Skip to content

Recommended Writing

All longform pieces recommended on The Slow Scroll

Life lessons from a coastal wolf pack
High Country News24 Feb 2025 • ~2350 words

Caroline Van Hemert shares her family's encounter with a coastal wolf pack in Glacier Bay National Park. Witnessing both the harsh realities of nature and the surprising resilience of wildlife, Van Hemert reveals how these wolves have altered their diet dramatically in response t...

How ‘Event Scripts’ Structure Our Personal Memories
Quanta Magazine21 Feb 2025 • ~3700 words

Through brain scanning techniques, researchers have uncovered how sequences of familiar events—like dining in a restaurant or navigating an airport—serve as scaffolds for our memories. Ingrid Wickelgren explores how these "event scripts." as scientists call them, help us connect ...

A Climate Solution on the Half Shell
Noema25 Feb 2025 • ~3500 words

Aryn Baker explores how oyster farming in La Spezia, Italy, not only provides a sustainable food source but also contributes to coastal protection and marine biodiversity.

The Men Spending $1,000 a Day in Pursuit of Big Bass 
Texas Monthly23 Feb 2025 • ~6150 words

Some bass fishing enthusiasts are willing to spend up to $1,000 a day in search of the ultimate catch: a trophy-sized largemouth bass. Ryan Krogh explores the unique subculture of anglers, who pursue these elusive fish in private lakes across Texas. The piece delves into the pass...

The Women Who Made America’s Microchips and the Children Who Paid for It
The Verge18 Feb 2025 • ~5700 words

Justine Calma writes about the health ramifications for early semiconductor factory workers in Silicon Valley. She focuses on the experiences of women like Yvette Flores, whose exposure to hazardous chemicals while working in chip manufacturing led to their children being born wi...

The Teacher in Room 1214
New York Times23 Feb 2025 • ~3000 words

This piece examines Ivy Schamis' journey following the loss of two students in the Parkland school shooting, highlighting her steadfast dedication to supporting her students' emotional and mental health in its aftermath. Though she eventually left Parkland to focus on her own hea...

In Hawai‘i, Restoring Kava Helps Sustain Native Food Culture
Civil Eats24 Feb 2025 • ~2400 words

Despite the FDA's cautious stance on kava due to potential health risks, Hawai'i has labeled it as Generally Recognized as Safe. Naoki Nitta highlights the historical suppression of kava, its recent revival through the efforts of farmers and activists, and the challenges posed by...

Chatbots of the dead
Aeon21 Feb 2025 • ~5400 words

Chatbots of the dead are AI technologies that simulate conversations with the deceased using their personal data. There are important questions about the ethics of these technologies, but the authors are optimistic, arguing for them to be viewed as artistic props, fostering imagi...

The Long Modernization of the Italian Railways
Italian (urban) Letters18 Feb 2025 • ~4447 words

The evolution of Italy's railway system is an ongoing effort that spans over a century. Marco Chitti explores how the Italian railways transformed from outdated infrastructure into a network capable of meeting modern demands. Chitti details the technical and political challenges ...

The Cat’s Meat Man
The Public Domain Review12 Feb 2025 • ~2550 words

Kathryn Hughes writes about the lives of Victorian London's "cat's meat men," who sold cheap meat to pet owners. This took place during a time when public attitudes toward cats were shifting—from being seen primarily as rat catchers to becoming beloved domestic companions. The tr...