Issue_57
14 articles-
What Does David Attenborough Really Think of Darwin?
A casual viewer of nature documentaries might surmise that the man was hired to narrate the scripts merely because he’s got a great voice. -
The Case for Making Cities Out of Wood
An Alphabet subsidiary is planning to build a futuristic neighborhood, not out of concrete and steel, but wood—and wood is looking good.Photograph by Daici Ano / Flickr Last month, Dan Doctoroff, the C.E.O. of Sidewalk Labs, Google’s sibling company under Alphabet, answered a question about what his company “actually does” during a Reddit “Ask Me […] -
The City at the Center of the Cosmos
Robots and lasers are uncovering an ancient, sacred geography. -
Why New York City Needs Its Own Cryptocurrency
The case for making money local again. -
How Hidden Social Contexts Influence Your Genetics
Educational attainment has some qualitatively unique features that we’re going to have to be sensitive to when we attempt to study the genetics of it.Photograph by Joey Yee / Flickr What if a wound of yours, a pierced ear, say, healed at a different rate depending on who was around you? A 2017 study explored […]
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What William James Got Right About Consciousness
Is consciousness an instinct?When feeling at sea about definitions and meanings in the mind/brain business, it is always rewarding to dial up William James once again. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . More than 125 years ago, James wrote a landmark article simply titled “What Is an Instinct?” He […]
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What Question Will You Be Remembered For?
Last week, John Brockman announced this year’s Edge.org “Annual Question” to be the last, and it has an appropriately culminating feel to it: “What is the last question?”Illustration by Sascha Grusche / Wikicommons John Brockman has run out of questions, and it’s a shame. For 20 years, as a sort of homage to his late […]
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The Last Love of Jonas Salk
The unusual union of a renowned artist and the discoverer of the Polio vaccine.
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5 Reasons Why Humans Can’t Do Without Sports
The importance of being playful is evident in how ancient the behavior is.Photograph by U.S. Air Force / Staff Sgt. Jannelle McRae Last year, more than 111 million people—about a third of the U.S. population—watched the Super Bowl. The numbers will likely be similar on Sunday: Devout football fans, and those watching their first N.F.L. […]
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Life on Mars, from Viking to Curiosity
A brief history of the scientific debate swirling around the Red Planet. -
Waiting For the Robot Rembrandt
What needs to happen for artificial intelligence to make fine art. -
How the Elwha River Was Saved
The inside story of the largest dam removal project in US history.
