Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
The Perception Gap That Explains American Politics
Americans overwhelmingly—but, it turns out, mistakenly—believe that Democrats care more about advancing progressive social issues than widely shared economic ones.
How the Ivy League Broke America
The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.
How Gen Z Came to See Books as a Waste of Time
Young people might be responding to a cultural message: Reading just isn’t that important.
The Most Controversial Game on the Internet
Wyna Liu, the editor of the New York Times game Connections, discusses her process and the particular ire her puzzles inspire.
Why Are You Still Cooking With That?
Black plastic spatulas, nonstick pans, and other Thanksgiving cooking worries
Expiration Dates Are Meaningless
Do I dare to eat an old peach yogurt? Yes, yes I do.
The Atlantic Gift Guide
The Atlantic has chosen 65 gifts for bringing more merriment, adventure, and wonder to the ones you love.
Imagine a Drug That Feels Like Tylenol and Works Like OxyContin
New research points to a future in which pleasure and pain relief can be independently controlled.
25 Feel-Good Films You’ll Want to Watch Again—And Again
Anxious? Here are some of the best and most rewatch-friendly movies to soothe your mind.
A Ridiculous, Perfect Way to Make Friends
Group fitness classes aren’t just about exercise.
Always a Girlboss, Never a Tradwife
A new Netflix documentary explores the cost of Martha Stewart’s chase for domestic perfection.
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 Musical Blockbuster That Didn’t Play By the Rules
Wicked makes the case that audiences aren’t so tired of the genre after all.
The Business-School Scandal That Just Keeps Getting Bigger
The rot runs deeper than almost anyone has guessed.
The Perfect Man Who Wasn’t
For years he used fake identities to charm women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then his victims banded together to take him down.
The Trends Atlantic Writers Love and Hate
Six answers to the question: “What’s a trend you wish would come back, and one you wish would go away?”
The Road Dogs of the American West
Survivalists, drifters, and divorcées across a resurgent wilderness