How the Ivy League Broke America
The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
Expiration Dates Are Meaningless
Do I dare to eat an old peach yogurt? Yes, yes I do.
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.
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.
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.
Why Are You Still Cooking With That?
Black plastic spatulas, nonstick pans, and other Thanksgiving cooking worries
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.
The Atlantic Gift Guide
The Atlantic has chosen 65 gifts for bringing more merriment, adventure, and wonder to the ones you love.
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.
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?”
Moderation Is Not the Same Thing as Surrender
Democrats do not, in fact, face a choice between championing trans rights and completely abandoning them.
What Pete Hegseth’s Nomination Is Really About
Revenge on the military is just the start of it.
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.
Photos of the Week: Doo Dah, Horse Play, Cloud Falls
An autonomous delivery robot in Barcelona, a heat wave in Australia, a triceratops auction in France, a lava flow in southwestern Iceland, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and much more
A Horror Movie About an Atheist Who Won’t Shut Up
The hollowness at the center of Heretic
The Business-School Scandal That Just Keeps Getting Bigger
The rot runs deeper than almost anyone has guessed.
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.