Slate's best illustrations of 2014

Slate’s Favorite Illustrations of 2014

Slate’s Favorite Illustrations of 2014

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Collected images.
Dec. 29 2014 3:51 PM

Slate Illustrated, 2014

Our favorite illustrations of the year.

Illustration by Robert Neubecker

Illustration by Robert Neubecker

“ ‘But You Speak French So Well!’ ”
Why are Parisians so surprised that an American would want to live in France?

Illustration by Robert Neubecker

Illustration by Robert Neubecker

My Year of MOOCs
Lessons learned from earning the equivalent of a B.A. in 12 months, online.

Illustration by Robert Neubecker

Illustration by Robert Neubecker

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s—AAAACK!
The unexpected dangers of drones.

Illustration by Robert Neubecker.

Illustration by Robert Neubecker

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Minor Leagues, Microscopic Paychecks
Should we care that a huge number of low-level ballplayers make as little as $1,100 per month?

Illustration by Robert Neubecker

Illustration by Robert Neubecker

Dear Kids
This Mother’s Day, write a letter to your children. Leave them something for after you’re gone.

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer.

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer

Quit Picking on Old Professors
Bullying boomers into retirement won’t help the sad state of higher education in this country.

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer

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In Pursuit of Knowledge, and Profit
How universities aid and abet patent trolls.

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer

Neither a Wallflower nor a Paris Geller Be
The use and abuse of class participation in the college classroom.

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer

Illustration by Alex Eben Meyer

The Other Way to Legalize Marijuana
D.C. is about to make pot legal. Good, but it should keep the cannabis industry out.

Pluto! Illustration by Charlie Powell

Illustration by Charlie Powell

Pluto Wins
It may not be a planet, but Pluto explains the whole solar system.

Illustration by Charlie Powell

Illustration by Charlie Powell

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Interminable Degrees
Is the future of higher education a program from which you can never graduate?

140917_MEDEX_BugInEar

Illustration by Charlie Powell

The Scariest Campfire Story
More horrifying than bears, snakes or hook-handed killers.

Illustration by Charlie Powell

Illustration by Charlie Powell

“ ‘I Have Never Been Up’ ”
The persistent, powerful meme of Abraham Lincoln as a “failure at 50.”

Illustration by Charlie Powell

Illustration by Charlie Powell

The Sad Demise of Collegiate Fun
The helicopter generation has gone to university, and campus has never been so boring.

140709_POL_MagnetSchools

Illustration by Mark Stamaty

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Close Stuyvesant High School
Why super-elite public magnet schools aren’t necessary anymore.

Illustration by Mark Alan Stamaty.

Illustration by Mark Alan Stamaty

Moses and the American Constitution
If Texas wants biblical characters and states’ rights in textbooks, publishers are happy to deliver.

141031_POL_MeltingPot

Illustration by Mark Stamaty

The Melting Pot Is Broken
How slowing down immigration could help us build a more cohesive and humane society.

Illustration by Mark Alan Stamaty.

Illustration by Mark Alan Stamaty

What Makes People Look Like Their Pets?
The eyes are a window to the ego.

Illustration by Mark Alan Stamaty.

Illustration by Mark Alan Stamaty

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Is All of Twitter Fair Game for Journalists?
Social media has blurred the line between “public” and “private,” and reporters need to adapt.

Illustration by Rob Donnelly

Illustration by Rob Donnelly

The Princess Trap
Our daughter is getting into dolls and dress-up. What are programmer parents to do?

Illustration by Rob Donnelly

Illustration by Rob Donnelly

The Case for the 13th Grade
Some Oregon high schools offer a fifth year that’s actually a free first year of community college. That’s great—but it doesn’t go far enough.

Illustration by Rob Donnelly

Illustration by Rob Donnelly.

Facebook’s New Secret Sauce
The social network keeps getting more addictive. Here’s how. 

Illustration by Rob Donnelly

Illustration by Rob Donnelly

The Kids, They Know Things
I used to do everything for my children. Now, they do things for me. 

Illustration by Rob Donnelly

Illustration by Rob Donnelly

Revise and Resubmit!
Peer review is slow. It’s unhelpful. It’s generally awful. Here’s how to fix it.