UFOs are real but might not be aliens — and that's somehow more terrifying
UFOs are real. This is true in the most general sense: There are flying objects that we simply cannot identify. But increasingly, it seems as though everyone — including the federal government — is entertaining the possibility that these…
By AJ Dellinger

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Bill Gates is yet another reminder that wealth is not a virtue
By AJ Dellinger
He was supposed to be the One Good Billionaire. Sure, Bill Gates had amassed an unfathomable fortune — but he was giving it all away! He was heralded as an icon of philanthropy, a model for all of the world's richest people to follow to make sure…
Neopronouns are the next step in the gender revolution
By Tracey Anne Duncan
“Hi, my name is Tangerine, I live on Abenaki land, and I use gho/ghost pronouns,” someone said recently at queer online meet-up. Wait, what? Look, people using colors as names and acknowledging the native people of the land they live is totally…
The real reasons employees aren't rushing back to work
By Noah Berlatsky
Many conservatives have long believed that poor people — and especially Black poor people — are lazy deadbeats who will refuse to work unless forced to do so by an uncompromising government. In his 1976 presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan railed…
Inside the Olympics' nasty track record of ignoring human rights abuses
By Kara Weisenstein
We're just 10 weeks out from the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games, and the Olympics discourse has been zeroed in on whether or not Japan should still hold them, as the country faces another COVID-19 surge. But human rights groups are focused on the…
NYC Pride is banning cops. Can this be the new norm?
By Melissa Pandika
In a return to its origins as a protest of police brutality against LGBTQ people, NYC Pride will no longer permit police to participate in its parade until 2025, the New York Times reported. This way, the LGBTQ community — especially its trans and…
Matt Gaetz's alleged sex party pal is officially cooperating with the feds
By Rafi Schwartz
They say you can't run from your problems, but if you're Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz, you sure can try! On Monday, the same day Gaetz's longtime party buddy and self-described "wingman" Joel Greenberg pleaded guilty in an Orlando…
Farewell, "Charlie bit my finger": The NFT gold rush is destroying digital history
By Kara Weisenstein
People who don't "get" the current NFT craze usually have the same question: why would someone shell out six figures to own something that's free for anyone to view online? The family behind one of the most popular YouTube videos ever uploaded…
UFOs are real but might not be aliens — and that's somehow more terrifying
By AJ Dellinger
UFOs are real. This is true in the most general sense: There are flying objects that we simply cannot identify. But increasingly, it seems as though everyone — including the federal government — is entertaining the possibility that these…
The profound struggle of "following your passion" as a child of immigrants
By Melissa Pandika
Like many children of immigrants, I reached a crossroads in my 20s: I had to fulfill my parents’ career expectations or my own. My dad had coaxed me into majoring in molecular and cell biology in college, which I was okay at, but didn’t love. When…
Bill Gates is yet another reminder that wealth is not a virtue
By AJ Dellinger
He was supposed to be the One Good Billionaire. Sure, Bill Gates had amassed an unfathomable fortune — but he was giving it all away! He was heralded as an icon of philanthropy, a model for all of the world's richest people to follow to make sure…
Facial recognition is sinister. Why does it exist?
By Vanessa Taylor
Technology is amazing and the more we have of it, the better — or at least, that's often the narrative we're told. But what if some technology doesn't make the world better for everyone? What if it opens up some communities to increased policing and…
Why do we hate the sound of our own voices?
By Neel Bhatt
As a surgeon who specializes in treating patients with voice problems, I routinely record my patients speaking. For me, these recordings are incredibly valuable. They allow me to track slight changes in their voices from visit to visit, and it helps…
The Supreme Court is poised to begin rolling back 'Roe v. Wade' abortion rights
By Rafi Schwartz
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a potentially critical case on abortion rights, raising alarms that the lopsidedly conservative bench may be on the cusp of eroding the reproductive rights granted by the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The…
Dark and Stormy: The whitewashed history of your favorite cocktails
By Joseph Lamour
The history of spirits, liqueurs, and mixed drinks is blurred around the edges, as if it stumbled home barefoot after a wild night out. And although we assume that historical records about how our favorite cocktails came to be are mostly accurate…
Does microdosing weed and psychedelics really help with anxiety?
By Melissa Pandika
While tech bros turn to microdosing as a “productivity hack,” I use it to help me slow down. When I want to feel a little high — as in, not a totally stoned, sedentary blob — I microdose cannabis. I cut one of my go-to gummies in half, enough to…
Here's how much sleep you need, depending on your age
By Dana McMakin
Just like eating, drinking or breathing, sleep is an essential part of life. In fact, all animals do it — with some interesting variations. A dolphin, for example, sleeps with one eye open and only half of its brain snoozing at a time. This is…
Watch this resurfaced clip of Marjorie Taylor Greene yelling at AOC through a mail slot
By Rafi Schwartz
It's been quite a week for freshman Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, arguably the single most notorious Republican member of the House, thanks to her unwavering commitment to being absolutely bonkers, all of the time. Just hours after…
Turns out Americans are very down to be bribed to get their vaccines
By Rafi Schwartz
This week, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a bold new plan to encourage his constituents to get their COVID-19 vaccination shots: Once a week, for five weeks, state officials would draw the name of a vaccinated individual. That person would then…
Jaden Smith is opening a restaurant that'll serve free food to homeless people
By Kara Weisenstein
Almost two years ago, on his 21st birthday, Jaden Smith launched a charitable food truck initiative to serve people in need "healthy, vegan food for free." When the pandemic curtailed the I Love You food truck's ability to serve meals safely, he…
Buckle up: The investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection is just getting started
By Rafi Schwartz
To date, federal officials have charged more than 400 people for various offenses stemming from the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, instigated by former President Donald Trump and carried out by a mob of his most fervent anti-government militants and…
Whatever happened to the vaping crisis?
By Melissa Pandika
It can be hard to recall the news cycle Before Corona, but as summer gave way to fall in 2019, another public health problem dominated the headlines: the vaping crisis. At the time, the country was seeing a steep rise in hospitalizations for…
Tom Cruise is in a space race with Russia, because nothing surprises us anymore
By Kara Weisenstein
Almost exactly a year ago, Tom Cruise unveiled his ambitions to star in the first movie made in space. In May 2020, NASA confirmed they were partnering with SpaceX to send the superstar actor along with director Doug Liman to the International Space…
The CDC just announced the mask era is coming to an end (sort of)
By Rafi Schwartz
As vaccination rates continue to climb around the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidance, bringing the prospect of a return to a fully mask-less existence one step closer to reality. "If you are fully…