Culture
The best of times is now
History podcasts are booming
Why listening to stories about the past are a present pastime
Gross-out
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is revolting, but popular
The film has had the highest-grossing opening of an R-rated film
The sports page
Slow down: longer races offer fans more than sprints do
Middle- and long-distance races have a drama that short ones cannot match
Travel companions
We enjoyed reading these books on holiday. You might, too
A selection of titles chosen by The Economist’s journalists
The empire strikes back
A moving memoir probes the contradictions of modern China
Edward Wong narrates his father’s journey from servant of the party to escapee
A mountainous legacy
Few writers have seen America more clearly than James Baldwin
A century after his birth, Baldwin remains one of the country’s most important authors
Biology
A primer on RNA, perhaps the most consequential molecule of all
“The Catalyst” looks at RNA’s role in life’s origins as well as its medical uses
World in a dish
Tinned fish is swimming against the tide
Once a staple of wartime diets, it is now a social-media phenomenon
Finding the beat
The Paris Olympics are breaking’s one shot to become a global sport
But its inclusion was not without controversy
Spine-tingling
How long would it take to read the greatest books of all time?
The Economist consulted bibliophile data scientists to get an answer
The sports page
The most memorable part of the Paris Olympics may be uncompetitive
Opening ceremonies remain a core part of the Olympic experience
The river runs through it
The Seine may determine athletes’ success at the Paris Olympics
Yet the river plays an even more vital role in the culture and economy of the city