A Whale’s Afterlife
A story about “whale falls”, the marine biologist term for when a dead whale carcass falls to the seabed and becomes the basis for a rich ecosystem of life, some elements of which have only been observed in such circumstances.
The Secrets of the World’s Greatest Art Thief
Stéphane Breitwieser is a thief who millions of dollars worth of art, apparently primarily through sleight of hand and an astonishing appetite for risk. He is unlike most other art thieves in that he stole with no intention to sell, but apparently for the love of the work itself.
The Trauma Floor
A look at the incredibly challenging work done by moderators at Facebook and their outsourcing partners, reportedly in far from ideal conditions.
A World Without Clouds
A new state-of-the-art simulation from the California Institute of Technology suggests that clouds are critical to the future of climate change. At a certain tipping point the study suggests they will disappear, with disastrous consequences.
House-Cleaning
A story that examines the Trump presidency to date, and weighs up his future prospects. The final sentence sums it (and him) up rather well – “Re-election seems just as likely as impeachment. He is fighting for his life, and he would rather sue than settle.”
The True Story Behind an Iconic Vietnam War Photo Was Nearly Erased — Until Now
A fine piece about the story behind a powerful image of injured US Marines in the Vietnam War.
The Migrant Caravan: Made in USA
Roberto Saviano, the author of Gomorrah, on a strand of migration to the US linked directly to the effects of the Honduran drugs trade.
“She Never Looks Back”: Inside Elizabeth Holmes’s Chilling Final Months at Theranos
The dysfunctional final stages of the blood testing startup with a multi-billion dollar valuation that went very very wrong.
Ong’s Hat: The Early Internet Conspiracy Game That Got Too Real
The story of a science-fiction infused conspiracy theory and a meditation on conspiracy theories in the internet age.