Elon Musk’s Determining Role in Washington
How the tech billionaire became Donald Trump’s newest partner
Inside a Chaotic Nebula
Day 21 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar
The Strange Challenge of Small Talk
Unlike some other life skills, it doesn’t seem to get easier the more you practice.
Every Woman on This Show Is Loathsome. That’s By Design.
Dune: Prophecy allows its female leads to play both hero and villain.
The Price of Humiliating Nicolás Maduro
A new kind of repression is gripping Venezuela, and its logic is menacingly opaque.
The Limits of the GOP Trifecta
A conversation with Russell Berman about Congress’s chaotic week
The Potential Backlash to Trump Unbound
A returning president who expects to govern without constraints leaves his opponents hoping to benefit from the blowback.
COVID’s End-of-Year Surprise
The dreaded “winter wave” looks different this year.
ChatGPT Won’t Say His Name
Why do certain words immediately short-circuit the program?
The Art Monster Under the Bed
Ella Baxter’s new novel reminds us that mediocrity is far more common than genius.
A Galactic Chain
Day 20 of the 2024 Space Telescope Advent Calendar
Elon Musk’s X Endgame
The world’s richest man has become a new kind of oligarch.
South Korea’s Crisis Is Nowhere Near Over
Ongoing political chaos will entrench the country’s economic and social problems—and leave Seoul woefully unprepared for Trump.
Even Barry Jenkins Can Only Do So Much
Mufasa: The Lion King, from the Moonlight director, doesn’t transcend its cynical origins as a Disney product.
Photos of the Week: Relic Crown, Floating Village, Ice Harvest
A Christmas fair in Romania, an enormous indoor ice rink in Paris, a surfing Santa Claus in Australia, a sunset camel safari in India, a cyclo-cross race in Belgium, and much more
Bashar al-Assad Exploited Alawites’ Fear
To move forward, Syria needs to guarantee their safety.
The GOP Is Treating Musk Like He’s in Charge
This week, the world’s richest person solidified his influence over American politics.
America’s Bird-Flu Luck Has Officially Run Out
Bird flu has spread so widely that it was always going to make someone seriously sick.
A Nonreligious Holiday Ritual
The winter solstice is a pristine time for the simple act of noticing.
Why Reading Books in High School Matters
You’ll understand when you’re older.