Issue_102
20 articles-
Humans Are One Mixed-Up Ape
If you look at every ape protein, they have every bone we have, every muscle we have, the same type of hair, and on and on. They’re just better adapted to their tropical rainforest environment.Illustration by BRO.vector / Shutterstock Recent fossilized bone discoveries in China and Israel support the exciting possibility of new, previously unknown […] -
Psychedelics Open a New Window on the Mechanisms of Perception
Hallucinatory drugs may allow our brains to let go of prior beliefs. -
The Planets with the Giant Diamonds Inside
Mining the mysteries of Uranus and Neptune. -
New Evidence That Therapy Can Make You Happier
What are the interventions that are supposed to make us happier? What doesn’t work? And if something does work, how much good does it do?Pixabay In “All Eyes on Me,” a song from his new Netflix special Inside, the musician-comedian Bo Burnham pauses to ask, “You want to hear a funny story?” He tells us […] -
The Evolutionary Wonders in the Deep Sea
It’s a golden age for finding new and mysterious forms of deep-sea life.
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The Human Family Tree, It Turns Out, Is Complicated
How the story of human evolution continues to branch out.
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What Made Early Humans Smart
Walking upright made our ancestors easy prey. It also made them get smart.
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How the Drug Industry Has Exploited Reforms Started in the Fight Against AIDS
The push by AIDS activists for an effective treatment was a breakthrough in the medical industry. It showed the power of a grassroots movement to spur the government and Big Pharma to action. But it had a dangerous and lasting side effect.Photograph by Cagkan Sayin / Shutterstock Three decades ago, a small group from within […]
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The End of Reductionism Could Be Nigh. Or Not.
Quantum mechanics seems to have a problem with the order of time, which might signal the need for an entirely new type of law.Illustration by Ekaterina Kulaeva / Shutterstock The history of science so far has been a triumph of reductionism. Biology can be reduced to chemistry, chemistry can be reduced to atomic physics, and […] -
The History of Locker-Room Talk
Why men put down other men by attacking their masculinity. -
Is the Universe Open-Ended?
An intriguing proposal about what makes reality tick under the surface. -
My 3 Greatest Revelations
The author on writing his new book, “The Ascent of Information.” -
My Lab Uses Ultrasound to Stimulate Unconscious Patients
Ultrasound can be a neuromodulator—to increase or decrease the likelihood that neurons will fire. Exactly how this works remains unclear, but it likely results from the physical “shaking” of neurons.Illustration by Jackie Niam / Shutterstock A few years ago, at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, I escaped the noisy midday hustle and bustle, ducking into […]
