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[Report] Shadow of a Doubt

How OCD came to haunt American life

by Andrew Kay,

Current Issue July 2025

[Essay] The Geological Sublime

Butterflies, deep time, and climate change

by Lewis Hyde,

[Letter from Oceania] Lost Tribes of the South Pacific

How a band of island nations became Israel’s staunchest defenders

by Pete McKenzie,

[Harper’s Index]

Chance that FEMA declared a major disaster in the United States on any given day last year : 1 in 6

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who experienced at least one of these disasters : 34

[Harper’s Index]

Chance that an American who was displaced by a disaster last year has not returned home : 1 in 9

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who fear that they or a loved one will be deported : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who say they have recently delayed a major purchase because of tariffs : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Who say they have canceled such a purchase entirely : 1/4

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who said last year that foreign trade represented an opportunity to grow the U.S. economy : 60

[Harper’s Index]

Who say so now : 81

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase over the past year in incidents of maritime piracy : 35

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who say that the country would be better off if more Americans worked in manufacturing : 4/5

[Harper’s Index]

Who say they themselves would be better off working in manufacturing : 1/4

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which the number of American lawyers per capita has increased since 1970 : 4

[Harper’s Index]

Average number of instruction hours that it takes to become a lawyer in the United States : 1,250

[Harper’s Index]

To become a licensed hairdresser : 1,500

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage decrease since 2022 in jobs in the film and television industry in Los Angeles : 23

[Harper’s Index]

Total number of “shooting days” on Los Angeles film sets in 2022 : 52,837

[Harper’s Index]

In 2024 : 30,574

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage decrease since 2020 in the number of computer programmers employed in the United States : 38

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which the prevalence of the word “kiss” in English-language publications has increased since 2000 : 7

[Harper’s Index]

The word “orgasm” : 5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Pornhub users under the age of 25 are more likely than others to search for foot-related pornography : 28

[Harper’s Index]

By which they are more likely to search for virtual-reality pornography : 136

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum number of violent attacks committed by “pedophile hunters” in the United States since 2023 : 170

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2023 in the portion of Democrats who say the government should restrict false information online : –17

[Harper’s Index]

In the portion of Republicans who say so : +10

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of remaining phone battery life at which the average American says they begin to “panic” : 38

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans in relationships who have looked at their partner’s text messages without permission : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Number of ceasefires that occurred worldwide between 1989 and 2020 : 2,203

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of these that were sustained for the agreed-upon time period : 40

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated minimum amount that the average American taxpayer spent on weapons for Israel last year : $112.12

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated number of children worldwide who will lose access to malnutrition treatment as a result of cuts to USAID : 6,500,000

[Harper’s Index]

Chance that a malnourished child who loses access to such treatment will die within three months : 1 in 2

[Harper’s Index]

Number of excess deaths projected to occur by 2040 if cuts to foreign aid remain in place : 25,300,000

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Democrats who believe that Republicans are “downright evil” : 48

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Republicans who believe this of Democrats : 53

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who say that Donald Trump should be the pope : 6

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Harper’s Art Desk

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Photographs from the book Italia O Italia, by Federico Clavarino, which was published last year by VOID. © The artist. Courtesy VOID

Heena, a mixed-media artwork (unique photographic transfer print on khadi fabric, embroidery, mirror-work) by Spandita Malik, whose work is on view through June 28 at Robert Mann Gallery, in New York City © The artist. Courtesy Robert Mann Gallery, New York City

“Tree Talker,” a photograph by Maria Antelman, whose work is on view through July 3 at Yancey Richardson, New York City. Courtesy the artist and Yancey Richardson, New York City

Elusive Realities, 1989–2000, a mixed-media artwork (vegetable color, dry pigment, watercolor, tea, and collage on wasli paper) by Shahzia Sikander, whose book, Collective Behavior, was published by Monacelli Press. This catalog was published to accompany the artist’s mid-career retrospective, which premiered at the 60th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale and was on view last month concurrently at the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

My story might be true, a painting by Audun Alvestad, whose work is on view through September 13 at Kristin Hjellegjerde, West Palm Beach. Courtesy the artist and Kristin Hjellegjerde, West Palm Beach

Chance that FEMA declared a major disaster in the United States on any given day last year : 1 in 6

Percentage of Americans who experienced at least one of these disasters : 34

Chance that an American who was displaced by a disaster last year has not returned home : 1 in 9

