In this excerpt from her new book, Jennifer Shahade argues that the smartest move in life, as in chess, is sometimes a sideways one.

Long-lived companies show that resilience comes not from individual toughness, but from the strength of the systems around us.

Cognitive flexibility, opportunistic survival, and social cooperation have allowed rats to thrive in conditions that wipe out other species.

What a fragile flower can teach us about resilience, death, and becoming someone new.

A day in the Sierra Nevada with Tommy Caldwell reveals how pain, trauma, and “elective hardship” became the foundation of his fortitude.

When applied blindly, resilience can do real harm to our health and our ability to change broken systems.

Once land plants, seagrasses staged one of evolution’s boldest reversals — returning to the ocean and reinventing their biology to thrive beneath the waves.

Inside GM’s race to build the electric Hummer lies a powerful lesson in speed, simplicity, and the operating system required for exponential growth.

Historian Eric Cline illuminates the 400-year period following ancient collapse that shaped the modern world.

Activist, author, and Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani explains why playing it safe is hurting workplaces — and how to change it.

Historian Eric Cline argues the Bronze Age collapse wasn't the work of one invading force or one bad harvest, but something far harder to stop: An overly interdependent system that had no way to absorb multiple shocks at once.

Your real competitive edge isn’t how smart you are — it’s how quickly you can reinvent yourself when the rules change.

Sam Kean examines how rogue archaeologists are recreating the sounds, tastes, smells, and practices of the ancient past.

When people born blind gain sight, the hardest part isn’t opening their eyes — it’s teaching the brain how to see.

The actor, comedian, and marijuana cultivator on collaboration, success, and overcoming nerves — in business and life.

"Broadly speaking, it's at least plausible, this might be right."

The great investor instinctively knew that humans are much smarter than computers in volatile environments. So he bet on common sense.

The unanswered questions about sex, love, and pregnancy in space could shape the future of humanity more than we think.

Julius Caesar conquered Gaul but his emotional intelligence was pitiful — and there’s plenty we can learn from his leadership deficiencies.

Liz Tran makes the case for a new kind of intelligence that addresses our ability to handle today’s ever-fluctuating challenges: AQ.

Kaizen taught me that tiny, consistent changes can be more powerful than dramatic overhauls.

Many top performers start behind — and overtake the early leaders later.

The actor learned control, endurance, and focus on-set. Those lessons became the foundation of his real-world fight with addiction and self-hatred.

These cultural lies make normal struggle feel like failure. A habit of experimentation makes it feel like progress.

Tara Narula shares how journalist Richard Cohen challenged conventional ideas about illness, identity, and strength while living with MS.

AI may be rewriting “how” we work — but not “why” we work. And this has profound implications for leadership.

Author Zack Kass argues that AI will not end work — it will expand it, pushing us toward new ways of creating, connecting, and adding value.

Time blocking is a remarkable technique for ensuring your daily actions are guided forward by your overarching goals and intentions. Here’s how to supercharge it.

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant emphasizes that while no one excels at a skill initially, effective leadership can uncover and nurture the untapped potential in team members through guidance and practice.

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.