“Mini human brains are being grown in labs all over the world. Soon, they could outthink neural networks.”
biology
Posted inEditor's Pick
Worm Munch Matters
“The lives that slither and scurry beneath the soil’s surface are vital for ecological health: now we can listen in to them.”
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: in a pickle; gut feeling; king of pain; life (or something like it); for those about to rock.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Are Memories Transferable — or Edible?
“In the 1960s, worm-training experiments and their strange implications captivated the nation.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Bright, Built World
“A reflection on how the poets Richard Siken and Anne Carson responded to losing their language.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Baby-Making on Mars
“In the depths of the Cold War, scientists from the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. joined forces to answer a still-urgent question: Can mammals reproduce in space?”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Real Da Vinci Code
“Scholars on a quixotic quest to identify Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA achieve a milestone.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Evolution and Guinea Pig Toes
“How one animal’s oddity inspired Sewall Wright to take on one of Darwin’s big ideas.”
Posted inCuration
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending stories by Brenna Ehrlich, Yiyun Li, Claire L. Evans, Nicholas Casey, and Kent Russell.