The New Yorker
How Perfectly Can Reality Be Simulated?
Video-game engines were designed to mimic the mechanics of the real world. Now, Anna Wiener writes, they’re used in movies, architecture, military simulations, and efforts to build the metaverse.
Above the Fold
Essential reading for today.
The Supreme Court Asks What Enron Has to Do with January 6th and Trump
The former President notwithstanding, the government’s position in Fischer v. United States is unsettling.
The Fate of Israel’s Hostages After Iran’s Rocket Attack
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu oversees an increasingly fraught regional confrontation, the families of Hamas captives work to free their loved ones.
Donald Trump’s Trial of the Century
Manhattan prosecutors have argued that the Stormy Daniels case is about much more than hush money. And legal experts believe that a conviction is likely.
How to Both-Sides a “Civil War”
In his new film, Alex Garland seems to be using our dire politics as buzzy I.P. while tap-dancing around conversations that might get him in trouble.
The Highest Tree House in the Amazon
In 2023, conservationists and carpenters converged on Peru to build luxury accommodations in the rain-forest canopy.
Don’t Believe What They’re Telling You About Misinformation
People may fervently espouse symbolic beliefs, cognitive scientists say, but they don’t treat them the same as factual beliefs. It’s worth keeping track of the difference.
The Political Scene
Israel’s Momentous Decision
After Iran’s dramatic but largely ineffective attack, Benjamin Netanyahu’s response will have tremendous consequences.
Trump’s Busy Court Calendar
The first criminal trial of a former President starts this week. After all the legal posturing, the action will finally get real—that’s the theory, anyway.
Will Historic Job Growth Bring an End to the “Vibecession”?
The Labor Department’s March employment report shows the economy powering ahead. Yet many voters’ perceptions remain negative.
Is This Israel’s Forever War?
Foreign-policy analysts whose careers were shaped by the war on terror see troubling parallels.
The Catastrophe in Gaza
Inside Israel’s Bombing Campaign in Gaza
The Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham on his investigations of the I.D.F.’s use of A.I.-backed targeting systems and the dire cost to Palestinian civilians.
What It Takes to Give Palestinians a Voice
A new poll conducted during the war in Gaza and escalating tensions in the West Bank allows Palestinians to tell the world what they want for their future.
The Children Who Lost Limbs in Gaza
More than a thousand children who were injured in the war are now amputees. What do their futures hold?
My Family’s Daily Struggle to Find Food in Gaza
In my homeland, where we used to cook and celebrate together, my relatives are eating animal feed to keep from starving.
How to Die in Good Health
The average American celebrates just one healthy birthday after the age of sixty-five. Peter Attia argues that it doesn’t have to be this way.
The Critics
“The Sympathizer” Has an Identity Crisis
The HBO adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel is part espionage thriller, part war drama, and part Hollywood satire—wild genre shifts that come at the expense of its protagonist’s interiority.
“Civil War” Presents a Striking but Muddled State of Disunion
Kirsten Dunst plays a war photographer in the trenches of Alex Garland’s speculative dystopian thriller.
The Unseen Sides of Francesca Woodman
A new show at the Gagosian Gallery showcases the photographer’s tragically abbreviated career, including a never-before-exhibited masterpiece.
Christopher Durang’s Stage Directions for Life
The Tony-winning playwright’s dark, antic satires were many people’s gateway to theatre. I was one of those people.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Relatable Superstardom on the Guts Tour
The pop star appears to revel in pleasure—even when she knows that whatever it is she’s thirsting after will probably get her into trouble.
Anni Albers Transformed Weaving, Then Left It Behind
Her textiles are quiet revelations, but even her later prints show how restraint can generate ravishing beauty.
What We’re Reading This Week
A liberating story that follows a family through the distress of 2020, a biography that revisits the life of the celebrated British explorer Captain James Cook, and a stylish mystery novel set in an alternative Jazz Age.
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An Accident in Space
In April of 1970, an explosion on the Apollo 13 spacecraft put the mission and its crew in jeopardy. Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr., reported on how Apollo 13 got lost in space—then made it back to Earth.
Ideas
Are Flying Cars Finally Here?
They have long been a symbol of a future that never came. Now a variety of companies are building them—or something close.
So You Think You’ve Been Gaslit
“Gaslighting” has evolved from a niche clinical concept to a casual diagnosis. Or maybe you’re just imagining it.
The Slouching Epidemic
Since the early twentieth century, poor posture has been linked to poverty, bad health, and civilizational decadence. But does the real problem lie elsewhere?
“The Smallest Power”
In Andy Sarjahani’s animated short, an Iranian woman finds power—and a new love of her nation—in protest.
Puzzles & Games
Take a break and play.
In Case You Missed It
That they were “not young,” though described by observers as “amazingly youthful,” must have been a strong component of their attraction to each other.Continue reading »
The Talk of the Town
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