The Present

The media is deliberately pushing your buttons.

We are tearing ourselves apart over gender issues, with the result that the problems of boys and men are left untreated.

The world has improved in mind-blowing ways.

“Ghost gear” leads to hundreds of thousands of animal deaths.

Economic growth is more about quality than quantity.

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize ceremony sends yet another strong message to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Flashy desalination technology is more costly and cumbersome than many other solutions.

It turns out it’s hard to make work at an Amazon warehouse fun.

This is a perversion of justice.

We can never hope for a future with no problems. The solutions to problems create new problems, which in turn require new solutions, as WIRED founder Kevin Kelly explained recently.

Researchers use fluid dynamics to spot artificial imposter voices.

The “attention economy” corrupts science.

Most electric car charging is done at night. A grid powered mostly by renewable energy might not be able to meet demand, but there is a solution.

Three reasons why a radically better future is more likely than we think.

Americans are more willing to put the greater good above their own interests today than in the 1950s.

Democracy is in decline, regardless of how we measure it.

Just a small gesture or a thoughtful comment can often alter a situation, or people’s perceptions of it, in ways that relieve tensions and make them feel appreciated and included.

Turning away is a natural response.

Time will tell what the reign of Charles III will look like, but one thing is for sure: the “new Elizabethan age” is long gone.

Queen Elizabeth II has died. How is this loss different from that of a loved one?

Should you blast the A/C even when you’re not at home?

The Russian mindset is characterized by cynicism and distrust.

The minimum wage is a popular policy, but it’s not the only way governments have tried to help workers secure a decent living.

“Strategic ambiguity” has long been the West’s strategy on Taiwan.

The Arabic word fatwa can mean “explanation” or “clarification.”

The Rubbee X requires almost no setup and is far cheaper than a brand new e-bike.

Cable news has a bigger effect, study finds.

When you wish upon a star, it probably makes a difference who you are.

Anyone up for a crisp, blonde ale?

Here’s how to appreciate them from a distance.