13 Unsolved Scientific Puzzles

This story was originally published in 2020. We’re republishing it as the 2024 holiday season kicks into gear, with many new offerings in the same vein hitting the streamer. It’s official: our brains are fried. The holiday season is stressful enough in normal times. But this year, what we wouldn’t give to have that normal level of present-buying, cookie-baking, tree-decorating stress, instead of all this 2020-specific heartache, anxiety and exhaustion.

About 79.9 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2 for the Thanksgiving holiday—a new record, according to projections from the American Automobile Association (AAA). That number is up by 1.7 million compared to 2023 and by 2 million compared to 2019, according to AAA.

The world faces a perfect storm of crises, many of which can seem intractable. The impacts of climate change are becoming more obvious by the day, including injuries and deaths from storms, flooding, and wildfires. The Middle East, central Europe, and Africa, among other regions, are embroiled in deadly and destabilizing wars.

Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, who compose music under the name Barlow and Bear, speak to TIME about forming their musical partnership, bringing their flair to the songs of Moana 2, and their experiences at the Grammys and on stage with Beyoncé.

WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss the case accusing President-elect Donald Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, citing longstanding Justice Department policy shielding presidents from prosecution while in office. The move announced in court papers marks the end of the Justice Department’s landmark effort to hold Trump accountable for what prosecutors called a criminal conspiracy to cling to power in the run-up to his supporters’ attack on the U.

Ready or not, the holidays are here. It’s a time when many Americans accustomed to preparing simple meals find themselves responsible for safely serving multi-dish feasts. It’s no easy task. Outbreaks of some types of food poisoning tend to rise in November and December, according to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.