FIGHTING FLICKER
The History Of Frame Rate
Unless you're about to see the new "Hobbit" movies, frame rate isn't something viewers usually think about. But for most of film's history, it was a hotly-debated topic.
IT'S A LOT TO HANDLE
The Beginner’s Field Guide To Dim Sum
The first half of the field guide introduces steamed items; the second covers fried, baked and sweet offerings. These general divisions have then been subdivided according to each dim sum’s predominant physical characteristics.
TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL, IF YOU CAN?
Why Cambodians Never Get 'Depressed'
People in Cambodia experience what we Americans call depression. But there's no direct translation for the word "depression" in the Cambodian Khmer language. Instead, people may say "thelea tdeuk ceut," which literally means "the water in my heart has fallen."
THE PUN ROBOT IS COMING FOR US
AI Won't End The World, But It Might Take Your Job
There’s been a lot of fear about the future of artificial intelligence. Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk worry that AI-powered computers might one day become uncontrollable super-intelligent demons. So does Bill Gates.
THAT'S WHY HE'LL ALWAYS BE THE MASTER
Boxer Challenges His Old Teacher To A Fight
He might be a couple years from a nursing home, but if you fight him you'll be a few punches from a concussion.
THE MESS JOURNALISM CREATES
What Really Happened To Baby Johan?
The father, mother, police, doctors and hospital records all tell different stories about that night. Does anyone know the truth?
WORKING TOGETHER — OR NOT
Searching For The Origins Of Individualism And Collectivism
Are these differences simply the result of arbitrary historical accidents, with some societies — such as those in East Asia — following different cultural paths than others — such as those in Northern Europe? Or do these differences arise from more general processes of adaptation and change?
AND WHAT IS A 'DOOMP POOMP'?
So Skrillex Isn't Making Dubstep Anymore?
This new video for his track "Doompy Poomp" is, well, not what you'd think of when you think of Skrillex. Don't wait for the drop — it isn't coming.
SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
Crazy-Fast Atom-Thick Silicon Transistors
An exotic form of silicon, called silicene, could enable a new generation of faster computers.
WHAT IS DÉJÀ VU?
What Is Déjà Vu?
Does it feel like you've seen this video before? You probably haven't, but here's why it seems so familiar.
PULLING THE PLUG
The Purge: What Happens When You Unfollow Everyone On The Internet
Just before the New Year, I decided to do an experiment. I wanted to see if I could change how I use the Internet, and perhaps, from there, find better ways to run my business, connect with humans and improve my craft
ALL'S FARE IN LOVE AND WAR
Google And Uber Are Going To War Over Taxis
The two companies may soon become ferocious competitors rather than allies.
TOO HEAVY FOR INTERVALS
Rob Scallon Shows You Can Play Metal With Only One Note
Djent bands have been working entirely too hard.
CRIME PAYS
Inside The 'Murderabilia' Market
The men making money off the art and personal effects of rapists and serial killers.
HASHTAG ACTIVISM THAT WORKS
The Net Neutrality Fight Is Already Over And Regular People Won
All the phone calls, comments, and general backlash have spurred new competition that will make the FCC's decision almost irrelevant.
DRIVING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND
The History Of The Snowmobile
It’s easy to forget that until very recently in history, families who lived in cold-weather areas were snowbound on their land throughout the long winters. One man dedicated his life to changing that.
UNSURE IF 'THERE HE IS' WORKS AS WELL
The Only Tinder Opening Line You Need
In December, after being plunged back into the muck of single adulthood, I rejoined Tinder and very quickly realized that, at 28 years old, I still don't know how to talk to other people. So I tried "The Line."
HOW EVERYTHING WENT WRONG
The Prep School And The Predator
When a recent graduate of Marlborough, the elite L.A. girls’ school, posted an essay about a predatory teacher there, the story went viral. Marlborough’s board of trustees leapt into action. And that, a V.F. exclusive reveals, is when things got really ugly.
A CHAIN REACTION
Chipotle: The Definitive Oral History
The builders of a $22 billion burrito empire — the founder, his father, his college buddies, key execs, and a couple of pig farmers — open up about how they won the fast-food future. And yes, they dish about McDonald's.
ARC DU TRIOMPHE
The Rise Of Joan Of Arc
Following the guidance of the voices only she could hear, Joan, a peasant girl living in a world dominated by aristocrats and men, left her home to convince the dauphin — and many men along the way — that only she could save France and make him king.
NSFW: FOR ALMOST EVERY REASON
The Music Behind The Worst Album Covers Ever
Some of these musicians are better than you'd expect. Most are much, much worse. Almost impossibly bad.
