Five Sunday Reads
This weekend, read about why cosmologists are fighting over everything, how to make the most of your professional decline, and more.
The Nobel Prize Winner Who Thinks We Have the Universe All Wrong
Cosmologists are fighting over everything.
By Ross Andersen
Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think
Here's how to make the most of it. (From 2019)
By Arthur C. Brooks
Elon Musk Is Playing God
The tech billionaire wants to shape humanity's future. Not everyone has a place there.
By Charlie Warzel and Hana Kiros
The Computer-Science Bubble Is Bursting
Artificial intelligence is ideally suited to replacing the very type of person who built it.
By Rose Horowitch
The Questions We Don't Ask Our Families but Should
Many people don't know very much about their older relatives. But if we don't ask, we risk never knowing our own history. (From 2022)
By Elizabeth Keating
The Week Ahead
Jurassic World Rebirth, an action movie about a team that makes a disturbing discovery while on a mission to retrieve DNA from dinosaurs (in theaters Wednesday)
Season 2 of The Sandman, a show about a cosmic being who controls dreams and finally escapes a more than century-long imprisonment (Volume 1 premieres Thursday on Netflix)
Dictating the Agenda, a book by Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis about the resurgence of authoritarian politics around the world (out Monday)
Essay
America's Coming Smoke Epidemic
By Zoë Schlanger
For 49 straight days, everyone in Seeley Lake was breathing smoke. A wildfire had ignited outside the small rural community in Montana, and the plume of smoke had parked itself over the houses. Air quality plummeted. At several moments, the concentration of particulate matter in the air exceeded the upper limit of what monitors could measure.
Christopher Migliaccio, an associate professor of immunology at the University of Montana, saw an opportunity to do what few have ever done: study what happens after people get exposed to wildfire smoke.
More in Culture
Catch Up on The Atlantic
Photo Album
An estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic enter oceans each year, according to the U.S. State Department. These photos show how some of it accumulates in highly visible ways.
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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Netflix just added a gripping sci-fi thriller series with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes — and it's already cracked the top 10
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. I've always loved movies and shows that incorporate time travel. As a dedicated thriller fan, I find the narrative hook ripe for shocking twists and highly memorable moments. And 'The Lazarus Project' is more proof that when used well, the narrative device creates practically unmissable TV. This British series originally aired on Sky Max in the summer of 2022 (and TNT in the U.S.), but now has found a new streaming home on Netflix. Subscribers hooked by the elevator pitch of a secret organization altering time to save the world will be pleased to know the streaming service hasn't just added a single season of the show either. Both seasons of "The Lazarus Project" have now landed on the big red streamer. At 16 episodes total, 'The Lazarus Project' is the perfect binge-watch this week. It's one of those rare shows that will have your finger hovering over the 'play next episode' button before the credits have even started rolling. With each new twist and turn, you'll be drawn further into its world of time loops, tricky moral questions and compelling characters. The show is already proving quite a hit on Netflix. Less than 48 hours after its arrival on the platform, and it's found its way into the Netflix top 10 most-watched shows list. It currently ranks No. 5 behind original series like "The Hunting Wives" and "Untamed," but as more subscribers get hooked by its many twists, it could even rise to No. 1. So, if you're on the hunt for your next Netflix binge, 'The Lazarus Project' makes a very compelling case for itself. Here's everything you need to know about this gripping sci-fi thriller series, and why critics were so impressed it managed to pull a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. What is 'The Lazarus Project' about? George (Paapa Essiedu) might be losing his grip on reality. Waking up on July 1, he lives out an eventful three months that include professional success; marrying his girlfriend, Sarah (Charly Clive); preparing for their first child; and facing a global pandemic. But then he awakens on the morning of July 1, with time having reset back to three months earlier. Stuck in a time loop, reliving the same events over and over again, nobody but George seems to be aware that time is resetting. But he's not going insane. Instead, he's one of a select group of people who can uniquely perceive the flow of time and remember the events of each timeline reset. Invited to join the Lazarus Project, he becomes part of an underground organization that works from the shadows to save the world from universe-ending threats, but the ability to rewrite the past and change the future comes with serious temptations. And George is soon forced to choose between the Lazarus Project's strict rules and saving a loved one. 