An interactive “globe of notability” shows the curious correspondences and the strange landscape of global fame.
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The whole isn’t greater than the sum of its parts; that’s a flaw in our thinking. Non-reductionism requires magic, not merely science.
It is through speaking and listening that human beings become who they are.
The “Mind After Midnight” hypothesis aims to explain why night owls tend to suffer more negative health outcomes.
It is wrong to think that these three statements contradict each other. We need to see that they are all true to see that a better world is possible.
What can elite athletes teach you about how to win?
Horses pranced around the western hemisphere until they went extinct in the late Holocene. They were reintroduced by European colonists — though where, when, and how has remained unclear.
There’s an extremely good chance that there is, or at least was, life on Mars. But is it native to Mars, or did it originate from Earth?
Can a shared language promote peace? Some people think so.
Heart muscle is shaped like a spiral, a mystery that has eluded scientists since 1669. New research has recreated the structure.
While becoming a monk is an evolutionary dead end for the individual, celibacy reaps benefits for the group as a whole.
It’s simple to make, easy to use, and should work against any variant.
As technology advances, the use of laser weapons in space becomes more likely.
Uploading your mind is not a pathway to immortality. Instead, it will create a possibly hostile digital doppelgänger.
Rare and costly paints have shaped art history in unforeseen ways. Mummy brown caused one artist to bury his paint.
Not too hot, not too cold…
A food safety researcher explains another way to know what’s too old to eat.
Let’s hope that squid don’t evolve lungs and legs, or humanity might be in real trouble.
A two-dimensional material made entirely of carbon called graphene won the Nobel Prize in 2010. Graphyne might be even better.
In all the Universe, only a few particles are eternally stable. The photon, the quantum of light, has an infinite lifetime. Or does it?
What we call “basic research” is actually the most cutting-edge. It underpins knowledge, and without it, technology does not come into being.
Agile learning enables an organization to pivot quickly in response to changes in technology, economic conditions, market demand, and more.
A new technique for analyzing networks can tell who wields soft power.
Moral panics about the content of children’s cartoons and other forms of entertainment have a long history.
Scientific journals, which are supposed to be the sacred scriptures of academia, are often full of shoddy research and misinformation.
Dark matter has never been directly detected, but the astronomical evidence for its existence is overwhelming. Here’s what to know.
For decades people have arranged to freeze their bodies after death, dreaming of resurrection by advanced future medicine. Many met a fate far grislier than death.
Unplugging only ignores the hard work of overcoming your distractions.
People tend to underestimate how much a friend they’ve lost contact with would enjoy a simple note saying “hi.”