The Complicated Story of Hawai‘i’s Pigs (Hakai Magazine)
by Brendan Borrell
Hawaiians’ relationships with the islands’ pigs have changed dramatically over the 1,000-plus years since Polynesian people first brought the creatures there. Today, efforts to curb their population and protect native wildlife are tangled in this complex legacy.

How to Think About Revenge (Public Books)
by Michael Walker
A child is locked up for a crime he didn’t commit. Released, he becomes an activist fighting the carceral system. Then he’s murdered. Sito’s life and death raise questions about how institutions, and families, understand justice.

The Lithium Riches of Nevada (Eos)
by Evan Howell
New technologies have made lithium an enormously valuable resource. Nevada has a lot of it, thanks to some fascinating accidents of geology and climate.

Counting the World’s Languages (Sapiens)
by Damián Blasi
Human beings speak more than 7,000 languages. Attempts to catalogue them involve missionaries, brands, and a passion project run by a handful of linguists. The work is fraught with cultural, political, and logistical issues.

“Volunteer Firefighters” for Nuclear Disaster (NPR)
by Geoff Brumfiel
Sometimes an unexpected puddle of nuclear radiation turns out to be nothing scarier than urine containing radioactive dye. Other times, it could be something much worse. Whatever it is, a team of moonlighting scientists and government employees stands ready to investigate.

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