'The Lazarus Project' reviews — here's why critics rate it 100% On review site Rotten Tomatoes, 'The Lazarus Project' season 1 holds a rare perfect 100% rating. This score comes from a relatively low sample size of 14 reviews, but it still speaks to the sci-fi thriller's quality and the way it managed to grip viewers across its run. 'It's all as fun to watch as it is compelling to consider,' said Judy Berman of TIME Magazine. While Cristina Escobar of praised the series for its 'thoughtful exploration of moral questions' and for packing 'plenty of suspense.' Metro's Sophie Laughton felt the show was 'a watch that's worth the ride,' and Brad Newsome of the Sydney Morning Herald said, 'This intelligent, imaginative sci-fi thriller series sets itself apart with complex, believable characters and dashes of incidental low-key humor.' "Affirming [creator] Joe Barton's status as one of the best screenwriters in the game, The Lazarus Project is exactly the kind of head-spinning, heart-pounding TV that you'll be left wanting to revisit time and again," said Jordan King of Empire Magazine in a four-star review. Dan Einav of the Financial Times was a little more mixed than some critics. 'The opening episode can feel off-puttingly clunky and déjà vu-inducing,' explained Einav. However, he noted that 'In subsequent episodes, thankfully, the eight-parter becomes more intriguing.' The show's second season, which originally debuted in November 2023, doesn't have enough reviews on Rotten Tomatoes for a rating, but the critical takes listed are universally positive. 'This twisty time-loop thriller gets even more dramatic in its second outing. Paapa Essiedu's George is a jittery joy in a smart, sharply scripted show that's lots of fun to watch,' said Leila Latif of the Guardian about 'The Lazarus Project's' second season. Should you stream 'The Lazarus Project' on Netflix? If you're looking for a compelling sci-fi series with intriguing twists and plenty of time-travel shenanigans, then 'The Lazarus Project' isn't just worthy of your watchlist — it should be right at the very top of your streaming pile. It's a compelling thriller that'll hook you instantly. Paapa Essiedu's performance is one of my favorite parts of the show, creating a character in George who is plenty likable, and with some conflicting emotions at play. Yes, he wants to save the world from global catastrophe, but he's got understandable personal desires as well, and these two goals conflict in a way that leads to seriously high-stakes drama. While much of 'The Lazarus Project' is dedicated to intense drama and universe-ending threats, there's just the right amount of humor in the mix. Like when Lazarus Project member Archie (Anjli Mohindra) explains George's abilities to him by describing him as a 'mutant,' but making a point of noting he's "not like Wolverine.' Of course, as a show about time loops and changing the past to alter the future, there is a degree of time travel jargon in 'The Lazarus Project,' and the timeline can get a bit knotty as the show progresses. But these are minor quibbles, and for the most part, 'The Lazarus Project' does a good job of keeping things flowing without the plot spinning out of control. However, before you commit to watching based on all the praise written above, there is one frustrating element I need to warn you about. Sadly, 'The Lazarus Project' was canceled after two seasons, and the season 2 finale ended on a massive cliffhanger — one that looks set to go forever unresolved. So be prepared to be left with lingering questions. This blemish aside, 'The Lazarus Project' is a must-watch series for sci-fi thriller fans, and I'm hoping it's enjoyed a deserved resurgence now that it's arrived on Netflix. In fact, maybe if it manages to make such a large splash on the world's biggest streaming service, then it could be revived for a third season. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part. 'The Lazarus Project' is among the final few major additions to Netflix this month, but the streaming service has already confirmed its slate of new content for August. So, here's a guide to everything new on Netflix in August, if you want to start planning your streaming a little early. Watch "The Lazarus Project" season 1-2 on Netflix now Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. More from Tom's Guide New on Netflix in August 2025 Netflix's new original looks like a mystery-laced revenge story 5 top new shows to stream this week
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Gizmodo
The Films and Shows You Should Be Streaming in August 2025
