Daily Picks
78 pickedPage 3 of 3

Society & Ideas, picked daily

History, society, ideas and arguments — the long reads about how we live and how we think.

The Conversation
Lactose intolerance is actually the human norm – but racism, the US government and business interests have made it into a conditionLactose intolerance is actually the human norm, yet it was framed as a defect by scientific and commercial interests, reflecting nutritional imperialism and racial bias.
The Conversation
The United States’ human rights practices are taking a nosediveNew data shows the United States' civil and political rights performance deteriorated dramatically in 2025, with record declines on multiple measures.
RogerEbert.com
Sheer Force of Ambition: David Kittredge on “Exorcist II” and “Boorman and the Devil”Exorcist II is not a bad movie but a bold experiment made with enormous ambition and resources, whose failure and value both stem from that risk, and it deserves reappraisal.
404 Media
How a Network of Volunteers Is Liberating Critical Court Records for EveryoneA 2007 court rule makes tens of thousands of habeas corpus petitions in immigration cases inaccessible online, and a volunteer project with 400 members is fighting back by fetching and uploading the records themselves.
The Conversation
Many Americans are moving away from congregations, but not necessarily from religion – movies, plays, art and social media fill the gapMany Americans are leaving congregations but not religion — faith finds new life through art, media, and social networks.
Noahpinion
What if our biggest problems aren’t economic?The main problems driving American politics may no longer be economic, but social-psychological needs like belonging, status, and respect.
RogerEbert.com
We Were Warned: On “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” at 35Thirty-five years later, Terminator 2 shows that the real danger of AI is not Skynet starting a war, but how using machines changes who we are.
Uncharted Territories
Uncharted Territories, the TV SeriesThe author entered the Future Vision XPrize to create a sci-fi TV series that portrays technology positively, aiming to inspire real-world change.
acx
Your Book Review: A Residence Of 21 Years In The Sandwich IslandsRe-reading her ancestor Hiram Bingham's memoir, the author finds 19th-century missionaries and today's effective altruists think alike, and their wins and losses still carry lessons.
ACOUP
Collections: Pre-Modern Armies for Worldbuilders, Part Vb: Pixel Armies for Pixel SocietiesArmies in video games often feel off because they ignore the society behind them; good military design must mirror the political and economic structures of its world.
Pluralistic
Pluralistic: The actual epistemic crisis (20 Aug 2026)AI's epistemic crisis is not new but the natural result of decades of corporate power corroding regulation and weakening public judgment.
Klement on Investing
It’s not the fault of right-wing newsPolitical polarization stems more from the homogeneity of social circles than from differences in media consumption.
RogerEbert.com
Liminal Spaces, Transitional States: Alexander Ullom on “It Ends”It Ends uses an endless road and horror imagery to explore how young people today, left with collapsed structures, cope with a liminal state by creating rituals and seeking connection.
Nautilus
The Return of a Discredited PseudoscienceEugenics, though scientifically discredited, is making a comeback under the guise of politics and technology, threatening social fairness.
Works in Progress
How Thailand resisted colonizationThailand preserved its independence during the colonial era by showcasing its civilization, practicing flexible diplomacy, and modernizing proactively.
404 Media
Subtlefakes: Slightly Altered Nonconsensual AI Images Are Taking Over XA new type of AI fake image, 'subtlefakes', which are less explicit but more realistic, are spreading on X and are harder to detect and regulate.
Uncharted Territories
How Households Drive HistoryWhat truly shapes history is not emperors, generals, and wars, but the daily needs of countless ordinary families striving to put food on the table.
WESTENBERG
Neo-Etiquette Basics: The New Rules of Being HumanTechnology has made selfishness easier, but basic respect remains the bottom line of society; new etiquette is about restoring our awareness of other people's real existence.

Other topics

TechBusiness & ProductInvestingEconomics & PolicyScience & HealthLife & Work
Other editionsThe past week, and the archive beyond it