The Highlight
A digital magazine unpacking the big ideas changing our present and shaping our future.
Books for midnight baby feedings, contemporary nonfiction masters, and novels as good as the classics.
Nothing will cure you of perfectionism faster than trying to grow living things.
Astrology’s enormous appeal, explained for believers and skeptics.
I want to believe I can make a positive impact from the inside, but maybe I’m deluding myself.
The world feels more menacing, even if it isn’t.
The surprising truth about milk is hiding in plain sight.
From Dunkin’ deodorant to Sabrina Carpenter perfume, smelling good isn’t enough — it’s all about smelling edible.
The “cradle” vs. “convert” fight comes to Washington.
California researchers grapple with losing a landscape they love in real time.
Democrats’ search for a savior is doomed. But that might be for the best.
Tiny, lovely books for luxurious reading, and other recommendations.
It’s the 21st century — instant bank transfers should be the norm everywhere.
Science depends on animal testing. But the work comes at a steep, hidden cost.
Boredom can be a powerful force — if you know how to interpret it.
America is still the most influential country in the world, for better or worse.
Why hasn’t anyone told America’s youngest adults about drinking etiquette?
Experts were wrong about overpopulation before. Could they be wrong about underpopulation now?
A baby bust threatens the future of an already struggling reef.
Use this article … 95 years after I’m dead.
The Bruen decision upended America’s gun laws. Years later, cops and courts are still trying to sort out the mess.
Frictionless relationships are just a fantasy.
Plus trippy detective novels for when you just miss Twin Peaks.
The demographer is worried that we aren’t having as many babies as we used to — and says he knows how that could change.
I tried to make the perfect moral choice every time. It eroded my humanity.
Without enough houses for its growing homeless population, the city is using machine learning to make its process fairer.
Is the group too diverse to think of with just one word?
One wildflower at a time.
Pricey, legal weed is great news — for the black market.
DMT, “the nuclear bomb of the psychedelic family,” explained.
That Tylenol’s shelf life is longer than you think.
It’s not cocaine, but it can be just about anything else — except a good idea.
Una industria inesperada está en auge en Colombia. Esto es lo que la hace tan positiva.
Land of the free, home of the blazed.
Books to get you through the next four years.