Is Ambivalence Killing Parenthood?
And can deciding to have kids even be a rational exercise in the first place?
The Nature You See in Documentaries Is Beautiful and False
Nature documentaries mislead viewers into thinking that there are lots of untouched landscapes left. There aren’t.
Three Ways to Become a Deeper Thinker
You don’t have to become a Buddhist monk to realize the value of contemplating hard questions without clear answers.
The Confidence Gap
Evidence shows that women are less self-assured than men—and that to succeed, confidence matters as much as competence. Here's why, and what to do about it.
Revenge of the COVID Contrarians
They’re angry at the public-health establishment. Now they’re in control of it.
Why We Need Civics
We’re failing to teach what it means to be American.
A Sea Story
One of the worst maritime disasters in European history took place two decades ago. It remains very much in the public eye. On a stormy night on the Baltic Sea, more than 850 people lost their lives when a luxurious ferry sank below the waves. From a mass of material, including official and unofficial reports and survivor testimony, our correspondent has distilled an account of the Estonia’s last moments—part of his continuing coverage for the magazine of anarchy on the high seas.
The Road Dogs of the American West
Survivalists, drifters, and divorcées across a resurgent wilderness
The Soviet War in Afghanistan, 1979 - 1989
Trump’s Most Misunderstood Policy Proposal
Economists aren’t telling the whole truth about tariffs.
Seventy Miles in Hell
The Darién Gap was once considered impassable. Now hundreds of thousands of migrants are risking treacherous terrain, violence, hunger, and disease to travel through the jungle to the United States.
The Atlantic Gift Guide
The Atlantic has chosen 65 gifts for bringing more merriment, adventure, and wonder to the ones you love.
How One Woman Became the Scapegoat for America’s Reading Crisis
Lucy Calkins was an education superstar. Now she’s cast as the reason a generation of students struggles to read. Can she reclaim her good name?
Taylor Swift Is a Perfect Example of How Publishing Is Changing
Swift is a symptom, not a cause, of the weakening bonds between celebrities and publishing houses.
The Cases Against Trump: A Guide
Thirty-four felony convictions. Charges of fraud, election subversion, and obstruction. One place to keep track of the president-elect’s legal troubles.
There’s Something Odd About the Dogs Living at Chernobyl
Pets left behind when people fled the disaster in 1986 seem to have seeded a unique population.
The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books
To read a book in college, it helps to have read a book in high school.
The Secret to Thinking Your Way Out of Anxiety
To live with uncertainty, see it as opportunity instead.
How America Got Mean
In a culture devoid of moral education, generations are growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.