved.
