Is the hype (and doomsaying) around generative A.I. programs like ChatGPT obscuring what the technology actually does—and its genuine limitations and dangers?

We’re entering a period of worldwide political disorder, says historian Gary Gerstle. What comes next is anyone’s guess.

Once primarily foot soldiers in the culture wars, social conservatives are increasingly setting the political agenda on the right. Are their goals compatible with democracy?

Why is it so difficult to rein in car culture?

The bestselling author argues that cross-racial solidarity can result in a better America for all.

How group dynamics and “mega-identities” are making partisanship worse

As extreme weather events drive more people from their homes, the idea of moving to “safe” places—even before disaster strikes—has assumed particular urgency.

How can liberals persuade more effectively?

Historians and scholars can’t agree on a definition of fascism, much less whether today’s violent, authoritarian-curious GOP is an example of it.

Recent “sensitivity” edits to the author’s beloved yet unabashedly disagreeable novels are all about maintaining a lucrative intellectual property. But what difference can a few changed words really make?

How Stanford University turned optimization into the global capitalist credo

George Santos’s election raises questions about what, if anything, is considered disqualifying for political office today.

How a public health issue erupted into political performance art

Electric bicycles are catching on—and their lithium-ion batteries are catching fire. Why is so little being done about it?

It’s hard to imagine life without social networking apps. But maybe Elon Musk is helping us figure out how.

The Massachusetts senator explains how government can deliver—and why it must.

Two chief economists at the Labor Department explain what’s different about today’s economic recovery and what’s changed since the Great Recession.

An economist’s apology for his generation

Critics of former San Francisco district attorney Chesa Boudin claimed that unseating him would make the city safer. Did it work?

Michael Tomasky and Felicia Wong discuss the policies that underlie the politics of the midterms.