‘They’re everywhere’
Why are there so many toxic chemicals in food? Rashmi Joglekar on where they come from and what they’re doing to people and the planet.
Mind the gap
Why are global greenhouse-gas emissions still rising? Rachel Cleetus on how the use of fossil fuels keeps growing—and outpacing renewable energy.
Staying alive
Why are fewer Americans dying of drug overdoses? Magdalena Cerdá on what we know and don’t know about the the U.S. opioid crisis’s fourth wave.
Category 5
How are changes in hurricanes changing American life? Andy Horowitz on the stakes and urgency of adapting public policy to environmental reality.
Trusting the science
Why have so many Americans turned against the idea of expertise in public affairs? David A. Hopkins on how the government has become increasingly reliant on experts, and experts have become increasingly influenced by politics.
Quantity of life
Why are birth rates around the world dropping? Jennifer Sciubba on a transformative global shift in culture and values.
Life on a warming planet
What’s really causing all this year’s extreme weather? Rachel Cleetus on rising temperatures, billions in damages, and the climate’s uncertain future.
Destination
Why is NASA returning to the moon? Joe Pappalardo on the Artemis program, the future of U.S. spaceflight, and the beginnings of a new space race.
Unclassified
What accounts for the U.S. government’s revived interest in UFOs? Seth Shostak on strange events, human psychology, and alien life.
‘The golden age of spaceflight’
What’s driving all the new activity in the commercial-spaceflight industry? Joe Pappalardo on Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and how a capital-intensive business has started to shape the future.
