Go Ahead, Do Nothing

We push ourselves to work harder, but taking a break can often fuel a burst in productivity and creativity

Swish Burn Love

It’s not pretty, and it’s not sweet: how brown Listerine became no. 1 in Americans’ hearts and mouths

24-Karat Nuggets About Gold

Pure gold is so ductile (translation: stretchy), a single ounce of it can be drawn out into a thread 50 miles long without breaking (at which point it also would be too thin to see). If you did this to all of the existing gold in the world, it would wrap around the earth 11 million times.

From Role Model to Runway Model

A disabled activist won’t let Twitter trolls stop her from seeing herself as she really is—a star

A Teacher's Lifesaving Call

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Julia Koch began what was only her second year as a first-grade teacher in a virtual classroom at Edgewood Elementary School in Muskegon Heights, Michigan. One September afternoon a few weeks into the school year, she received a call from Cynthia Phillips, who was having technical difficulties with her granddaughter’s tools for online learning.

Does This DOG Know Whether You Have CANCER?

The canine nose is a marvel of nature. Science believes that a computerized model will save millions of lives.

Lift Your Own Spirits

We all feel down now and then, especially lately. These techniques can help you bounce back.

Rules for Being the Age You Are

Whether you’re 20 or 120, the author’s surprise-filled guide can help most anyone live happily ever

The Power of Family

This year, we asked readers a question: "When you think of 'family', what's the image you see?" The winning submissions, and the stories behind them, were all universal and remarkably moving.

When Mom Broke Her Leg

To her great surprise, everyone else stepped up

We Found a Fix

9 Tricks to Improve Your Life*

Heroes of the Virus

As America continues to recover from the worst medical catastrophe of the past 100 years, one remarkable legacy will be the stories of the ordinary individuals who held us together

The Shirts Off Their Backs

Michael Todd wore the same clothes every day for the first three weeks of school.

Do We Really Need Sun Protection?

For years, we’ve been told to stay out of the sun and use sunscreen. Those guidelines may not only be unnecessary—they also could be harming our overall health.

The Arrow That Saved My Life—Twice

After a freak backyard accident almost kills her, a Texas woman is taken on a miraculous medical journey

13 Things: Get a Healthy Home

Most of us have spent more time at home recently than we ever imagined possible.

“Don't Give Up”

Her heartbroken hometown needed a sign, so she gave them one

A Life in Buttons

Bought at auction, a vintage cookie tin opens a window into a neighbor’s secreted heart

WHY ARE MILITARY FAMILIES ON FOOD STAMPS?

Some of America’s bravest are going hungry. Why aren’t we doing more to help them?

This Team Is a Disaster

Sports franchise names that make their fans want to call a mover

THEY GOT AWAY WITH MURDER

Five whodunits that continue to confound the law

THE RISK OF NOT TRYING NEW FOODS

There’s actually a scientific term for the fear of tasting unfamiliar dishes: food neophobia. It’s not just the name that can be scary. A study from Finland and Estonia found that people with this trait eat lower-quality diets overall and have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes—regardless of their age, sex, or weight. To add more variety to your diet, you’ll need to be persistent. “An individual may need to try a new food 10 to 15 times before getting accustomed to it,” says study coauthor Heikki Sarin.

TAKING THE LEAP

A woman in search of a life with less fear confronts her three biggest triggers—all at once

PIECE OF MIND

Jigsaw puzzles aren’t just fun. They can also relieve anxiety, especially when you put them together, well, together.

New Help for Aching Backs

Old advice: Pain pills, high-tech tests, shots, and surgery. The latest science: Harness your brain, lace up your sneakers, and go low-tech.

HEROES IN THE HEARTLAND

It has been 25 years since a truck bomb ripped through a federal office building in Oklahoma City. The tales of courage and survival amid the horror that day are as searing and inspiring as ever.

A Very Special Tax Break

When a Detroit man heard a woman was about to lose her house, he opened his heart—and his wallet

A Lifesaving Traffic Stop

Kemira Boyd had just jumped in the shower when she heard her stepmother, Tammy Boyd, banging on the door. Kemira’s 12-day-old daughter was choking.

How I Know It's SPRING

It’s not the calendar that alerts me. In my small town, the telltale signs are the ones that melt my heart.

A Cut Above

Wheeling her red chair and scissors around the city, a salon owner gives out-of-luck strangers the gift of visibility—one free hairdo at a time