“You might think of puzzling as leisurely, but it’s now a sport. I entered a national competition and discovered a passionate community.”
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Posted inEditor's Pick
Have We Been Measuring Mountains All Wrong?
“A new method for quantifying grandeur is reshuffling the pecking order of the planet’s most impressive peaks. Turns out Everest has steep competition.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Lucrative Bird-Singing Contests That Are Pushing Species to the Brink
“Millions of songbirds in Southeast Asia are trapped and smuggled each year for keeping as pets or entering in competitions. Scientists warn that it’s fueling a crisis.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The New Hotness
The sport of aufguss, or competitive sauna, is full of surprises.
Posted inEditor's Pick
AI Isn’t Coming for Hollywood. It’s Already Arrived
“An early winner in the generative AI wars was near collapse—then bet everything on a star-studded comeback. Can Stability AI beat the competition?”
Posted inEditor's Pick
I Rewatch “Gilmore Girls” to Remember my Stepfather
“I find echoes of the man who raised me every time I watch the iconic mother-daughter show.”
Posted inReading List
Bad Blood (Longreads’ Version): A Musical Feuds Reading List
Whether competition between artists or strife within a band, popular music features some of pop culture’s messiest rivalries.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Inside the Food Truck Mafia Wreaking Havoc Around the National Mall
“Turf wars. Food and fire hazards. $15 ice-cream cones. How an organized network of unlicensed food trucks took over America’s Front Lawn.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Empire of Blood: How Dana White’s UFC Conquered America
“What was once a late-night cable TV sideshow has grown into a culture-shifting sport that counts President Trump as a fan. Inside White’s big, brash, competition-crushing company.”
