Independent magazineEnvironment · Society · CultureIssue 01 / 2026
A giant sleeping cat resting above a city street
EG

A magazine for second looks

Look again.
There is always
another ground.

Read the cover story
Cover story01
If You Do Not Build the Machine, Can You Still Shape What It Becomes?EG, Elseground's mascot
Rules look different from the waterline.
Earlier essays05

From the editorial desk

Earlier on Elseground.

EG, Elseground's mascot

Essay

The Word That Makes Deportation Sound Like a Journey Home

By Behdad Youneszadeh12 min
EG, Elseground's mascot

Essay

The Famous Voice and the Invisible Worker

By Behdad Youneszadeh10 min
EG, Elseground's mascot

Essay

Thank You. But Who Said the Key Was Yours?

By Behdad Youneszadeh9 min
EG, Elseground's mascot

Essay

Perhaps the River Has Not Left Its Place

By Behdad Youneszadeh12 min
Illustration for the essay about serious games and unequal assumptionsEG, Elseground's mascot

Essay

Don’t Force Me to Save the Dance Class When I Have Never Danced in My Life

By Behdad Youneszadeh12 min

Photograph of the month / September 2026

No More Blur

A monthly image from Elseground—held still long enough to notice what usually slips past.

Behind the Taj: pollution along the Yamuna riverbank in Agra, India

The heartwarming winning photos of the Environmental Photographer of the Year 2023 (EPOTY) photo contest have been revealed, featuring two distinguished titles and four additional category champions. “Behind the Taj” was selected as a finalist.

Behind the TajAgra, IndiaPhoto: Hoang Long Ly / EPOTY 2023

01 Why this story matters

A model can make a room feel equal while quietly asking everyone to begin from the same imagined life.

This essay begins with a classroom game and follows a larger question: what happens when a supposedly neutral simulation asks people to make choices inside a reality they have never lived?Read the complete essay