Editors' Picks

Closing in on the Higgs

The history of false alarms leading up to the final discovery.

Unraveling the Silicon Valley Consensus

Startups aren’t the magic bullet for economic growth.

Common Property

How social insurance became confused with socialism.

Do Government Incentives Make Us Bad Citizens?

Government incentives may make us less moral, not more.

The Forgotten State

Local government can’t fix our problems. Only big government can.

When (Quantum) Worlds Collide

A close look at one massive experiment at the Large Hadron Collider

Waiting at Guantánamo

After fourteen years, Mohamedou Ould Slahi may finally have a chance at freedom.

Brexit Threatens World Peace and Security

The vote will have consequences far beyond the UK's borders. 

Who’s to Blame in South Sudan?

The country needs a political rebirth.

Government Under Review

Could peer review for public servants make the law more consistent?

Lynching by Any Other Name

Prosecutors are corrupting the intent of lynching laws.

No Money and No Plan for Refugees

The UN’s World Humanitiarian Summit came up empty-handed.

From “War on Crime” to War on the Black Community

The enduring impact of President Johnson’s crime commission.

Reversal of Fortune

Cities are now playgrounds for the rich, with the poor forced into suburbs.

Orlando: What’s God Got to Do with It?

Suddenly conservatives want us to believe they care about homophobia.

Minding Matter

In classical physics, mass is taken for granted; in the quantum world, it’s a puzzle

The Problem of Punishment

Rapists should be held accountable. But is more incarceration the best way?

As American as Trump

European analogies are everywhere, but Trump fits squarely in the homegrown tradition.

In Search of Thomas Jefferson

Hero or villain? It’s complicated.

Trump and the End of Everything

Trump will have done real damage even if he doesn’t win.

What We Owe Each Other

Egalitarianism requires not just redistribution but equal social standing.

I Was Hacked by ISIS

With terrorism scares aplenty, how worried should one be?

The Religious-Liberty Attack on Transgender Rights

Conservative Christians are out to restore their historical legal privileges.

The Brazilian Coup’s Image Problem

New leaks prove the impeachment is intended to protect corrupt politicians.

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