The Best of Reason: Rise of the Samurai Lawyers
An economist explores how a stable and relatively just legal order emerged in medieval Japan.
Science & Technology
The 3 Myths Supporting NIH Funding
Innovation, basic research, and economic growth do not rely on federal science funding.
Don't Count on Quitting Social Media To Make Your Life Better
A new meta-analysis finds “no significant effects of social media abstinence interventions on positive affect, negative affect, or life satisfaction.”
Signal Chat Controversy Is an Endorsement of Encryption Software
Popular encryption apps are probably secure if government officials rely on them.
Phil Magness: The Problem With Trumponomics
Economic historian Phil Magness on the real history of tariffs and why Trump is so wrong about them.
No, the U.S. Industrial Base Is Not Collapsing
Our manufacturing output, even adjusted for inflation, is near all-time highs.
North Carolina Is the Latest State To Try To Restrict Lab-Grown Meat
Cultivated meat isn't challenging slaughtered meat anytime soon. But states keep trying to restrict competition.
Will Jay Bhattacharya Get Gain-of-Function Research Under Control?
The past three administrations have tried and failed to implement binding regulations on risky research that likely caused the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why I'm Not Deleting My 23andMe Genetic Data
And you shouldn't be panicked into doing it either.
The Best of Reason: When the Government Puts Wolves in Your Backyard
Endangered red wolves became a symbol of federal overreach—and a target for local ire—in eastern North Carolina.
This Mouse Has Two Biological Dads?!
An experiment with staggering implications for the future of human reproduction.
The Atlantic Should Not Find Out About a War Before Congress Does
The White House accidentally leaked military plans in Yemen to a journalist—and demonstrated how unconstitutional U.S. war making has become.
Everyone Is Wrong About RFK Jr. and Cellphones
There's no strong evidence that cellphones cause cancer. There also isn't strong evidence that cellphones cause teen depression.
The Truth About Brazil's Rumble Ban
Justice Alexandre de Moraes has shut down Rumble in Brazil, using the same dubious legal arguments that led to the blocking of X and Telegram.
The European Commission Is Assaulting American Tech Companies
Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and others have all faced legal action from the European Union in recent years.
Kelsey Piper: A Reasonable Approach to AI
Vox's Kelsey Piper joins the show to discuss the drastic differences between the Biden and Trump administrations on AI—and what it all means for the future of humanity.
France Accuses Trump of Booting Space Researcher Over 'Personal Opinion'
Border officials reportedly barred the academic from visiting Texas after finding anti-Trump messages on his phone.
Rand Paul Seeks Information on U.K. Requests for Americans' Private Data
Last month, the U.K. reportedly demanded access to any Apple user's data anywhere in the world. Paul wants to know if any other companies have received similar orders recently.
Sorry A.I., No Copyrights for You
The D. C. Circuit concludes that software cannot be the author of a work for copyright purposes.
The Best of Reason: Trump's Dramatic Crossroads Between Protectionism and Dynamism
The GOP faces a choice about how to move forward.
'We Are Not Stopping'
Plus: Texas midwife arrested for violating abortion ban, JFK files, Gaza bombings, astronauts finally rescued, and more...
AI Isn't Destabilizing Elections
Researchers analyzed political content made with artificial intelligence and found much of it was not deceptive at all.
Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Printed Guns, Scratch and Sniff, Jakarta Traffic (Vol. 18)
Good intentions, bad results.
The Cold War Broadcasting Apparatus Should Shut Down
Dissidents resisting authoritarian regimes should be independent of the United States—and so should their media sources.
Pandemic Lockdowns Made the World Ruder
The new, coarser world will likely be with us for years to come.
Researchers Used Mosquitos To Deliver Malaria Vaccines
What if mosquitoes could deliver not just the disease but the protection to an infection that kills hundreds of thousands of people annually?
Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe and Effective?
Five years after Donald Trump declared a national COVID-19 emergency, here's what the research says.
Justice Department Doubles Down Against Google
The government's demands would reduce competition and harm consumer welfare.
The Best of Reason: Can Ultimate Frisbee Heal the Middle East?
The spread of Ultimate Frisbee testifies to a kind of Western soft power in the Middle East, one far friendlier than bombs or bullets.
Do Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin Work?
Five years after Donald Trump declared a national COVID-19 emergency, here's what the research says.
Mickey 17 Is a Misbegotten Sci-Fi Trump Satire
Robert Pattinson stars as spacefaring multiples in director Bong Joon-ho's disappointing follow-up to Parasite.
Review: Another Tasty but Imperfect Meat Alternative
Prime Roots deli-style meat alternatives are made of koji, the fungi that make soy sauce delicious.
Apple Takes U.K. to Court Over Demand To Weaken Encryption
If enacted, the order would weaken digital security for Apple users throughout the U.K.
Is Science Rigged for the Rich?
A recent study claiming inequality of opportunity in the sciences commits statistical and conceptual errors that make its findings meaningless.
No, HHS Didn't Spend $8 Million 'Making Mice Transgender'
HHS, like all government programs, has plenty of silly and wasteful line items in its budget; there's no need to just make things up.
Trump's (Un)strategic Crypto Reserve
If the government wants to encourage cryptocurrency innovation, "buying coins is actually a pretty lousy way of doing that," says one economist.
Alton Brown: A Culinary Legend Offers Food for Thought
The Good Eats host talks about the virtues of Cap'n Crunch, why fusion cooking isn't cultural appropriation, and how Martha Stewart's perfectionism ruined dinner parties.
The Best of Reason: Inside the Russian Occupation of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Harvard historian Serhii Plokhy's book tells the stories of soldiers, stalkers, and squatters in Chernobyl during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Hey DOGE: If You Want To Make Yourself Useful, Kill the Federal Energy Loan Program
The federal government has no business being a bank.
The Case Against Ross Ulbricht Was About Government Power
President Donald Trump's pardon of the Silk Road creator is a rare moment of reprieve in an era of relentless government expansion.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr Wants More Control Over Social Media
Carr advocates greater control over social media by federal regulators, despite a reputation for supporting free speech.
Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Shows Potential in Early Trial
The five-year survival rate of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is currently 13 percent.
WaPo Embraces Free Minds and Free Markets
"I'm confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America," wrote Bezos.
Detroit Police Wrongly Arrested Woman After Facial Recognition Tech Misidentified Her as Shooting Culprit
This isn't the first time Detroit cops have arrested the wrong person after using facial recognition software.
