Immersive technologies, such as virtual reality, have promised to allow users to explore everything from atoms to archaeological sites without ever having to leave a headset. I spoke to leaders in the field and wrote about how the educational use of these technologies is maturing (PDF).

I offer some solutions to a problem that many writers, students, and professors complain about. I’ve always believed that writers’ block is the result of improper research—often too much or too little—and poor planning, rather than actually being an obstacle during writing itself.

In the summer of 2019, the political situation in Sudan looked hopeful. Street protests, led largely by young people, had toppled the regime of the long-time dictator, Omar al-Bashir. But women, who had felt free to escape social restrictions, return to the streets and join the protests, were excluded from a transitional council that was supposed to rule the country.

Cambodia was one of the first countries where I did international reporting. In visits to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Documentation Center of Cambodia, I got a chilling look at the details of how political prisoners had been tortured to death.