Eight must-read stories that investigate science, belief, and the human impulse to tell stories.
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Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Story
The Makeover Scene Gets a Makeover
Everyone laughs at how ridiculous makeover scenes are, but these swift internal metamorphoses aren’t much better.
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
Our Contemporary Notion of Self-Esteem Was Born — Surprise! — in 1980s California
Apparently, feeling great about yourself does not improve your chances at success.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Great Self-Esteem Con
By now, the idea that positive self-esteem is necessary for success is more or less taken for granted. But what if it’s all based on very shaky, smartly packaged science?
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Lizzie Presser, Linda Villarosa, Maurice Chammah, Mike Giglio, and Will Storr.
Posted inNonfiction, Profiles & Interviews
Dancing Naked in Public
A conversation on art with critic Jerry Saltz.
Posted inNonfiction, Profiles & Interviews, Story
Dancing Naked in Public
A conversation on art with critic Jerry Saltz.
Posted inNonfiction, Reading List
Longreads Best of 2014: Science Stories
We asked a few writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in specific categories. Here, the best in science writing.
Posted inNonfiction, Quotes
How Russia Began Using Poison in Assassinations
“The idea of poisoning — radioactive or otherwise — is not new to Russian intelligence. According to former Russian intelligence officer Boris Volodarsky, now a historian and one-time associate of Litvinenko, the Russians have a history of substance assassination going back nearly a century. It was Lenin who ordered the establishment of their first laboratory, known simply as the […]
