On the Frontline With Karachi’s Ambulance Drivers
Muhammad Safdar is an ambulance driver in Karachi, Pakistan, where religious violence, workplace disasters, and multiple explosions indicate just another day on the job. The Edhi Foundation’s ambulance service refuses state funding and donations from businesses they deem unethical. The service is funded largely by donations from “the common man.” Standard work shifts run between 18 and 36 hours and drivers earn about $1.30 US per day.
How Rich Hippies and Developers Went to War over Instagram’s Favorite Beach
Tulum was once a sleepy Mexican town where Mayan ruins overlooked white-sand beaches. But in the last decade, developers, hippies, and the social media set took advantaged of affordable real estate to transform Tulum into a destination for lifestyle tourists. But last summer, the price for that affordable real estate became clear as the government began to evict longtime residents and business owners..
Operation London Bridge: The Secret Plan for the Days After the Queen’s Death
There’s plenty the British don’t speak of. But the death of the 90-year-old Queen might be one of the least spoken about—and best planned for—inevitabilities faced by an entire nation. Sam Knight delivers a minute-by-minute account of what could happen when Elizabeth II, who has outlasted twelve U.S. presidents, dies within the walls of Buckingham Palace. Code word: “London Bridge is down.”
George Saunders: What Writers Really Do When They Write
George Saunders reflects on his writing process, suggesting that the magical, romantic notion where fully formed art leaps from the author’s brain on to the page does the writer, the reader, and the work a disservice. In reality, it takes “hundreds of drafts” and “thousands of incremental adjustments” to form a story into a “hopeful thing.”
Into The Woods: How One Man Survived Alone in the Wilderness For 27 years
An excerpt from The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit — Michael Finkel’s book on Christopher Knight, the man who simply walked away from the modern world into the woods of rural Maine in 1986 — without any real plan for survival. Living alone for 27 years in a makeshift camp, Knight survived by stealing food, clothes, and provisions from neighboring camps and cabins. Knight committed over 1,000 break-ins during his self-imposed exile — stymying law enforcement and homeowners alike for nearly three decades.
Internet Warriors: Inside the Dark World of Online ‘Trolls’
Three years ago, filmmaker Kyrre Lien became curious about what drives people to make hateful comments online. He pored over 200 online profiles and traveled the world to interview internet trolls in person to uncover why they say the things they do. The results are fascinating and terrifying at the same time.
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.
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?
Killer, Kleptocrat, Genius, Spy: the Many Myths of Vladimir Putin
Russian-born journalist and author Keith Gessen’s analysis of seven theories about Putin borne of “Putinology,” a long-standing tradition in eastern Europe, newly adopted by Americans as a diversion in the Trump era.
The Hi-Tech War on Science Fraud
A team of researchers at Tilburg University’s Meta-Research Center in the Netherlands focuses full time on detecting misconduct and fabricated data in science.