Math can explain why your laces spontaneously come untied — and how to stop it.
Search Results
You searched for: Aesthetics
Life is possible because of asymmetries, such as an imbalance between matter and antimatter and the "handedness" (chirality) of molecules.
Presidential gravesites are spread out “democratically” — but this is more by accident than design.
We all employ heuristics to help us deal with the world. But when we make a hasty generalization, we risk making a big error in our thinking.
For many years, cosmologists have claimed the Universe is 13.8 billion years old. A new paper says no, it's 26.7 billion. How do we decide?
Science and the humanities have been antagonistic for too long. Many of the big questions of our time require them to work closer than ever.
The Universe has asymmetries, but that's a good thing. Imperfections are essential for the existence of stars and even life itself.
Too many people still view stay-at-home dads as feckless deadbeats, but their acceptance is an important step toward gender equality.
Fractal patterns are noticed by people of all ages, even small children, and have significant calming effects.
The photometric filters for the Vera Rubin Observatory are complete and showcase why they are indispensable for astronomy.
It is difficult to save a species that does not seem to care about saving itself.
Cognitive psychologist and poet Keith Holyoak explores whether artificial intelligence could ever achieve poetic authenticity.
Jains believe that karma weighs the soul down. This can be overcome through extreme asceticism, in which one slowly withdraws from life.
Nikolaas Tinbergen's concept of "supernormal stimulus" explains why humans are attracted to a heightened version of reality.
If we lose our pollinators, we'll soon lose everything else.
A recently identified stage of sleep common to narcoleptics is a fertile source of creativity.
When people pick the greatest scientist of all-time, Newton and Einstein always come up. Perhaps they should name Johannes Kepler, instead.
Yukio Mishima treated his life as if it were a story — one with a surprising and deadly final act.
Prosthetic arms can cost amputees $80,000. A startup called Unlimited Tomorrow is aiming to change that by making customized 3D-printed bionic arms for just $8,000.
Psychologists discover that the way the brain perceives beauty differs between art or faces.
Even the most unorthodox posthumous plans have their own historical, spiritual, and scientific significance.
Why finding joy is more easily attainable than the pursuit of happiness.
▸
9 min
—
with
Modern science progresses with an intensity and even irrationality that Aristotle could not fathom.
Using DNA from samples of extinct flowers, synthetic biologists managed to approximate long-lost floral scents.
Was the hamburger menu always so ubiquitous?
Viewing art that doesn't look like anything makes your brain take extra steps to try and get it.
Awe-inspiring moments can be found in our daily lives, and they have surprising benefits for our health and sense of well-being.
Walter Pitts rose from the streets to MIT, but couldn’t escape himself.
He lost his passion for poetry and other aesthetic, spiritual interests.
Come to grips with the fundamentals of graphic design and master the field's top tools.