“In England, a movement is growing to defy enclosure by trespassing on private land.”
Krista Stevens
Posted inEditor's Pick
How Does the Writer Say Etcetera?
“Sumana Roy ponders the linguistic and aesthetic significance of ‘etceterization.'”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Hideaway
“In an abandoned military barracks in rural Germany, Ben Green prepares for the end of the world.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Animals as Chemical Factories
“Horses bled for antivenom, crabs drained for endotoxin tests, and silkworms boiled for silk. Science can now replace these practices with synthetic alternatives — but we need to find ways to scale them.”
Posted inFeature
A Year in Reading: A Shift in Perspective
The stories that sparked awe and made me think differently in 2024.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Friend or Faux?
“Millions of people are turning to AI for companionship. They are finding the experience surprisingly meaningful, unexpectedly heartbreaking, and profoundly confusing, leaving them to wonder, ‘Is this real? And does that matter?’”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Black Earth
“In North Carolina, a Black farmer purchased the plantation where his ancestors were enslaved— and is reclaiming his family’s story, his community’s health, and the soil beneath his feet.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
On Slowing Down to Cook
“Life is hectic. But to eat meals quickly and not cook is to miss out on an enjoyable sensory experience that connects us to the natural world, different cultures, and to each other.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Murderbot, She Wrote
“Martha Wells created one of the most iconic characters in 21st-century science fiction: Murderbot, reluctant savior of humanity. Then she faced an existential threat of her own.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Tangled Justice
“A new book examines the complex relationship between forgiveness and justice through the story of Paula Cooper, who was sentenced to death at the age of sixteen.”