How a new technology is changing the lives of people who cannot speak – Jordan Kisner

Millions are robbed of the power of speech by illness, injury or lifelong conditions. Can the creation of bespoke digital voices transform their ability to communicate?

Why Silicon Valley billionaires are prepping for the apocalypse in New Zealand – Mark O’Connell

How an extreme libertarian tract predicting the collapse of liberal democracies – written by Jacob Rees-Mogg’s father – inspired the likes of Peter Thiel to buy up property across the Pacific.

Yes, bacon really is killing us – Bee Wilson

Decades’ worth of research proves that chemicals used to make bacon do cause cancer. So how did the meat industry convince us it was safe?

The YouTube star who fought back against revenge porn – and won – Jenny Kleeman

Four years after her ex posted explicit videos filmed without her consent, Chrissy Chambers talks about the gruelling legal battle that nearly destroyed her.

Why I’m suing over my dream internship – Amalia Illgner

It’s time to end a system that excludes the less privileged from the arts, media and politics.

How many murders can a police informer get away with? – Ian Cobain

Last year Northern Irish paramilitary Gary Haggarty pleaded guilty to hundreds of violent crimes, including many killings – while working for the British state.

The spectacular power of big lens – Sam Knight

How one giant company will dominate the way the whole world sees.

Why Silicon Valley can’t fix itself – Moira Weigel & Ben Tarnoff

Tech insiders have finally started admitting their mistakes – but the solutions they are offering could just help the big players get even more powerful.

Forgeries have got so good – and so costly – that Sotheby’s has brought in its own in-house fraud-busting expert.

No language in history has dominated the world quite like English does today. Is there any point in resisting?

The age of patriarchy: how an unfashionable idea became a rallying cry for feminism today – Charlotte Higgins

A term that was derided and abandoned a decade ago has come roaring back to life.

The free speech panic: how the right concocted a crisis – William Davies

Snowflake students have become the target of a new rightwing crusade. But exaggerated claims of censorship reveal a deeper anxiety at the core of modern conservatism.

Israel sees the international boycott campaign as an existential threat to the Jewish state. Palestinians regard it as their last resort.

How TripAdvisor changed travel – Linda Kinstler

The world’s biggest travel site has turned the industry upside down – but now it is struggling to deal with the same kinds of problems that are vexing other tech giants like Facebook, Google and Twitter.

After they were locked out of their own stadium, an unlikely band of supporters came together to save the club.

Decades after it became part of the fabric of our lives, a worldwide revolt against plastic is under way.

After a trial that dominated the news, the accused were all found not guilty. But the case had tapped into a deeper rage that has not died down.

Field of dreams: heartbreak and heroics at the World Ploughing Championships – Sophie Elmhirst

Some compare it to snooker, others to figure skating. But for those who have given their lives to competitive ploughing, it’s more than a sport, it’s a way of life.

Saifullah Paracha, the oldest prisoner in Guantánamo Bay, will probably die in detention without ever being charged. His son is currently in a US prison. Both have been in custody for almost 15 years, accused of aiding al-Qaida. But did they?

Bowel movement: the push to change the way you poo – Alex Blasdel

Are you sitting comfortably? Many people are not – and they insist that the way we’ve been going to the toilet is all wrong.

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