THE SHOCK OF SCHIAPARELLI
The Surreal Provocateur Who Forever Altered Fashion
Elsa Schiaparelli made women feel beautiful, daring, and independent—by convincing them to wear insect jewelry, clown prints, and shoes on their heads.
MEAT THE WOMAN BEHIND THE BURGER
The Untold Story Of Shake Shack's $1.6 Billion Branding
For the first time, Pentagram tells the story of building Shake Shack's branding from the ground up.
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR DRUNK TINDER USERS
A Paid Version Of Tinder — Featuring An Undo Button — Is Coming
Tinder Plus, the long-awaited “premium” version of Tinder’s service, offering features like an Undo button for errant swipes and a Passport option for searching outside your current geographic region, is nearing launch here in the U.S. for iOS and Android users.
IT'S ALL ACADEMIC NOW
Game Theory Says Pete Carroll’s Call At Goal Line Is Defensible
It’s the biggest moment in your NFL coaching career: 26 seconds remain in the Super Bowl, your team is 4 points behind, you have the ball just one yard short of the end zone, it’s second down, and your team has arguably the NFL’s best running back. What’s your call? Run or pass?
YOUR ANGRY EMAILS MIGHT HAVE WORKED
FCC To Propose Strong 'Net Neutrality' Rules
Rather than being lightly regulated information services, mobile and fixed broadband firms would become like telecommunications companies, which would subject them to greater regulation on everything from pricing to how they deploy their networks.
BREAKING
Warren Sapp Has Been Arrested For Soliciting, Assaulting Prostitutes
Cops say two women told police they were at the hotel "as escorts" and went to Sapp's room, where an argument broke out over money.
TAKE THAT, WINGS
Pizza Hut Sets Record On Super Bowl Sunday
Touchdown, Pizza Hut. The Yum Brands-owned pizza chain eclipsed its sales record for its biggest digital sales day ever Sunday.
IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL
The Great Deglobalizing
Our interconnected world is shrinking back toward its national borders — and that’s a problem.
WALK LIKE A MAN, TALK LIKE A YOUNG WOMAN
Young Women’s Language Patterns Are At The Forefront Of Linguistic Change
Young women, even those in positions of authority, might be met with derision or disapproval if they use these linguistic features which, as it happens, are naturally found not only in the speech of their peers but increasingly in older generations of speakers else as well.
PUTTING A FACE TO THE NAME
A Visage From The Past
The latest medical and digital-imaging techniques can now bring us face to face with the past. Meet Caroline Wilkinson, forensic anthropologist.
DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS PESTICIDE
'Suppressed' EU Report Could Have Banned Harmful Pesticides Worth Billions
As many as 31 pesticides with a value running into billions of pounds could have been banned because of potential health risks, if a blocked EU paper on hormone-mimicking chemicals had been acted upon.
DRAWING A BLANK
6 Famous Paintings That Look Totally Different From Behind
Did you know what your favorite paintings looked like when you flipped them around? Prepare to have your mind blown.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR GOLD
Why Do We Pick Our Nose?
Most of us do it, but few of us will admit to it. If we get caught red-handed, we experience shame and regret. And we tend to frown upon others when they do it in public.
BATTLE FOR THE THRONE
The Case Against Always Leaving The Toilet Seat Down
As it happens, a few different economists have considered this question — and found that, if your priority is minimizing the total amount of toilet-seat moving (and therefore touching) that goes on or making things fair, it's not necessarily the best strategy.
FROM MORPHINE DRIPS TO LSD TRIPS
The Trip Treatment
Research into psychedelics may hold a key to coping with anxiety, addiction and existential dread.
ONE RULE: IT HAS TO RHYME
What Will Electronics Be Made Of? Silk And Snails And The Eggs Of Quails
Materials scientists are coming up with ways to make circuits from biological materials.
BAD GENES
Monsanto’s Newest GM Crops May Create More Problems Than They Solve
Proponents of the new cotton and soybean varieties, engineered by Monsanto to tolerate spraying with multiple herbicides, say they’re a much-needed tool. But others think the benefits will at best be short-lived.
THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLES
America's Infrastructure Is Slowly Falling Apart
America is literally falling apart around us. Roads, built decades ago, are littered with potholes from carrying ten times the number of cars they were designed to carry. Crumbling Cold War–era gas pipes are exploding. One in nine of the country's bridges is structurally deficient. And some dam or levee is always just one rainstorm away from wiping out a neighborhood.
RED DAWN
The Emerging Republican Advantage
The idea of an enduring Democratic majority was a mirage. How the GOP gained an edge in American politics — and why it’s likely to last.