A new era of streaming selections is here. For the past several years, our monthly column, the Nerd's Watch, has been the place to find out all the best genre titles coming to the biggest streaming services. It wasn't a complete list. We just posted the titles we think you'd care about, but it was still long, and frankly, it was hard to pick out the best of the best. Months before the new remake with Jack Black and Paul Rudd, revisit the iconic camp classic with Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez. It wasn't meant to be a camp classic, but it is now. Groundhog Day is one of those movies that just gets better and better the more you watch it. It's so expertly put together, so funny, so heartfelt. Just a true modern classic. We're onto our third Jurassic Park trilogy, but the original—Jurassic Park, The Lost World, and the underrated Jurassic Park III—are all reemerging on Netflix this month. Just in time for its 40th anniversary, the John Hughes comedy about two nerds who create a woman in a computer is popping up on two streamers. It's incredibly dated but also, thanks to John Hughes, still pretty delightful. Call them the Paul Walker years. The first seven Fast and Furious movies are all coming to Netflix (as well as Hobbs and Shaw), and you can make an argument that it was the passing of Walker, during Furious 7, that derailed the whole thing. Hopefully things get back up to speed in the future, but at least we'll always have these movies (and Hobbs and Shaw, unfortunately). The star-studded adaptation of the iconic Douglas Adams novel is nowhere near as good as the source material, but is anything? That the movie shared even a sliver of the genius and fun of the novel makes this one worth watching. Remember when Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz co-starred in one of the best superhero movies ever, alongside Nicolas Cage, and directed by Matthew Vaughn? Well, if not, now is the time to watch it again. J.J. Abrams writes and directs this Amblin-inspired tale of a group of kids who film a train crash, only to realize it's at the center of mysterious happenings around town. I've been meaning to revisit this one. One of the weirdest movies you'll see this year is this Stephen King adaptation, produced by James Wan and directed by Osgood Perkins. It's about a family tied in with a toy monkey that kills people seemingly at random. It's super violent and super funny. I'm writing this one more for myself than anyone else. Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard co-directed this camp-based slasher movie that looks like a lot of fun. I missed it in theaters but definitely will check it out on streaming. Please refer to the above video. From Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the directors of Captain Marvel, comes this 'freaky' retro anthology starring Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Dominique Thorne, and other actors who aren't in Marvel movies. You may have missed it, but earlier this year, A24 released this very unique and gorgeous film about a seemingly regular rural town that's thrown into peril because of a group of nearby creatures. Creatures that one of the young women in the town becomes friends with. Willem Dafoe is among the stars. It'll be about a year until we next see James Gunn's DC Universe on the big screen, but before then, it'll be very active on HBO Max. First up, season two of the irreverent Peacemaker starring John Cena. It ties directly into the events of Superman and pushes the whole narrative forward. Have you ever wanted to know more about Wakanda in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Well, this new animated series is just the ticket. I feel like I'm in Edge of Tomorrow with how I always repeat myself, but here it goes again. Every time Edge of Tomorrow, the Tom Cruise-Emily Blunt time loop sci-fi action film, appears on a streamer, I will let you know. If you stream it, we will watch. It's not quite Edge of Tomorrow, but if you want another super solid Tom Cruise sci-fi film, this one from Joseph Kosinski, the director of Tron: Legacy, Top Gun: Maverick, and F1, well, here you go. After a season with equal parts character and carnage, the video game adaptation starring Anthony Mackie is back. And, this season, it's all about the car battle royale that made the series so popular. One of the more underrated films of 2024 was this incredibly visceral action film starring and directed by Dev Patel. Highly recommended. Spike Jonze directs, Charlie Kaufman writes, and Nicolas Cage stars alongside Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, and others. Not many movies could live up to that incredible roster, but this one does. There have been seven Paranormal Activity movies, and the first six (1, 2, 3, 4, Ghost Dimension, and Marked Ones) are all coming to Paramount+. Some are better than others, but it's a really strong, scary, found-footage franchise. Jim Carrey stars as a man who lives a pretty great life until he figures out he's the star of the world's largest reality TV series. A modern classic that gets better and better with age. One of those 1990s slashers that came out in the wake of Scream and has its fans, as well as its haters. We're in the first camp, what about you? Weeks after becoming probably the first indie horror movie to get its own corn maze at San Diego Comic-Con, the horror movie with the perfect, direct title is coming to streaming. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Scientific American
3 days ago
- Scientific American
—Have Weathered Attacks Before and Won