Percentage of Americans who fear that they or a loved one will be deported : 19

Portion of Americans who say they have recently delayed a major purchase because of tariffs : 1/3

Who say they have canceled such a purchase entirely : 1/4

Percentage of Americans who said last year that foreign trade represented an opportunity to grow the U.S. economy : 60

Who say so now : 81

Percentage increase over the past year in incidents of maritime piracy : 35

Portion of Americans who say that the country would be better off if more Americans worked in manufacturing : 4/5

Who say they themselves would be better off working in manufacturing : 1/4

Factor by which the number of American lawyers per capita has increased since 1970 : 4

Average number of instruction hours that it takes to become a lawyer in the United States : 1,250

To become a licensed hairdresser : 1,500

Percentage decrease since 2022 in jobs in the film and television industry in Los Angeles : 23

Total number of “shooting days” on Los Angeles film sets in 2022 : 52,837

In 2024 : 30,574

Percentage decrease since 2020 in the number of computer programmers employed in the United States : 38

Portion of U.S. math teachers who use AI in their work : 1/5

Of English teachers : 2/5

Of school principals : 3/5

Factor by which the prevalence of the word “kiss” in English-language publications has increased since 2000 : 7

The word “orgasm” : 5

Percentage by which Pornhub users under the age of 25 are more likely than others to search for foot-related pornography : 28

By which they are more likely to search for virtual-reality pornography : 136

Minimum number of violent attacks committed by “pedophile hunters” in the United States since 2023 : 170

Percentage change since 2023 in the portion of Democrats who say the government should restrict false information online : –17

In the portion of Republicans who say so : +10

Percentage of remaining phone battery life at which the average American says they begin to “panic” : 38

Portion of Americans in relationships who have looked at their partner’s text messages without permission : 1/2

Number of ceasefires that occurred worldwide between 1989 and 2020 : 2,203

Percentage of these that were sustained for the agreed-upon time period : 40

Estimated minimum amount that the average American taxpayer spent on weapons for Israel last year : $112.12

Estimated number of children worldwide who will lose access to malnutrition treatment as a result of cuts to USAID : 6,500,000

Chance that a malnourished child who loses access to such treatment will die within three months : 1 in 2

Number of excess deaths projected to occur by 2040 if cuts to foreign aid remain in place : 25,300,000

Percentage of Democrats who believe that Republicans are “downright evil” : 48

Percentage of Republicans who believe this of Democrats : 53

Percentage of Americans who say that Donald Trump should be the pope : 6

June 24, 2025

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Demanding Pleasures

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Past Issues

Harper’s Finest

From the Archive

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Microplastics were found in sixty-two of sixty-two human placentas from a biobank in Texas.

Toxicity has remained a consistent feature of online interactions since 1989.

Humans are losing their ability to digest cellulose.

A metal scar on the surface of the white dwarf WD 0816-310 indicated that it has cannibalized other bodies in its orbit.

An orca acting alone killed a great white shark and ate its liver.

Genomic analysis indicated that psychedelic mushrooms emerged around the time of the Mesozoic–Cenozoic mass extinction.

The playing speed of a metal guitarist directly correlates with his intrasexual competitiveness but not his mating success.

Depression in humans is correlated with higher body temperature, and cold-water swimming mitigates menopause symptoms.

Researchers warned that, as temperatures rise, humans should prepare for more diarrhea.

Off the Five Finger Islands, a team of cetologists aboard the Glacier Seal conducted an extended conversation with a female humpback named Twain.

Astrophysicists argued that the development of advanced alien technology requires an atmosphere composed of at least 18 percent oxygen.

Onshore wind turbines severely deter German bats from foraging.

An AI that was fed the employment and health data of six million Danes turned out to be more accurate than existing sociological methods at predicting if a given person was about to die.

A mother is 4.6 percent more likely to give birth in the same month she was born, and adjacent siblings are 12.1 percent more likely to be born in the same month as one another.

Electric eel discharge transforms the DNA of zebrafish larvae.

True crabs independently evolved to live out of the ocean up to seventeen times.

The average American girl born in 2019 will take prescription drugs for more than half her life.

Scientists were not certain whether the globally synchronized waves observed in the brains of wakeful rats on ketamine or LSD were a cause or a symptom of hallucinations.

Geoscientists were confident that, given access to the oldest barnacles on the flaperon of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, they could help pinpoint its crash site.

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