Scientists spent ages mocking panpsychism. Now, as Sigal Samuel explains, some are warming to the idea that plants, cells, and even atoms are conscious. Read by Sean Crisden.

Vox is a home for discussing, analyzing, and explaining the media industry, including journalism, social networks, and entertainment.

What if absolutely everything is conscious?

Both President Biden and Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump are working well past what is considered retirement age. With Biden now bowing out of the race, Allie Volpe learns how moving on from a productive career doesn’t need to be a blow to your identity. Read by Emily Woo Zeller.

How do you know it’s time to retire?

Your summer won’t be as good as you think it will be. It never is. 

Read by Deanna Anthony.

The case against summer

TikTok's rapid growth and extensive use among young Americans might influence their generation's political views. Christian Paz reflects on how the platform is potentially driving political polarization and spreading misinformation through its unique short-form video content and algorithm. Read by Michael Satow.

Is TikTok breaking young voters’ brains?

We are living in an era of conservative grievance politics. Fabilos Cineas examines how the murder of George Floyd in 2020 sparked a wave of progressive activism that was met with an intense conservative backlash. Read by Deanna Anthony.

The "racial reckoning" of 2020 set off an entirely new kind of backlash

There is no singular driver of collective loneliness globally. But, Allie Volpe reveals that one practice designed to relieve us from the world's ills may have isolated us further. Read by Betsy Foldes Meiman.

How the self-care industry made us so lonely

The science behind dopamine

Dopamine detoxing, hacking, and fasting: Is any of it real? As the chemical becomes a cultural catch-all for pleasure, Celia Ford investigates if any of the hype and hacks surrounding are fact or fiction. Read by Marni Penning.

Dopamine, explained

Music albums are longer, but the songs are shorter. Movies are longer, but the scenes are shorter. Recent releases are providing mixed messages about the modern-day ability to pay attention. Constance Grady explores why this has everything to do with the world's anxious relationship with technology. Read by Deanna Anthony.

Why movies and albums both got so long

Israel and Hezbollah are trying to keep their fighting contained. However, as Joshua Keating reports, the potential for escalation remains high, raising concerns about a broader and more devastating conflict. Read by Sean Crisden.



Israel’s other war

With Netflix's Baby Reindeer fallout, the paradox of true crime as entertainment strikes again. Aja Romano reflects on how the public aftermath of the show raises questions about accountability and the responsibility of creators in depicting sensitive and potentially harmful narratives. Read by Marni Penning.

Baby Reindeer’s messy stalking has led to more messy stalking offscreen

Efforts to measure happiness and compare it across countries may help policymakers determine which policies correlate strongly with satisfaction and invest in them. However, Sigal Samuel reveals that such quotas often come with cultural biases. Read by Emily Woo Zeller.

One big problem with how we rank countries by happiness

Neuralink has implanted a chip in its first human brain. But it's pushing a needlessly risky approach, former employees say. Sigal Samuel reflects on the potential dangers and ethical implications of Elon Musk's ambitious goal to merge humans with AI. Read by Gary Furlong.

Elon Musk wants to merge humans with AI. How many brains will be damaged along the way?

More and more industries are adopting “dynamic pricing” — and consumers aren’t happy. Whizy Kim reports on the controversy as fast food chains consider implementing the pricing and why it is raising concerns over fairness and transparency. Read by Gina Rogers.

Uber-style pricing is coming for everything

Scientists are realizing GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic have the potential to turn down cravings for more than just food. Brian Resnick reflects on how this discovery offers a new approach to managing addiction and compulsive consumption behaviours. Read by Karl Miller.

Is Ozempic an anti-desire drug?

The recent Supreme Court rulings on Trump's legal matters follow a trend of favouring authoritarian tendencies. Ian Millhiser advocates for increased citizen engagement in safeguarding democracy rather than relying solely on the courts. Read by Michael Satow.

The courts were never going to save America from Donald Trump

Despite effective treatments like medication-assisted therapy, stigma, inadequate access to evidence-based care, and systemic barriers hinder progress in addressing opioid addiction. Investigating the problem, Lydialyle Gibson reveals that there are both societal and medical challenges at play. Read by Marni Penning.

We have treatments for opioid addiction that work. So why is the problem getting worse?

Investigating the Earth’s “greening phenomenon”, Benji Jones explains how air pollution, farming and tree planting are altering the colour and composition of our ecosystem, and why scientists are raising the alarm. Read by Ron Butler.

The Earth is getting greener. Hurray?

The sun's magnetic poles are set to reverse - an event that occurs every 11 years - leading to increased solar activity that can impact technology on Earth. 

Brian Resnick explains how this phase provides crucial research opportunities for scientists to enhance space weather prediction and understand the sun's role in supporting life. Read by Ron Butler.

The sun’s poles are about to flip. It’s awesome — and slightly terrifying

Apple’s mixed reality headset heralds a new era of “spatial computing.” We are not ready. Adam Clark Estes reflects on the societal and psychological impacts of integrating digital layers into our real-world perception. Read by Michael Satow.

What wearing Apple’s Vision Pro headset does to our brains

The fall of Boeing has been decades in the making. Whizy Kim reflects on the company's deep-seated corporate culture of prioritizing cost-cutting over safety, exacerbated by Boeing's transition from engineer-led to profit-focused management. Read by Emily Woo Zeller.