What Happens When We All Live to 100?
If life-expectancy trends continue, that future may be near, transforming society in surprising and far-reaching ways.
October 2014
In This Issue
The new science of old age, an interview with Bill Clinton, how gangs took over prisons, debating dinosaurs with creationists, the art of being Lena Dunham, and more
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Why I Hope to Die at 75
An argument that society and families—and you—will be better off if nature takes its course swiftly and promptly
How Gangs Took Over Prisons
Originally formed for self-protection, prison gangs have become the unlikely custodians of order behind bars—and of crime on the streets.
“I Never Dreamed It Would Turn Out This Way”
On the 10th anniversary of the Clinton Global Initiative, Bill Clinton assesses the state of the world, and of his post-presidency.
Fiction: The Rhett Butlers
He is 40. You are almost 17. You know his kiss is coming, that day in the classroom, but still it surprises you. A short story
Dispatches
Jim West/Alamy Were There Dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark?
A visit to Kentucky's creationist museum, a conservative base in the culture war
Dan Woodgen Status Anxiety
What the logos you’re wearing really say
Gregory Reid Stop the Bleeding
An injectable bandage
John Cuneo The Serial Wife
What three failed marriages taught Margo Howard about love, life, and offering advice
Matt Chase The Disruption Myth
The idea that businesses are more vulnerable to upstarts than ever is out-of-date—and that’s a big problem.
Álvaro Dominguez Made in America, Again
Three big trends that could shape the future of high-tech manufacturing—and the middle class
Post Typography The Linguistics of LOL
What Internet vernacular reveals about the evolution of language
Sébastien Thibault There Is No “Alternative Medicine”
A controversial treatment designed to remove environmental metals from the body might be effective in treating heart disease. Will one renegade doctor persuade the rest of the medical establishment to consider it?
How BRICs Are Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Promoting women also promotes economic growth.
The Cannon Blast at Walter Reed
A very short book excerpt
Joshua Lott/ Getty The Gaelic Stars of YouTube
Irish-language covers of popular English songs
The Culture File
Diego Patino Naked on the Page
In her memoir, Lena Dunham, the creator of Girls, opens a new chapter in her campaign of self-exposure.
Clay Rodery The Power of Grace
For Marilynne Robinson, who has been called America’s George Eliot, loss and loneliness do not rule out solace.
Tim McDonagh The Society of Fugitives
How does aggressive police surveillance transform an urban neighborhood? A sociologist reports from the inside.
Jackie Lay Doubling Down on Democracy
Francis Fukuyama is still bullish on where history is headed, but Americans should worry: republics can decay.
Arcomano/Alamy Where Nudism Took Off
On Rab Island, now in Croatia, the bare-all movement first thrived a century ago.
Penguin Books Portraits of Claustrophobic Russian Mothers
Three novellas about family
Departments
The Conversation
Responses and reverberations
Graham Roumieu The Big Question
What is the greatest scam of all time?
