“Researchers believe that artificial intelligence may allow us to speak to other species.”
communication
The Secret Life of the 500+ Cables That Run the Internet
“Laced across the cold depths of the world’s oceans is a network of multimillion-dollar cables, which have become the vital connections of our online lives.”
What Was Twitter, Anyway?
“Whether the platform is dying or not, it’s time to reckon with how exactly it broke our brains.”
How to Speak Honeybee
“By buzzing and quivering, leaning and turning, bees communicate remarkably accurate information.”
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 […]
The Sound of My Inbox
“In a newsletter, the reader is welcomed as a supporter, an ally — or perhaps even a friend.”
The Alarmist: Is One of the Pandemic’s Loudest Scientific Voices Helping or Hurting Public Health?
Meet Eric Feigl-Ding, the town crier of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the Love of Mail: Letter Writing in a Pandemic
“To mail a letter is to send something out in the world with a faith that it will reach its destination. Writing is the same way. We write with hope that our work, like a letter, will find its way to where it needs to go.” Lauren Markham muses on the magic of the U.S. […]
The God Phone
What happens when ordinary people play God to strangers? Leora Smith explores the history of one of the oldest art installations at Burning Man and the conversations that unfold there.
