“Michael Harrop started a booming underground market for human feces. Something smells off.”
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The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: metal medicine, hyped humanoids, carnival crossroads, divine defiance, and optimization obsession.
What If Psychedelics’ Hallucinations Are Just a Side Effect?
“Some neuroscientists now believe that the drugs’ mental-health benefits don’t come from tripping.”
The Long Haul
“Now I rarely let myself think of those Before Times. Describing what was once my life is like trying to recapture a sensation, a place that only ever existed in a dream.”
Tales From an Attic
“Suitcases once belonging to residents of a New York State mental hospital tell the stories of long-forgotten lives.”
A Medical Nightmare
An ob-gyn in Virginia performed unnecessary surgeries on patients for decades. When his victims learned the truth, they fought back.
They Played Football as Children. Now Their Families Mourn.
They gave up the game after high school, but the damage seemingly was already done. Now, their families mourn and look for answers.
After the Miracle Drug
“Cystic fibrosis once guaranteed an early death—but a medical breakthrough has given many patients a chance to live decades longer than expected. What do they do now?”

