Explainers

We live in a world of too much information and too little context. Too much noise and too little insight. That's where Vox's explainers come in.

Why the US scrapped Polish plans to give Ukraine fighter jets

NATO countries are weighing military assistance to Ukraine carefully.

By Ellen Ioanes

Could Putin actually fall?

What history teaches us about how autocrats lose power — and how Putin might hang on.

By Zack Beauchamp

The dangerous new phase of Russia’s war in Ukraine, explained

By Jen Kirby and Jonathan Guyer March 12

She was the Agatha Christie of romance novels. You’ve probably never heard of her.

By Aja Romano March 11

Why it costs money to get your own money

By Emily Stewart March 10

We have the best view yet of Covid-19’s origins. What should we do about it?

By Umair Irfan March 9

The unprecedented American sanctions on Russia, explained

By Ben Walsh March 9

The video essay boom

By Terry Nguyen March 9

Most animal cruelty is legal on the farm. A judge is questioning that.

By Kenny Torrella March 9

Yup, the Russian oil ban means gas prices are going to suck

By Emily Stewart March 8

You can now order more free Covid-19 rapid tests from Biden’s program

By Rebecca Heilweil March 7

War in the time of crypto

By Emily Stewart and Rebecca Heilweil March 7

An expert on the dismal state of nuclear treaties

By Ellen Ioanes March 6

Russia’s war in Ukraine, explained

By Jen Kirby and Jonathan Guyer March 6

Russia is deploying brutal siege tactics in Ukraine

By Ellen Ioanes March 5

The long, strange history of anti-vaccination movements

By Anna North March 4

Oops, cleaning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was probably a bad idea

By Benji Jones March 4

The corporate raider taking aim at McDonald’s over the treatment of pigs

By Kenny Torrella March 3

Inflation, explained by eggs

By Emily Stewart March 2

The presidential penalty

By Andrew Prokop March 1

Why the first few days of war in Ukraine went badly for Russia

By Zack Beauchamp February 28

Putin’s baffling war strategy

By Ellen Ioanes February 27

Your 9 biggest questions about the 2022 Oscars, answered

By Alissa Wilkinson February 26

Why we love animals — and love to eat them

By Kenny Torrella February 24

The increasingly complicated Russia-Ukraine crisis, explained

By Jen Kirby and Jonathan Guyer February 23

The chaotic, irreplaceable Wendy Williams

By Melinda Fakuade February 22

The hidden melting of the most important ice on Earth, explained

By Umair Irfan February 21

Corporate pricing is boosting inflation — but we’re still buying

By Ellen Ioanes February 20

How Congress’s dependence on short-term funding keeps us stuck in the past

By Ellen Ioanes February 19

The hidden epidemic

By Miranda Dixon-Luinenburg February 16

The shocking decision to allow Kamila Valieva to skate at the Olympics, explained

By Alex Abad-Santos February 15

The future looked like it could be meat-free. Then the pandemic hit.

By Kenny Torrella February 15

The health system isn’t ready for an advanced cancer surge

By Dylan Scott February 14

How Ukraine is responding to escalating threats of invasion

By Ellen Ioanes February 13

Artificial snow is nothing like the real stuff

By Neel Dhanesha February 10

We regret to inform you that we are now discussing subvariants

By Umair Irfan February 10

What science still can’t explain about love

By Brian Resnick February 9

How to understand the recent coups in Africa

By Ellen Ioanes February 5

Will climate change melt the Winter Olympics?

By Umair Irfan February 5

Why young children have waited so long for Covid-19 vaccines

By Umair Irfan February 3

Does banning extremists online work? It depends.

By Shirin Ghaffary February 3

How figure skating became all about the jumps

By Alex Abad-Santos February 3