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History & Society
Trace how culture, power, and ideas shape societies across time.
There are only four super star clusters in all the Local Group: rarities today. Here's what the youngest, the just-discovered N79, shows us.
If humanity lives in an otherwise barren Universe, we'll have to forge philosophy that fills the void.
"It’s only natural for us to get America back," quipped Kim Kielsen, former prime minister of Greenland, in 2019.
Do we really need to be religious to run a society well?
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
With a flurry of threats to scientists, science funding, and health policy, the USA now faces a crisis reminiscent of Soviet-era Lysenkoism.
“The only requisite for nonfiction is that it’s true," says Nathan Thrall, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book "A Day in the Life of Abed Salama."
Life might be more common across the Universe than the "Hard Steps Model" suggests.
Effective leadership requires long-term strategy — not tactical reactions.
Cosmic inflation, proposed back in 1980, is a theory that precedes and sets up the hot Big Bang. After thorough testing, is it still valid?
The Roman Empire at one point emitted roughly 3,600 tons of lead dust per year, causing “widespread cognitive decline.”
7mins
From anger to awe: How one woman overcame “debilitating trauma” to conquer a near-impossible 53-hour swim at 64.
Scientists just viewed one of the tiniest, most isolated, lowest-mass galaxies ever found with JWST. Despite all odds, it's still growing.
New telescopes, radio dishes, and gravitational wave detectors are needed for next-generation science. Will the USA lead the way?
People who've never been partnered tend to be less extraverted, less conscientious, and more neurotic.
Sunita Sah hopes that by redefining defiance, we can build societies that allow people to live more authentic lives.
The discovery of ultra-bright, ultra-distant galaxies was JWST's first big surprise. They didn't "break the Universe," and now we know why.
Resilience isn’t just about pain and perseverance — it’s about embracing the journey.
“Technology has always been co-opted for war, but truly intelligent AI, let alone a superintelligence, is a different beast entirely.”
Most stars shine with properties, like brightness, that barely change at all with time. The ones that do vary help us unlock the Universe.