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Dylan Matthews

Dylan Matthews

Former Senior Correspondent and Lead Writer

    Latest articles by Dylan Matthews

    Future Perfect
    Did shark attacks eat into Woodrow Wilson’s votes in 1916?Did shark attacks eat into Woodrow Wilson’s votes in 1916?
    Future Perfect

    What shark attacks in 1916 could tell us about the midterms in 2022.

    By Dylan Matthews
    Future Perfect
    The great millennial migration that wasn’tThe great millennial migration that wasn’t
    Future Perfect

    80 percent of young adults still live within 100 miles of where they spent their teenage years.

    By Dylan Matthews
    Future Perfect
    How the Fed ended the last great American inflation — and how much it hurtHow the Fed ended the last great American inflation — and how much it hurt
    Future Perfect

    Forty years ago, the Fed pushed the economy into a recession to stop inflation. Here’s how it played out.

    By Dylan Matthews
    Future Perfect
    When cash giving doesn’t workWhen cash giving doesn’t work
    Future Perfect

    New studies raise questions about the full effect of direct cash payments. But the real need is research on how to make such programs more politically feasible.

    By Dylan Matthews
    Technology
    Does this AI know it’s alive?Does this AI know it’s alive?
    Technology

    A Google engineer became convinced a large language model had become sentient and touched off a debate about how we should think about artificial intelligence.

    By Dylan Matthews
    One Good Thing
    One Good Thing: 107 minutes of Wall Street traders behaving badlyOne Good Thing: 107 minutes of Wall Street traders behaving badly
    One Good Thing

    Help, I can’t stop rewatching this 11-year-old corporate thriller nobody saw in theaters.

    By Dylan Matthews
    Future Perfect
    About 200 years ago, the world started getting rich. Why?About 200 years ago, the world started getting rich. Why?
    Future Perfect

    Two economic historians explain what made the Industrial Revolution, and modern life, possible.

    By Dylan Matthews
    Explainers
    How gun ownership became a powerful political identityHow gun ownership became a powerful political identity
    Explainers

    Or, how the NRA won.

    By Dylan Matthews
    Politics
    Carrick Flynn may be 2022’s unlikeliest candidate. Here’s why he’s running.Carrick Flynn may be 2022’s unlikeliest candidate. Here’s why he’s running.
    Politics

    Meet the person who wants to bring effective altruism to Congress.

    By Miranda Dixon-Luinenburg and Dylan Matthews
    Politics
    Over 60 million Americans have taxes so simple the IRS could do them automaticallyOver 60 million Americans have taxes so simple the IRS could do them automatically
    Politics

    “Automatic returns” could vastly simplify tax season for millions of people.

    By Dylan Matthews