In this sharp and insightful essay, Hannah Critchlow takes us through the many ways in which our brains generate and use energy, and offers some helpful recommendations for looking after your brain health

Peering into the origins of our Universe, astronomers found something that shouldn’t be there: what are those little red dots? An Essay by Jenny Greene

In the story of eugenics, disabled people are often depicted as passive victims. But for some it seemed an opportunity. An Essay by @coreenanne.bsky.social & Alex Aylward

The Sámi people of northern Europe have long been associated with reindeer herding – but today, fewer than 10% still practise it. In ‘I Am Sámi’, Niklas Sarri, a Sámi artisan in Sweden, challenges a system that ties cultural recognition to an increasingly unrepresentative way of life

The mystical insight came to Nietzsche like a lightning flash: time eternally recurs – and life must be lived accordingly. An Essay by Mark Higgins

The theoretical psychologist Nicholas Humphrey has coined the term ‘soul niche’ as a neat encapsulation of his argument, laid out with precision and style in this new Essay: we evolved to have souls. What’s more, they are part of what makes our species so remarkably successful

This riveting rapid history lesson visualises the evolution of Paris from its origins as a Celtic fishing village on a small island in the Seine River, to the year 2025 where it is a global capital of culture

Peering into the origins of our Universe, astronomers found something that shouldn’t be there: what are those little red dots? In this essay, an astrophysicist reflects on what it’s like to be at the frontiers of discovery, facing observations that scientists cannot explain

Through a transfixing audiovisual experience, this short presents a tribute to ‘the forgotten parents of film’, resulting in a whirlwind visual history that emphasises the kinetic power of moving images

The Harrisons created artworks that functioned both as early warnings for environmental catastrophe and as suggestions for surviving calamitous times. For World Art Day, revisit this fascinating essay which reveals the vital role that artists play in battling uncertain futures

‘God is dead.’ Given this is perhaps Friedrich Nietzsche’s most well-known pronouncement, it may feel odd to see him described as a ‘mystic’. But, as the philosopher Mark Higgins argues in this Essay, Nietzsche’s concept of eternal recurrence is in fact a profoundly mystical insight

Don’t miss our event in London on Tuesday 21 April, where we'll explore the mysteries of the cosmos with @proftonypadilla.bsky.social alongside captivating performances by acclaimed musician Oliver Coates. Tickets from £5 here: sophiaclub.co/event/is-the...

It is surprising how so few of the many histories of eugenics centre the voices of disabled people. Uncovering these perspectives contradicts all previous narratives of eugenics in interwar Britain

Why did elite professionals start calling their firms "sweatshops"? And who reaped the rewards of all that work? Read this excerpt from my new book, Yuppies, to find out.

How did law firms and other professional workplaces become places of such crushing and soulless work? An Essay by @dygottlieb.bsky.social

Jonathan Birch, professor of philosophy at @lseblogs.bsky.social, argues that, while the ‘friendly assistant’ that LLMs serve up is certainly not aware, it’s difficult – and perhaps morally perilous – to write off the possibility of an ‘alien form of consciousness’ somewhere within these systems

Which of these paintings was created by Carvaggio? The very nature of art attribution debates means there are no definitive answers. In this Essay, the art historian Noah Charney explores how the introduction of AI tools is changing these debates – and why uncertainty will always remain

Fancy a 15-minute trip through space? In this mind-bending video by the visual artist and educator Alessandro Roussel, viewers are taken on a voyage from Earth on a spacecraft approaching the speed of light, exploring how the laws of the Universe would play out on such a journey

‘The sleep deprivation, the treatment by senior bankers, the mental and physical stress … I’ve been through foster care and this is arguably worse.’ How did law firms and other professional workplaces become places of such crushing and soulless work? @dygottlieb.bsky.social

This documentary by Marshall Granger presents audio from a Yellowstone Public Radio where residents could call in and discuss anything on their mind. The result makes for a gentle yet captivating portrait of Montana from 1997 to 2007

London! Join us at the Sophia Club on 21 April where we will traverse the twisted hearts of black holes and the mysteries of our Universe, alongside theoretical physicist and scientific storyteller @proftonypadilla.bsky.social. Get your tickets now! buff.ly/DtYsdbV

For #WorldHealthDay, we’re revisiting this Aeon essay tracing telemedicine from the 19th-century telephone to today’s video consultations and asking the question: Will virtual medicine ever replace seeing a human being in person?

Many people experience identity crises, especially during life upheavals. But what about people for whom no sense of self isn’t a crisis, but normal? The scholar Mette Leonard Høeg is one such person. Once believing herself alone, the works of Robert Musil made her feel more connected

What once seemed like the perfect answer to bacterial infection is now revealing its limits in the form of antimicrobial resistance: a consequence of antibiotic overuse. This striking Essay shows that this is not purely a biomedical problem, but a global socio-economic crisis

Humanitarian journalism is a moral calling to document human suffering. But in practice, it’s an ethically murky undertaking. An Essay by Cathy Otten

Frank Lloyd Wright exalted the individual and made ordinary life beautiful. But his life was marked by scandal and grief. An Essay by Andrew Deming

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) in 1974, ‘A Search for Answers’ immerses viewers in campus life at @princeton.edu, focusing on the pursuit of knowledge in all its forms and making a compelling case for the university and a liberal arts education as the best framework

A centuries-old network of secret codes and shadowy brokers continues to outpace financial systems controlled by the state. An Essay by Miles Kellerman

From Manchester to Mosul, humanitarian journalism has long promised that documenting pain might compel action. But as crises proliferate and political responses falter, that promise feels increasingly hollow. How might humanitarian journalism be done better?

