Issue_18
35 articles-
How to Avoid the Desperate Future of “Interstellar”
In 2011 America’s astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, was on Real Time with Bill Maher discussing the proposed termination of NASA’s James Webb Telescope, which the House Appropriations Committee had decried as “billions of dollars over budget and plagued by poor management.” Tyson went on to deliver what is now one of his most famous quotes: Nautilus […] -
Can a Card Game Stealthily Teach People Genetics?
Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . High school biology class. You’re sitting in the back of the room. A ladder-like strip is drawn sideways across the whiteboard. There’s a strange blob seemingly tearing up the ladder from within and a comb-shaped strand sticking out beneath the blob. While […] -
6 Traits of Tomorrow’s Blockbuster Digital Technologies
Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . If history adheres to timeless long-term trends, Walter Isaacson’s recent book on the digital revolution, The Innovators, could reveal a lot about the future of our digital age. Last week Isaacson, known for his biographies of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein, spoke […] -
Ingenious: Vijay Iyer
On the science and talent of music. -
We All Used to Be Geniuses
Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . To adults learning a second language, it hardly seems fair: As they stumble their way through conjugation drills, fret over grammar textbooks, and fill in worksheets on constructing subordinate clauses, their children sop up the language while finger painting at preschool. Within […]
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Our Cities Could Get a Whole Lot Smarter
Pieces of SolaRoad, concrete blocks topped with solar cells, were recently installed in a bike path in Holland.SolaRoad Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . Remember having to stay at home and wait for phone calls? (If you’re below a certain age, you can consult old movies, books, or TV […]
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A Mind That Unraveled DNA & Chased Consciousness
In his most recent book, Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist, Christof Koch wrote that he has known only one genius: Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA molecule. “In a lifetime of teaching, working and debating with some of the smartest people on the planet, I’ve encountered brilliance and high achievement, but […]
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One Key to Wisdom: Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste
Folsom Lake, near Sacramento, provides a clear illustration of the extent of California’s drought. On July 20, 2011, the reservoir was at 97 percent of capacity. On January 16, 2014, it was at 17 percent, and there was no water flowing through the Folsom Dam.California Department of Water Resources via NASA Nautilus Members enjoy an […]
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How We Can Finally Start Outsmarting Single-Cell Attackers
Imagine you are a bacterium, roughly 1/1,700,000 of your current size, residing in your own human body’s gut. You live in a diverse community, the “microbiome,” teeming with other bacteria: friendly neighbors who live next door, some ne’erdowells who occasionally vandalize the town, and your neighborhood cops who try to keep everything in check. The […]
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How Is a Genius Different From a Really Smart Person?
You can have a very high IQ and be a complete idiot.
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What to Do When Genius Fails
Isaac Newton’s diagram of the Philosopher’s Stone, a substance that could supposedly turn base metals into gold. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . Geniuses, however we define the concept, often evoke particular strong feelings. Many of us develop personal affection for them, defending them from criticism as fiercely as […] -
This Tool-Using Sniper Changed What We Think About Fish
An archerfish lets fly at its unsuspecting prey.Ingo Rischawy / Schuster lab, University of Bayreuth Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . Few animals have had their cognitive abilities maligned like fish. Myths about their dullness abound—no doubt you’ve heard the one about goldfish’s three-second memories.But have you also heard […] -
Dragons, Memory & Navigating the Globe Using Only Your Wits
“Vniversale descrittione di tvtta la terra conoscivta fin qvi,” a map of the world from 1565. Click through to see the entire amazing map, or download the super-hi-res version. Paolo Forlani Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . Terra incognita. Unknown land. You may be familiar with this Latin phrase, […] -
Human vs. Squirrel: The Battle of Wits Is On
“Hey, thanks for the new feeder. Now I can pretend I’m super-squirrel while I eat!”IanC66 via Shutterstock Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . Feed the birds, they said. It will be fun, they said.Early this spring I bought a simple wood-and-plastic bird feeder. My children and I filled it […] -
Why the Chess Computer Deep Blue Played Like a Human
Randomness may be key to both human and computer creativity.