The Eeriness of the 2020 Disco Revival
As pop stars time-warped back to the ’70s and most nightclubs remained closed, dance music’s tensions felt oddly relevant.
Features
An Enormous Bird Has a Real-Estate Problem
The helmeted hornbill can’t procreate without a particular type of tree hole, so scientists are trying to build it artificial ones.
The Most American Religion
Perpetual outsiders, Mormons spent 200 years assimilating to a certain national ideal—only to find their country in an identity crisis. What will the third century of the faith look like?
Facebook Is a Doomsday Machine
The architecture of the modern web poses grave threats to humanity. It’s not too late to save ourselves.
The Year We Lost
When we look back on 2020, will we see past all the things that didn’t happen?
The World’s Most Important Body of Water
More than most, four men shaped the oft-cited “strategic tensions” over the South China Sea.
How Science Beat the Virus
And what it lost in the process
How Biden Should Investigate Trump
The misdeeds and destructive acts are legion. The new president should focus on these three.
What the Chaos in Hospitals Is Doing to Doctors
Politicians’ refusal to admit when hospitals are overwhelmed puts a terrible burden on health-care providers.
When Your Hometown Team Gets a New Identity
Black fans of the Washington Football Team are adapting to a new future for their beloved franchise—and reckoning with its past disregard of Native Americans.