This week, our editors recommend stories by Bushra Seddique, Simon van Zuylen-Wood, Laura Mauldin, Kathryn Miles, and Lucas Mann.
Popular Mechanics
A Rare Toy Heist, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
In 2017, the theft of a rare toy — a Boba “Rocket” Fett prototype that was never released for sale — rocked the Star Wars collecting community.
The Great Star Wars Heist
In 2017, the theft of a rare toy, a Boba “Rocket” Fett prototype that was never released for sale, rocked the Star Wars collecting community.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Sloane Crosley, Jason Fagone, Bronwen Dickey, Heather Radke, and Kelly Conaboy.
Walking the Line in the Bekaa Valley
A traveling crew of slackliners is trying to bring a moment of balance to young Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
The Lost Kids on the Line
In Lebanon, not far from the Syrian border, a crew of volunteer slackliners tries to bring fleeting moments of magic into displaced children’s lives.
But Where Will We Put Uncle Larry?
When you bury a body, it stays in the cemetery. Cremation presents a whole new issue: where to store the deceased.
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories by Ijeoma Oluo, Michael Hall, Erika Hayasaki, Jerry Saltz, and Caren Chesler.
The Pitfalls and Promise of the Horseshoe Crab, Unlikely Biomedical Hero
Pharmaceutical companies catch half a million horseshoe crabs a year to drain their blood for medical use. But is this practice sustainable?
The Blood of the Crab
Horseshoe crab blood is an irreplaceable medical marvel — biomedical companies bleed 500,000 of them every year. Can this creature that’s been around since the dinosaurs be saved?