When there’s a drought, how do plants – given their stationary nature – go about finding water for their roots? This short documentary from the Science Communication Lab shows how the biologist José R Dinneny goes about unraveling the mysteries of these underground systems

We’ve featured many films from Iranian directors that speak to the creativity and perseverance of the Iranian people. This selection from our archive features videos on themes of community, art and joy in the face of hardship. Watch at the links in the replies.

My new essay for @aeon.co explores the little understood world of underground banking. Despite intense state pressure, these ancient networks have retained their independence. It is a story that holds critical lessons for our fracturing global financial order. #polisky aeon.co/essays/the-u...

The Aeon Philosophy Prize offers early career philosophers the opportunity to publish their work in a world class digital magazine and learn the craft of writing philosophy for a broad, curious readership. Apply now aeon.co/philosophy-p...

This fascinating video essay takes us on a journey through the history of the Villa di Pratolino in Tuscany, an estate that was deeply unusual for its time and place. It details the rise of this ingeniously engineered ‘Garden of Wonders’, as well as how it fell into disrepair

‘Underground banking’ may sound ominous, but, the economics professor Miles Keller contends, ‘there is nothing inherently suspect about underground banking’. In this layered Essay, Keller delves into its moral, historical and economic complexities of a system hidden in plain sight

This Essay by neuroscientist @neuranne.bsky.social explores how ‘hypercuriosity’ provides a useful lens for understanding ADHD and how, in settings rich in novelty, uncertainty or immediate feedback, the tendency to shift focus can become an asset.

My latest on catastrophe markets and the long history of weather gambling in @aeon.co aeon.co/essays/what-... Grateful for feedback from terrific readers along the way: Jackson Lears, Ann Fabian, Meagan Wierda, @jeroenputtevils.bsky.social & @urbanhistoryua.bsky.social, & editor Sam Haselby. 1/2

Between 1603 and 1868, Edo grew into one of the largest cities in the world without ecological collapse through a circular economy rooted in Buddhist values. In this Ted-Ed animation, philosopher Roman Krznaric explores what this 265-year experiment might offer today’s consumption-driven world

Lansana Keita rejected Eurocentric ideas, tracing the philosophical tradition back to African Kemet or ancient Egypt. An Essay by Sanya Osha

Would you bet on it raining tomorrow? Originating over 150 years ago, ‘weather gambling’ capitalises on nature defying market manipulation. In this timely Essay, the historian Jamie Pietruska explains how simple rain betting evolved into the morally dubious ‘catastrophe markets’ of today

Broadcast at Times Square, this film features an ecstatic performance of an Indigenous ancestral dance, presenting what the filmmaker Jeffrey Gibson describes as ‘an ancestral call for strength and healing for all Indigenous people’

Here's the essay on AI that I've been hinting at for a while. The argument is quite condensed, and could be elaborated in any number of ways, but I hope people will find it interesting.

To the philosopher Martin Heidegger, technology shapes how we see the world. This excerpt from the documentary ‘Being in the World’ explores Heidegger’s ideas on technology and humanity by speaking with philosophers and artists who can provide a new way of seeing

The developmental biologist Victoria Foe has spent her career appreciating the beauty and fragility of DNA strands spread across her microscope slides – an appreciation that led her to a groundbreaking discovery: ‘junk’ DNA is essential to ensure safe cell division

The Sierra Leonean philosopher Lansana Keita was a key figure in developing a modern philosophical tradition that centres Africa as a universal site of thought. Keita’s work refines the meaning and purpose of philosophical study in Africa, and this Essay celebrates his lasting impact

I was so moved by Lydia Maria Child's moral courage &honesty that I wrote a whole book about her. For a sneak peek, here's an article in @aeon.co from #womenshistorymonth 2023. We need Child's dedication to American principles more than ever. #herstory #philsky #abolition aeon.co/essays/lydia...

As the 18th-century war between mechanism and romanticism returns, we face a new question: can we build artificial souls? An Essay by @deontologistics.bsky.social

‘Poetry stretches words until and so that we are forced to look afresh at them, and by the same token at the concepts, experiences and attitudes behind them.’ For #WorldPoetryDay, we’re revisiting this essay on how poetry opens meaning through ambiguity rather than definition buff.ly/bGhsTlH

We tend to see the world as a collection of objects but what if that’s just how our minds learned to survive? In ‘Creative Evolution’, Henri Bergson challenges Immanuel Kant’s idea that space is the foundation of all understanding, as explored in this hypnotic short by John Brady @epochemagazine.org

Crossing social, gender and moral boundaries, the word ‘bitch’ has had many identities over its long lifespan. In this rollicking Essay, the linguist Karen Stollznow explores its journey from simple descriptor to hotly debated – and partially reclaimed – insult @karenstollznow.bsky.social