A Dispatch From the Fast-Paced, Makeshift World of High-End Catering
Behind the scenes in the silver service catering world.
How China’s ‘Unicorns’ Shook a Bicycle Town
Unicorn startups at China’s scale can produce some alarming by products. This is an example from the transportation industry, where the town of Wangqingtuo has been left with sizeable bicycle cemeteries.
Hand dryers v paper towels: the surprisingly dirty fight for the right to dry your hands
The tale of the epochal, fierce business war between increasingly sophisticated hand dryers and paper towels for primacy in the public bathroom.
Guantánamo’s Darkest Secret
A friendship between a guard and an inmate highlights some of the most pernicious aspects of the world’s most infamous detention facility. The piece is a fine example of in depth reporting.
How Notre Dame inspired Henri Matisse, who depicted the cathedral as a living memory
The Washington Post’s art critic examines two radically different depictions of Notre Dame painted by Henri Matisse over a decade apart.
‘It’s genuine, you know?’: why the online influencer industry is going ‘authentic’
Behind the scenes in the world of influencers, where “authenticity” is the new watchword.
The Quest for the Most Elusive Material in Physics
A look at the search to find “the most miraculous substances of modern physics”, that speaks to the nature of scientific research. The substance turns out to be “a material that, at near room temperature, could transport electricity without losing power.”
Wonder Boy
A profile of Pete Buttigieg, a rank outsider in the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential primary field who is nevertheless making big waves.
How Big Business Is Hedging Against the Apocalypse
“Unlike almost every other future event, climate change is 100 percent certain to happen.” This story makes this assertion and goes on to explore how big businesses are making investment decisions based on it.