Want antifragile kids? Get out of their way Kids are more anxious and depressed than ever. Is identity politics to blame? ▸ 10 min — with Jonathan Haidt
Neuropsych What happens to a person’s sense of self after a face transplant? This was largely a philosophical question until 2005, when a surgical team in France performed the first partial face transplant.
Starts With A Bang The 3 key steps to overthrowing a scientific theory Leading a scientific revolution is easy: you just have to succeed where the current theory fails while equaling its successes. Good luck!
The Past The insult that sparked Genghis Khan to destroy an empire When Mongol traders came knocking, Sultan Muhammad II shaved off their beards. Three years later, his whole empire was annihilated.
Neuropsych How ketamine-fueled dreams can promote a spiritual approach to mental health and therapy Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy utilizes a non-ordinary state of consciousness to heal.
Thinking Before your real funeral, you should attend a “living funeral” At this event, you’ll be around to hear the eulogy.
Starts With A Bang Rainbows are actually full circles. A physicist explains Most of us only ever see a fraction of a full rainbow: an arc. But optically, a full rainbow makes a complete circle. Physics explains why.
The Present Emotional distress is rising worldwide. Why? Long-term research efforts have revealed alarming mental health trends.
The Learning Curve The 8 wonders of life — and how they can transform yours Awe-inspiring moments can be found in our daily lives, and they have surprising benefits for our health and sense of well-being.
The Past Dinosaurs were doomed even before the asteroid. Here’s why. Climate and ecological changes, as well as disruptions to the food chain, were already killing off the dinosaurs.
Neuropsych A glitch in the neuromatrix: the science of phantom presence You know that ghostly feeling that someone is nearby even though nobody is? It could be a trick of neural timing.
Starts With A Bang Where will I get the best views of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse? The next solar eclipse to occur over heavily populated areas is on April 8, 2024. For a spectacular show; here’s where the best views are!
The Future A new AI lie detector can reveal its “inner thoughts” A new AI lie detector can dive into their hidden thoughts and reveal “what language models truly believe about the world.”
Strange Maps Where are Americans born in each U.S. state? This viral map shows you at a glance Nevada has the fewest number of native-born citizens.
Health 2 common drugs may reduce “brain fog” in COVID long-haulers The study was small and didn’t include a placebo group, but there is reason to believe that the drugs really do work.
Neuropsych Brain scans can reveal what song you’re listening to The ability to decode acoustic information from brain activity aids the development of brain-computer interfaces that restore communication in patients who suffer paralysis.
Neuropsych Billie Eilish, Vincent van Gogh, and the trippy science of synesthesia Tasting sounds and hearing colors.
The Well How saying “me” or “we” changes your psychological response — and the response of other people Considering the perspectives of others has important benefits for individuals and for society. There is one easy way to do it.
Neuropsych The psychedelic DMT causes the brain to become hyperconnected, scans reveal A new study provides the most detailed look at brains on psychedelics to date.
Thinking Existential hope: How we can embrace deep time and create the brightest of futures Humanity can avoid catastrophe — if we look beyond our blinkered present.
The friendship recession Americans without friends have increased 400% in recent years. Here’s why. ▸ 8 min — with Richard Reeves
Starts With A Bang Ask Ethan: Do infinite copies of me exist in the Multiverse? Our huge, expanding Universe may truly be infinite. But if the set of possible quantum outcomes is also infinite, which “infinity” wins?
Hard Science There are 4 different types of multiverse The multiverse is an idea that has gained a lot of traction in popular culture. But what does science have to say about it?
Sponsored How China gained — and lost — its spot as the world’s wealthiest nation The story of China is the story of global economics.
High Culture What will English sound like 1,000 years from now — if it even exists? In order to figure out how English might evolve in the future, we have to look at how it has changed in the near and distant past.
Starts With A Bang What’s it like to approach the edge of the Universe? With a finite 13.8 billion years having passed since the Big Bang, there’s an edge to what we can see: the cosmic horizon. What’s it like?
13.8 The first big question for cosmologists: Does time have a beginning? If the evolution of the Universe is a movie, what happens when we rewind it all the way backward?
Hard Science Cans vs. bottles: Science finally solves the great beer debate Beer’s flavor begins to change as soon as it is packaged. Are cans or bottles better at preserving flavor?
7 steps to profit hypergrowth How to make money in business, with $100-million Salesforce pioneer Aaron Ross. ▸ 6 min — with Aaron Ross