Welcome to the December issue of The Highlight

We’re ending 2024 with more questions than answers. There are the timely ones: Can men and women really be friends when the gender divide has become so stark and contentious? And does the term “Latino” make sense in politics anymore? There are some more existential ones, too, like who has the right to die? Can tourism actually save a planet in crisis?

This month we’re also making the case against optimization, taking a look at how AI impacts vulnerable Americans, and uncovering the hidden antibiotic tradeoff for kids. Plus, there’s interpersonal relationship advice, book recommendations just for members, and a Highlight podcast on inventing a future to fight for.

Is the group too diverse to think of with just one word?

Yes, men and women can (and probably should) be friends, even when relations are fraught.

Author Eman Abdelhadi on imagining a better world.

The perils of trying to optimize your morality

I tried to make the perfect choice every time. It eroded my humanity.

“I want a book that will give me hope that things will get better.”

Books to get you through the next four years.

Why thousands of people are traveling to one country to see these birds

An unexpected industry is booming in Colombia. Here’s why that’s a good thing.

Major change doesn’t have to wreck your friendships

Everyone evolves. Your friendships can too.

The high-tech future of assisted suicide is here. The world isn’t ready.

A “suicide pod” in Switzerland roils the right-to-die debate.

Giving healthy kids antibiotics saves lives. There’s a catch.

An intervention to reduce child mortality may accelerate drug resistance.

LA thinks AI could help decide which homeless people get scarce housing — and which don’t

Without enough houses for its growing homeless population, the city is using machine learning to make its process fairer.

Wait, should I bother using antibacterial soap?

It turns out cleaning your hands is more complicated than killing germs.