Issue_90
17 articles-
Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Environmentalism
To stop destroying nature, developers are mimicking it. -
The Greening of Antarctica
Few have witnessed the impact of global warming more closely than this scientist. -
Kim Stanley Robinson Holds Out Hope
The science-fiction author on why climate change doesn’t have to be humanity’s final story. -
Los Angeles Is Gone
In an excerpt from his new novel, the author drowns La La Land. -
It Pays to Be a Space Case
Kieran Fox, a neuroscientist, says some of his colleagues see him as an “alien” because of all the time he takes off to let his mind wander.Photo Illustration by Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock It’s a feeling we all know well—you’re at a work meeting or in the middle of a book, when you realize that […]
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Does Social Media Poison Everything?
We have far less control over our behavior than we like to think.
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Thank You for the 7 PM Clapping, But Camaraderie Is Needed More Than Ever
Handwashing, mask-wearing and physical distancing are the easy part. The true challenge is to face the pain and suffering that exists all around us and know that doing so will not break us.Illustration by Blinx / Shutterstock COVID has reached peak unsexiness. The thought occurs to me as I scroll through previously lively physician COVID forums where […]
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Why We Should Eat Crickets. And Other Bug Ideas
As the human population expands, we are going to have to find better ways to feed ourselves without further decimating the environment.Photograph by Koldunova Anna / Shutterstock In his new book, The Butterfly Effect: Insects and the Making of the Modern World, Edward Melillo calls some insects “little laboratories,” the various productions of which have […]
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Build Your Own Artificial Neural Network. It’s Easy!
The first artificial neural networks weren’t abstractions inside a computer, but actual physical systems made of whirring motors and big bundles of wire. Here I’ll describe how you can build one for yourself using SnapCircuits, a kid’s electronics kit. I’ll also muse about how to build a network that works optically using a webcam. And […]
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The Importance of Face Masks and the Tragedy of Downplaying Them
An infectious disease expert brings us up to date on the science of wearing a face mask. -
The Fungal Evangelist Who Would Save the Bees
How mushrooms could solve colony collapse disorder. -
People Are Discovering the Joy of Actually Talking on a Phone
Researchers predicted that people would consistently underrate how much they might benefit from talking on the phone.Photograph by Stokkete / Shutterstock I’m one of the lucky ones. The onset of this pandemic has put a strain on the sanity of many people forced to isolate themselves from friends and family. If you live alone, or […] -
At the Math Olympiad, Computers Prepare to Go for the Gold
Reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine‘s Abstractions blog.The 61st International Mathematical Olympiad, or IMO, began yesterday. It may go down in history for at least two reasons: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic it’s the first time the event has been held remotely, and it may also be the last time that artificial intelligence doesn’t compete. Nautilus […] -
The Environmental Headache in Your Shampoo
Palm oil is an environmental scourge. Plant biology has a solution.