NOT EVEN WORTH A THUMBS DOWN
Diving Into The Worst-Rated Movies On IMDb
Just before Christmas, Kirk Cameron's holiday film "Saving Christmas" got the best gift ever: After some coordinated trolling on Cameron's part, it was bestowed the title of worst movie on IMDb and rocketed to the No. 1 spot on its bottom 100 chart, where it still sits. We got curious. What else was down there?
WALK VERY, VERY SLOWLY
Walking On Ice Takes More Than Brains
Scientists discover how a "mini-brain" in the spinal cord aids in balance.
EATING THE CULTURAL DIVIDE
Dumpling Diplomacy
Here I was, a financially stable, responsible 28-year-old adult. Yet I still couldn’t muster the courage to tell my parents about Elizabeth.
...AND THE PUNDITS GO WILD
Browns Quarterback Johnny Manziel Enters Treatment Facility
The 22-year-old's off-field behavior has drawn attention since he was a Heisman-Trophy winning quarterback at Texas A&M.
KEEP AN EYE ON THE DUDE ON THE LEFT
Some Faces Just Get Away With Stuff
We judge whether a person's actions were fair and done with the best of intentions based partially on the facts and partially on whether or not that person has what we perceive to be a trustworthy face.
YOU'RE WELCOME, DAMNIT
A Case Against The Phrase 'No Problem'
"No problem" is absolutely the wrong way to reply to an expression of thanks — for the simple reason that saying "thank you" isn't, or shouldn't be, a veiled way of making an apology.
FUCK YOU
An Open Letter To The Ridiculously Handsome Guy Who Was One of Katy Perry's Super Bowl Sharks
A job that requires wearing a shark costume that covers your face and entire body would have been a perfect opportunity for the aesthetically-challenged hopefuls of the world. But for you, this was just another day.
WHO ARE THEY?
Feminizing Islamic Militarism
Since the War on Terror began, and especially since the rise of Islamic State, analysts have been alarmed by female jihadists. Maybe “alarmed” is the wrong word. Bewildered seems more appropriate.
LISTEN TO WHO THE EXPERTS LISTEN TO
How To Get Credible Knowledge In A Myth-Filled World
We live in a world filled with myths, urban legends, ideological beliefs, and strong opinions that present themselves as expertise. We also live in a world filled with complex problems that can only be solved through highly specific scientific knowledge.
ALL BRANDS WIN
All The Super Bowl Commercials That Mattered
Advertisers may have spent a ton of money on these commercials but that doesn't mean you have to be exposed to the duds. Here are the Super Bowl ads that got people talking.
NAAN STARTER
This Michelin-Star Chef Wants You To Chew On This: No Such Thing As 'Indian Food'
Regional Indian cuisine is certainly taking off globally. But the challenge for Hemant Mathur is to win over New Yorkers used to eating chicken tikka masala, beef or lamb vindaloo and masala dosa. His message might be a tough one to, um, digest: There’s actually no such thing as Indian food.
CHANGING ROUTES
Hard-Charging Uber Tries Olive Branch
Travis Kalanick did not build Uber into a global force by playing nice. But Mr. Kalanick and his team have begun to trade the art of Sun Tzu for a full-throated charm offensive.
MOVING ON
My Asylum
After more than a century, Britain’s notorious asylums were no longer seen as models of enlightened psychiatry and replaced by hospital wards and community services. Where does that leave the people they actually healed?
A BILL TOO FAR
The Strict Abortion Ban That Abortion Foes Fear
Some anti-abortion rights groups want to ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detectable. Others worry that would be a disaster for the movement.
EVEN DOGS CAN WIN OSCARS
A Roundup Of The Best Animated Shorts Nominated For Oscars
We're just waiting for the day when one of Fox ADHD's bizarre and gruesome shorts makes this list.
HAPPY MONDAY!
Punxsutawney Phil Predicts More Winter
Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most beloved and furry seasonal prognosticator, has seen his shadow on Monday morning (despite overcast skies), portending six more weeks of winter.
LOCKED OUT
When Sex Won’t Work
When my first boyfriend literally couldn’t penetrate me, I assumed we were just doing it wrong. But I was actually living with a rare and confounding condition that made sex impossible.
DIGG PICKS
What You Missed This Weekend
Balloon travel records were shattered, ISIS claimed another victim, and the Patriots clipped the Seahawks's wings.
BACK TO YOU JAMMY
Everyone Was Really Excited For The Scooter Pole Yesterday
You could practically taste the adrenaline in the air at the 2015 Sewer Hole. People just couldn't wait for the Useful Crow to get started.
A FACE PEOPLE CAN ALMOST PLACE
What It's Like To Be A Stock Photo Model
If the veil of anonymity ever does get lifted, it's often because things have gone very, very wrong.