This Is Your Brain on Short-Form Video
admin Scientists know very little about how TikTok and its copycats affect human cognition, but the signs aren’t good.
September 2026
What Nature’s Silence Said to Annie Dillard
The late writer believed that hearing the natural world is its own form of prayer.
The Most Powerful Man in AI Isn’t Worried at All
Jensen Huang: not a doomer
The American Age Is Over
A period of global dominance has ended in plain sight.
The Atrocities That Shaped the Modern Middle East
The historian Simon Sebag Montefiore on his latest book, <em>The Cauldron</em>, and how violence forged the modern Middle East
An Electoral Mess in Missouri
The Supreme Court struck down an attempt at gerrymandering. But the chaos is ongoing.
Pennsylvania’s Measles Outbreak Is Enormous
The two latest deaths suggest that the true number of infections is much larger than reported.
How Long Will Bill Belichick Last at North Carolina?
The celebrated coach’s football program is under investigation. It’s hard to know what is substance—and what is noise.
Destroying Humanity Is Against the Law
Don’t wait for a mass-extinction event before holding AI developers accountable.
In Praise of Adult Silliness
A new play reminds us of an ingredient that’s all too rare in grown-up life.