Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
It’s not just a phase.
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 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.
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.
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.
Why Are You Still Cooking With That?
Black plastic spatulas, nonstick pans, and other Thanksgiving cooking worries
The Atlantic Gift Guide
The Atlantic has chosen 65 gifts for bringing more merriment, adventure, and wonder to the ones you love.
Expiration Dates Are Meaningless
Do I dare to eat an old peach yogurt? Yes, yes I do.
A Ridiculous, Perfect Way to Make Friends
Group fitness classes aren’t just about exercise.
The 15 Best TV Shows of 2022
The year’s most essential series
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 Democrats’ Billionaire Mistake
In a populist moment, the Democratic Party had the extremely rich and the very famous, some great music, and Mark Ruffalo. And they got shellacked.
Moderation Is Not the Same Thing as Surrender
Democrats do not, in fact, face a choice between championing trans rights and completely abandoning them.
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.
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.
Is Ambivalence Killing Parenthood?
And can deciding to have kids even be a rational exercise in the first place?
The Road Dogs of the American West
Survivalists, drifters, and divorcées across a resurgent wilderness