Fishing In The Night
Shortwave radio opened a portal to the world—then became a weapon in a high-stakes war of propaganda and power.
Limits to Growth was right about collapse
The point is that we’re going to get degrowth whether we think it’s a good idea or not. The data here is, in effect, about the tipping point at the…
The positive results that get published tend to be overly optimistic about AI’s potential
To be clear, AI can drive scientific breakthroughs. My concern is about their magnitude and frequency. Has AI really shown enough potential to justify such a massive shift in talent,…
That Time Locusts Ate The Entire Midwest
In the 1870s the Midwest experienced a devastating natural disaster in the form of… an enormous cloud of extremely hungry locusts. Dylan and producer Amanda discuss what happens when a…
Visualizing History: The Polish System
Antoni Jażwiński’s Tableau Muet, based on the original “Polish System” for charting historical information, later revised in France and the United States, 1834 — Source. The Polish System — which…
Bird’s-Eye View
Jennifer Ackerman on How Birds Adapt, Survive, and Think By Mark Leviton
“Les humains sont des producteurs de différences. Cette diversité doit être préservée”
Face aux attaques de l'administration Trump contre les sciences humaines
Dangerous delights: Victorian Britain’s cocaine habit
In the 19th century, a magic new drug took the medical community by storm, riding a wave of scientific endeavour. But, as this Long Read written by historian Douglas Small…
Look for ‘Slow Flower’ Bouquets, Plants Grown without Health-Harming Chemicals Used in Overseas Operations
Flowers are so present in our lives that we almost do not see them: sheathed in paper in every market, plunked in a vase on a table in any cafe.…
The Brain Science of Elusive ‘Aha! Moments’
Scholars have sought to capture the elusive essence of the aha! moment for more than a century, and it is finally within our grasp. We now know where it happens…