Ross Andersen’s captivating profile of Nikita Zimov and his quest to re-create a Pleistocene ecosystem is worth reading, not least for a fascinating explanation of how grasses went from being slimy ocean plants to covering huge swaths of the planet.
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The Truth Is Out There (About Menopause)
In this conversation, Gillian Anderson and Jennifer Nadel reflect on the maddening and sometimes little-known symptoms of perimenopause and menopause to get more women talking about the flow and ebb of the female reproductive cycle and how it affects them, their work, their partners, and their families.
Going Underground: Inside the World of the Mole-Catchers
Great Britain is home to approximately 31 million moles, and the competing Guild of British Molecatchers and Association of Professional Mole Catchers are out to get them — and each other.
Jeong Kwan, the Philosopher Chef
The most amazing chef you’ve never heard of is Jeong Kwan — a 59-year-old Zen Buddhist nun who cooks in a remote temple south of Seoul, South Korea.
How to Become an International Gold Smuggler
Before getting nabbed by the Policía de Investigaciones — the Chilean equivalent of the FBI — 23-year-old Harold Vilches acquired and resold over 4,000 lbs. of gold worth $80 million in under two years. It all started with a Google search for gold dealers in Peru and YouTube videos on how to make your own gold ingots.
What Does It Mean To Be Human?
How much of your DNA is Neanderthal? In Gibraltar, Gaia Vince analyzes the genetics of ancient humans.
Donald Trump’s Worst Deal
Davidson does some deep reporting on a sketchy deal the Trump Organization oversaw in Azerbaijan. The building of the Trump Tower Baku is linked to notoriously corrupt oligarchs and financiers of terrorism.
Patagonia and The North Face: Saving the World — One Puffer Jacket at a Time
The outerwear industry often touts its commitment to sustainability and ethical consumption — but can it reconcile its values with the demands of running a for-profit business?
Strangers in a Cruel Land
The wretched state of U.S. immigration enforcement, becoming more wretched by the day.
Welcome to Pleistocene Park
In Arctic Siberia, Russian scientists are trying to stave off catastrophic climate change—by resurrecting an Ice Age biome complete with lab-grown woolly mammoths.
The Making of a Mexican-American Dream
Sarah Menkedick profiles Vianney Bernabé, exploring what it means to be second-generation Mexican American today — a person with deep roots in Mexico and feet and future planted firmly in America. Educated, ambitious, and principled, Bernabé is destined for success. Menkedick posits that if America cannot reject this myopic resurgence of nativist (white) populism to embrace the skills and culture of Bernabé’s generation, it does so at its own peril.