How we view our environment impacts our wellbeing, says Australian philosopher

In his book, Earth Emotions, Glenn Albrecht coins "psychoterratic."

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  • Australian environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht has written the manual for understanding how societies must grapple with climate change.
  • Language not only reflects reality but produces it, prompting Albrecht to coin several new words.
  • Among them is psychoterratic, which relates to how our view of nature impacts our wellbeing.
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Can you use narrative to shape your life?

Storytelling has been a human tradition for thousands of years and for good reason: It holds a powerful influence over our psychology.

Photo by Mike Erskine on Unsplash
  • Some researchers argue that humans have been telling stories for tens of thousands of years.
  • Because it's so deeply embedded in our psychology, the stories we tell about ourselves and others can have a major impact on our minds.
  • How can we use storytelling to improve our lives?
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'Read 2,000 books': Werner Herzog's advice on reading.

The famed German filmmaker offers his thoughts on reading during Eric Weinstein's podcast.

Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage
  • During Eric Weinstein's podcast, The Portal, Werner Herzog said that reading is essential for any creative endeavor.
  • In the past, Herzog has stated that you can't be a filmmaker without a regular reading habit.
  • Herzog's reading list includes classics by Virgil and J.A. Baker, and even the report on JFK's assassination.
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Mathematician Eric Weinstein launches a new podcast, 'The Portal'

The Portal promises to be a deep dive into the possible.

Photo credit: FilmMagic / FilmMagic
  • Mathematician Eric Weinstein wants to put the mystery back into the world with his new podcast, The Portal.
  • The managing director of Thiel Capital announced his new project last week on the Joe Rogan Experience.
  • Weinstein says the recurring narrative is important during childhood, yet we often lose touch with it in adulthood.
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California, an island? Meet cartography's most persistent mistake

The Glen McLaughlin Collection brings together more than 700 historical examples of 'California as an island'.

Image: © Stanford University, CC BY-NC 3.0
  • California was born a fiction: named after a made-up island the name of which could be translated as 'caliphate'.
  • For centuries, California was a cartographic fiction as well: it was shown as an island until as late as 1865.
  • Over 40 years, Glen McLaughlin dug up more than 700 maps of California as an island – the world's biggest collection on cartography's most persistent mistake.
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