This week, our editors recommend notable features and essays by Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Justin Heckert, Gloria Liu, Sharon Levy, and Mychal Denzel Smith.
science
Posted inEditor's Pick
A Plane of Monkeys, a Pandemic, and a Botched Deal: Inside the Science Crisis You’ve Never Heard Of
“Experts say there’s a dire shortage of primates for biomedical research—and it’s putting human lives at risk.”
Posted inCuration, Nonfiction, Top 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Wright Thompson, Mitch Moxley, Patrick Radden Keefe, Joshua Sokol, and Ariane Todes.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Man of Culture
Punjabi microbiologist Surendra Nath Sehgal spent his life’s work studying a bacterium found in the soil on Easter Island. Called Rapamycin, it became a wonder drug, changing the lives of millions. “Uma, it’s a fantastic compound, it’s a miracle,” Sehgal would tell his wife during these early encounters. “Anything it touches gives good results.” Back […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Lion King of Los Angeles
Growing up in Los Angeles as a Latino child interested in science, Miguel Ordeñana didn’t really have any role models to look up to. Now, as a wildlife biologist, his research on P-22, the famous mountain lion of Griffith Park, is important and inspiring. Ordeñana is an advocate for landscape connectivity and a more inclusive […]
Posted inNonfiction
Tomorrow Isn’t Over: A Reading List About Brighter Futures
Hope may seem to be in short supply these days, but these stories dare to chart a course toward something better.
Posted inEditor's Pick
After ALS Struck, He Became the World’s Most Advanced Cyborg
“Scientist Dr. Peter Scott-Morgan is pushing the boundaries of what it means to be human.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
4 Dead Infants, a Convicted Mother, and a Genetic Mystery
“Kathleen Folbigg was found guilty of killing her babies. One scientist suspected the real culprit was mutant DNA—and went on a tireless quest to prove it.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
A Lab of Her Own
“Sheltered in her bedroom during World War II, Rita Levi-Montalcini discovered how the nervous system is wired.