“There have been times in my life when I wouldn’t have taken seriously the possibility that a South American psychedelic could help ease the horror of systems collapse.”
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My Mom and Dr. DeepSeek
“In China and around the world, the sick and lonely turn to AI.”
I’m a Normie. Can Normies Really Vibe Code?
“Apparently anyone can vibe code anything these days. So Claude and I tried to make a database for tracking the petty grievances of the masses.”
DeafBlind Communities May Be Creating a New Language of Touch
Andrew Leland’s fascinating piece in The New Yorker explores Protactile, a system of tactile communication that has evolved into a national movement for autonomy among DeafBlind people across the U.S. Still, several linguists have come to believe that, among some of its frequent users, Protactile is developing into its own language, with words and grammatical […]
What Is Claude? Anthropic Doesn’t Know, Either
“Researchers at the company are trying to understand their A.I. system’s mind—examining its neurons, running it through psychology experiments, and putting it on the therapy couch.”
The Grab List: How Museums Decide What to Save in a Disaster
“Billions of dollars’ worth of art is imperilled by climate change. Curators will have to make sacrifices.”
The Remarkable Brain of a Carpet Cleaner Who Speaks 24 Languages
Vaughn Smith lives in Maryland. He’s 46 years old. He also learns languages with the seeming ease of a run around the block — including endangered indigenous tongues like Salish. In this fascinating profile that’s part ridealong and part science dive, Jessica Contrera takes you inside the life (and brain) of a man with a […]
Building a Nest
“Lauren Markham and Jenny Odell discuss people, books, and places as inspiration; grief and the creative process; and the conscious attention required by climate crisis.”
So You Think You’ve Been Gaslit
“What happens when a niche clinical concept becomes a ubiquitous cultural diagnosis.”
The Biggest Loser
“He built an empire of men addicted to watching him lose enormous sums of money. In Las Vegas, I figured out why we can’t look away.”
