The Present

Hearing-related problems are on the rise.

The city council voted in favor of the ban by a margin of 8 to 1.

A recent incident in Rhode Island highlights the ongoing problem of student debt.

What can and can’t you say? A brief glimpse of precedent-setting free speech cases in the United States.

TV’s shared cultural “now” moments embody the intersection of time and tech.

Is Juche an ideology, a scam, or a very strange religion?

Couples who use marijuana experience greater intimacy.

Radio-frequency signals can be used to track peoples’ movements in their own homes.

There’s a reason people are “triggered” during voting time.

Just how much is social media use affecting children?

Psychologists looked at how liberals and conservatives react after learning about “white privilege”.

The relentless sun makes life in the Sahara almost unbearable. But could it also be its greatest resource?

What happens to a person’s identity when they are forced to play a hypermasculine role just to survive?

“Prohibitionist strategy is unsustainable,” reads the policy plan.

In 1654, Blaise Pascal wrote: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” That’s more true today than ever.

This story was originally published in Aeon and has been republished under Creative Commons.

It’s illegal to discriminate against people based on their gender, race, or religion. What about veganism?

On Friday, Uber will start publicly trading on the New York Stock Exchange, and drivers want to see some of that money.

Buying cards and flowers on Mother’s Day would make Anna Jarvis roll around in her grave.

Is it the key to understanding why North Korea acts like it does, or an elaborate sham?

Over two billion people regularly eat insects. Why are Americans so squeamish?

Anxiety does not help other medical conditions, adding trouble on top of trouble.

Study finds that readers are still the best judge of fake news and misinformation.

Dividing students according to their abilities has little effect on learning and further entrenches socio-economic inequality. Is it time to stop?

Modern capitalism is a “very silly” way of organizing life, says Yanis Varoufakis.

A new experiment aims to remove the psychological pressures of using Instagram.

Alternative meats are finally hitting the mainstream.

If A.I.s are as smart as mice or dogs, do they deserve the same rights?

After a landslide victory, a popular comedian with no political experience becomes Ukraine’s next president. Are comedians really the best leaders?

An investigation finds the cause of failed NASA launches and $700 million in losses.