Nature loves to play. And play is the thing throughout this issue. Indre Viskontas takes
us inside the concert hall to explain how musical ensemble tap into brain wells
of creativity and empathy that can’t be reached by going it alone. We also look
at a dark side of play. Barclay Bram shares his everyday experiences with the
app WeChat, which nearly everybody in China uses to connect in play and work
and everything in between.

Thought-provoking science stories.
No-brainer intro price.
Thought-provoking science stories.
No-brainer intro price.
The full Nautilus archive • eBooks & Special Editions • Ad-free reading
- The full Nautilus archive
- eBooks & Special Editions
- Ad-free reading

-
Celebrating the Relationship Between Science and Illustration
A conversation with Society of Illustrators executive director Arabelle Liepold -
The Extraordinary, Imperiled Science at the End of the Earth
Firing experts in Antarctica couldn’t come at a worse time -
Breaking a Cycle of Apocalypse
John Larison’s new novel The Ancients suggests some societies are built for cataclysm -
An Earthy Fallen Star
The strange mushroom that puffs life into forests around the world. -
Inside an Exploded Star
Cassiopeia A gets a close-up.