Category Culture

What if AI doesn’t get much better?

Save this storySave this storySave this storySave this story In this week’s Open Questions, Cal Newport replaces Joshua Rothman. Much of the excitement and anxiety surrounding modern AI technology dates back to January 2020, when a team of OpenAI researchers…

“Summer Rays” by Lorenzo Mattotti

Save this storySave this storySave this storySave this story On the cover of the August 18, 2025 issue, artist Lorenzo Mattotti captures the symphony of visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile sensations that unfold during nature walks. “In my family, we…

Nobody wins in Encirclement

Save this storySave this storySave this storySave this story A few weeks ago, a snippet of a YouTube video titled “1 Progressive vs. 20 Far-Right Conservatives” began circulating on social media. In the clip, British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan debates an…

Richard Brodie’s Summer Movies

Save this storySave this storySave this storyYou’re reading the Goings On newsletter, a guide to what we’re watching, listening to and doing this week. Sign up to get it sent to your inbox. The recent heat wave may be a…

The poignant immigrant drama “The Story of Suleiman”

Save this storySave this storySave this storySave this story The title of French director and screenwriter Boris Lozhkin’s new film, The Souleymane Story, contains several interconnected meanings. In the most general sense, it describes the film itself: it’s the story…

The Internet Wants to Check Your Identity

Save this storySave this storySave this storyYou’re reading Infinite Scroll , a weekly column by Kyle Chayka about how technology shapes culture. The Tea app is a digital platform for women to connect. Men are not allowed to participate. To…

The Return of the King and Princess Home

Save this storySave this storySave this storySave this story After the Civil War, German-Jewish businessman Isidor Strauss moved to New York City with his family. Strauss was a quick-witted, handsome man with small round glasses, an angular nose, and a…

“Transformative Freedom” by Amy Sherald

Save this storySave this storySave this storySave this story The cover of the August 11, 2025, issue by artist Amy Sherald features a portrait of transgender model and performance artist Areva Basit. The piece is on display in Sherald’s exhibition…

The musician who brings bagpipes to the avant-garde

Save this storySave this storySave this storySave this story One evening last spring, the audience at a bagpipe concert in Red Hook, Brooklyn, was divided into two distinct groups: those who knew little or nothing about bagpipes—the majority—and those who…