Menu Close

Articles on Speed reads

Displaying 1 - 20 of 181 articles

America’s biggest book publishers originally viewed LGBTQ+ romance as a niche market. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images

What’s behind the astonishing rise in LGBTQ+ romance literature?

It’s tempting to see this trend as a sign of the times. But the biggest book publishers started changing their approach only once they realized they were leaving money on the table.
Gender-affirming surgeries give transgender people the opportunity to align their bodies with their gender identity. Luke Dray/Getty Images

Transgender regret? Research challenges narratives about gender-affirming surgeries

The findings push back against the notion that many transgender people end up wishing they hadn’t gone through with gender-affirming surgeries.
Some Luddites simply want to press ‘pause’ on the uninhibited march of technological progress. Stan Eales/iStock via Getty Images

What’s a Luddite? An expert on technology and society explains

Despite the association of ‘Luddite’ with a naïve rejection of technology, the term and its origins are far richer and more complex than you might think.
Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed a cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, in late 2021 while filming a movie in New Mexico. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

What is involuntary manslaughter? A law professor explains the charge facing Alec Baldwin for ‘Rust’ shooting death

To convict Alec Baldwin of manslaughter for the on-set deadly shooting of Halyna Hutchins in 2021, prosecution will need to show that the actor was either reckless or criminally negligent.
Only about 1 in 3 LGBTQ victims of violent hate crimes seek professional help for mental health issues that emerge after an attack. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

LGBTQ Americans are 9 times more likely to be victimized by a hate crime

For the first time, researchers have been able to produce estimates of the rate of hate crimes against LGBTQ people.
Given the complexity of polycules, it’s important for participants to be on the same page. Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images

What’s a polycule? An expert on polyamory explains

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, his on-and-off girlfriend, Caroline Ellison, and others involved in the company were reportedly in a polycule together.
U.S. banana growers heavily influenced several Central American governments in the early 20th century. George Rinhart/Getty Images

What’s a banana republic? A political scientist explains

The US grows hardly any tropical fruit. So why are politicians and political commentators saying the country is at risk of devolving into a banana republic?
Though intolerance is still commonplace, young Americans are finding it less stigmatizing to openly identify as trans. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

A window into the number of trans teens living in America

A new study that breaks down the number of trans teens by state could give policymakers a better idea of how many kids will be affected by anti-trans legislation.
Cancer-causing viruses like HPV can cause cells to divide indefinitely and, in the case of Henrietta Lacks, become immortal. Tom Deerinck/NIH via Flickr

What are HeLa cells? A cancer biologist explains

The immortal cancer cells of Henrietta Lacks revolutionized the fields of science, medicine and bioethics. And they still survive today, more than 70 years after her death.
The official child poverty rate is about the same today as in 1967. More Than Words Photography by Alisa Brouwer/Moment Open via Getty Images

1 in 6 US kids are in families below the poverty line

An alternative approach to measuring poverty detected a decline in 2021, amid a surge in government support for low-income families.

Top contributors

More