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The Highlight

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Social media platforms aren’t equipped to handle the negative effects of their algorithms abroad. Neither is the law.

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The real science behind the billionaire pursuit of immortality

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If you want to belong, find a third place

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America’s prison system is turning into a de facto nursing home

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The one huge obstacle standing in the way of progress on gene-editing medicine

We can make birth safer for Black mothers. Here’s how.

Why it’s so hard to feel “enough” — and what to do about it

America is full of abandoned malls. What if we turned them into housing?

Mega drive-throughs explain everything wrong with American cities

Why are so many young people getting cancer?

Can we protect and profit from the oceans?

Sometimes kids need a push. Here’s how to do it kindly. 

Who gets to flourish?

Want financial security in America? Better get married.

A utopian strand of economic thought is making a surprising comeback

Alcohol overuse causes 178,000 American deaths annually. Why is it so undertreated?

A war has never been fought in orbit. That may be about to change.

How to make your anger work for you

We have treatments for opioid addiction that work. So why is the problem getting worse?

The complicated lives and deaths of TikTok’s illness influencers

Who is etiquette for?

Ultraviolet light can kill almost all the viruses in a room. Why isn’t it everywhere?

How Black churches could lead the way on teen mental health

Relationships aren’t always going to be totally balanced. That isn’t a bad thing.

The weird, bad history of tampon testing

Our love of orcas is making them miserable

Mud libraries hold the story of the Earth’s climate past — and foretell its future

How to talk to a loved one about their health

Why do we keep tabs on people we can’t stand?

Why stop at the four-day workweek?

Baby boomers are aging. Their kids aren’t ready.

A surprisingly radical proposal: Make people happier — not just wealthier and healthier

The surprising scientific weirdness of glass

The art of quitting

Inside the very strange, very expensive race to “de-age”

The terrible paradox of air pollution and climate change

Take the visitor’s approach to exploring your own city

What happened to the family doctor?

The conservative push for “school choice” has had its most successful year ever

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What if AI treats humans the way we treat animals?

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What the stories we tell about robots tell us about ourselves

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Can AI learn to love — and can we learn to love it? 

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Silicon Valley’s vision for AI? It’s religion, repackaged.

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What will love and death mean in the age of machine intelligence?

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Some brand names have long perpetuated racism. Black Lives Matter is changing that.

The Cleveland Indians are reportedly the latest group preparing to abandon a stereotypical name, following the Washington Redskins and Aunt Jemima this summer.

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