Worth recalling in this anniversary year, one of Scientific American 's proudest moments came in a past era of attacks on science. The lesson—that speaking out for science is worth the criticism it brings—is surely worth recalling today. The year was 1950, and the 'red scare' was fully underway, alongside a nascent arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The Soviet demonstration of an atomic bomb in 1949 had galvanized calls for a bigger bomb, a hydrogen bomb, in the U.S., sparking the paranoia today best remembered for claiming the career of Manhattan Project chief J. Robert Oppenheimer. But a war on scientists not toeing the political line was in full swing then, and Scientific American was in the thick of it. On March 20, 1950, a U.S. Atomic Energy Commission agent named Alvin F. Ryan seized and burned 3,000 copies of the forthcoming April issue of Scientific American, which the commission claimed held atomic secrets. Ryan also supervised the melting of four printing plates holding a feature story in the issue, ' The Hydrogen Bomb: II,' that contained the supposedly objectionable information within one of its columns. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. 'Strict compliance with the commission's policies would mean that we could not teach physics,' said an outraged Gerard Piel, then publisher of Scientific American, in the April 1, 1950, report of the seizure on the front page of the New York Times. He threatened to take further censorship to the Supreme Court. Piel had relaunched Scientific American in 1948, with a focus on bringing the views of scientists like Bethe, thoughtfully edited, to the public. This scientists-as-writers approach came about by happenstance, Scientific American editor Gary Stix found while researching the history of the magazine. Piel found it was cheaper to pay scientists to write copy and then rewrite it, rather than hire magazine writers. The approach proved so successful, with the public then clamoring to hear the news straight from scientists, that the magazine had 100,000 readers and 133 pages of advertising by 1950. Berthe's article was just one of four published by the magazine on the H-bomb, which President Harry Truman had decided to pursue in January of 1950. Much debate, among scientists and the public, followed over whether such a weapon would make the U.S. safer or endanger humanity. The Nobel Prize–winning discoverer of how fusion in stars baked elements, Bethe, was in the latter camp. His article went through the physics of fusion and pled to 'save humanity from this ultimate disaster' by reconsidering the president's H-bomb decision, or at least pledging no first use of the weapons in warfare, a commitment still unmade, and widely debated in nuclear circles. 'Piel had made his publication an important forum for critical analysis of U.S. science policy during the coldest years of the cold war,' in exposing the Atomic Energy Commission's attack on press freedom, wrote history professor Alfred W. McCoy. To satisfy the AEC, Bethe made four 'ritual' cuts to the final version of the article and published it. Even so, U.S. security officials continued to pressure scientists and the press over the course of the red scare. The FBI searched Bethe's luggage after a European trip in 1951. ' Scientific American runs to the sort of stuff which the Soviets would like to see in a popular science journal,' claimed an AEC memorandum that same year. The U.S. tested its first H-bomb a year later, and stripped Oppenheimer of his security clearance, in 1954, in a power play now seen as a political vendetta. The arms race played out through the 1960s, building stockpiles of tens of thousands of nuclear missiles on both sides until its folly, and frightening close brushes with Armageddon, lowered those numbers in an era of détente, the sort of world that Bethe had called for in his article. All the while, Scientific American stood for the importance of scientists speaking out, and providing the public, even amid the unhinged persecution of the red scare, choices for a better world. Throughout science, the lesson stood, among eminent voices ranging from Linus Pauling to Carl Sagan. Scientists led calls for test ban treaties and disarmament; they warned of nuclear winter throughout the cold war. In the magazine, former CIA official Herbert Scoville Jr. warned of the danger of a new generation of U.S. submarines as 'first-strike' weapons, that familiar warning, in 1972. Bethe himself kept speaking out, against the Reagan administration's 'Star Wars' missile defense plan as unworkable, costly and destabilizing in the 1980s (views heard today on its current 'Golden Dome' revival). Accepting the Einstein Peace Prize in 1992, he acknowledged that while scientists had not ended the cold war, they had succeeded in 'planting the idea there was an alternative to the arms race.' Their example, and that idea, remains as important as ever, especially with U.S. science facing severe cuts, and nuclear weapons a renewed flashpoint in geopolitics. Piel's statement released after the 1950 seizure—'there is a very large body of technical information in the public domain which is essential to adequate public participation in the development of national policy and on which the American people are entitled to be informed'—still stands true today at this magazine. We will continue to speak out and provide scientists with a place to make their voices heard.
