The Quiet Dignity of Bears
Do bears enter human communities because they’re being pushed out of their natural habitats, or because our garbage is tasty?
Get HappierAfter earning notoriety with The Happiness Project, author Gretchen Rubin talks about her new foray into podcasting with Slate’s new Panoply network.
ISIS’s Self-Destruct Button While denouncing ISIS, Western leaders are dismissing core principles that could help defeat the group.
Targeted by PutinOne investment fund manager tangled with the Russian leader and lived to tell the tale. His associates were not so lucky.
What Cubans and Mormons Have in CommonSome cultural groups seem to have a knack for success. Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld have narrowed it down to three core traits.
Beyond Death Cults and NihilismIs terrorism ever death for death’s sake? Should we understand terror groups like Boko Haram as death cults or rational actors?
Killer Commando WeathermenThe warrior culture of special operations is learning to count meteorologists among its ranks.
Letter-Perfect SolutionDear Prudence’s advice to a woman struggling with the psychological burden that her mother imparted from her deathbed.
If It Looks Like Sam Smith, but Sounds Like Tom Petty, It’s Probably Tom Petty In the investigation of similarities between songs like “Won’t Back Down” and “Stay With Me," melody is the smoking gun.
The Detox DetoxAs of last year, there were no controlled and randomized trials of any commercially available detox diets. Are they bulls--t?
Caffeine: Shot by ShotCaffeine is powerful and effective, but it’s still a drug. Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
The Passion of the ChristieWhile preparing to run for the highest office, Chris Christie hasn’t tamped down his personality in any way. Will that help or hurt?
The Five-Second StoryYour greatest story probably comes from a tiny sliver of your life. Tell us about it for The Gist’s new storytelling project.
George Costanza vs. ISISEnlisting Art Vandelay in the war against Islamic extremism’s nihilistic narrative.
Is Illegal Immigrant Offensive, Accurate, or Both?Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas says that illegal immigrant is a hurtful term, but Mike Pesca isn’t convinced that undocumented is more accurate.
How Many LBJs Did You Skew Today?Alvin B. Tillery, Jr., explains what it’s like to watch the film Selma as a black American history scholar.
The Read Meets the SpielThe podcast world is filled with white hosts and white audiences. Kid Fury and Crissle from The Read are changing that.
He Wanted to Be a MillionaireAfter losing big on the TV game show, Slate’s Justin Peters fell into a funk, only to find that his life had changed for the better.
Hit the Road, Union JackThere are only four nations left with the Union Jack in their flags, and two are dropping the old commonwealth brand.
The Most Interesting Man We KnowStorytelling coach Matt Dicks demonstrates why he’s a regular on The Moth and offers some tips for your bid to receive our storytelling makeover.
North Korea’s Former Poet LaureateWhen he first met Kim Jong-il, Jang Jin-sung was surprised to see the godlike figure crying to folk songs, stroking a Maltese puppy, and wearing high heels.
The One-Man Beautification PlanA security guard from Queens explains why he’s repainting New York’s forgotten emergency call boxes.
CongressionalizationThomas Schaller explains why Congress is well-suited to the Republican agenda, for now.
Microsoft’s Imperfect 10We can mock the decision to skip Windows 9, but the software giant still has a serious share of the market.
Fraunces Tavern BombingForty years ago a banker named Frank Connor died in a terrorist bombing in lower Manhattan. We speak with his son Joe Connor.
How Do I Learn Thee? Let Us Count the Ways.There are 71 documented learning styles, but how many of them really matter?