~aeon | Bookmarks (102)

Before we ventured into space in 1961, we sent fruit flies, dogs and chimps to pave the way. This is their story - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Ancient Mesopotamians had a profound love of beer: a beverage they found celebratory, intoxicating and strangely erotic - by Tate Paulette Read at Aeon

This rollicking ode to modernity pairs Prokofiev with frenetic abstractions and Post-Impressionist animations of people at play - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Hens try to hatch golf balls, whales get beached. Getting things wrong seems to play a fundamental role in life on Earth - by David S Oderberg Read at Aeon

A Bible, a piece of wood, a song – a poignant portrait of the everyday family keepsakes that can bridge generations - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Our culture works hard to keep sex and death separate but recharging the libido might provide the release that grief needs - by Cody Delistraty Read at Aeon

Liberals have forgotten that in order for our lives not to be nasty, brutish and short, we need stability. Enter Hobbes - by Jennifer M Morton Read at Aeon

Mapping a fruit fly’s multitudinous neural pathways is a promising step towards a better understanding of the human brain - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Pau Cin Hau dreamt of an alphabet for a language that had never been written down. So began the religion of Laipianism - by Bikash K Bhattacharya Read at Aeon

Like ‘the property room of an opera house of a vanished civilisation’: the first thrilling glimpse inside Tutankhamun’s tomb - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

For centuries, the only way in which to illuminate the mysteries of black holes was through the power of mathematics - by Steve Nadis & Shing-Tung Yau Read at Aeon

In 2009, the ‘balloon boy’ incident captivated American television audiences – what did it reveal about profit-driven news? - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Mental health campaigns place huge trust in people’s ability to act as therapists. But when should professionals step in? - by Aaron Neiman Read at Aeon

The world sees Japan as a paragon of minimalism. But its hidden clutter culture shows that ‘more’ can be as magical as ‘less’ - by Matt Alt Read at Aeon

For a young girl living in 1980s Tehran, the small intrigues of everyday life take centre stage against a backdrop of war - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Medicine aims to return bodies to the state they were in before illness. But there’s a better way of thinking about health - by Kate MacCord & Jane Maienschein Read at Aeon

‘It’s a beautiful world … when you’re free’: two teens grapple with how to live an authentic life in this vintage short - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

The Mormon state is seen as deeply homophobic. Yet, from polygamy to pride, Mormons themselves are a distinctly queer lot - by Kristi Rhead Read at Aeon

DNA is nature’s highly efficient mechanism for data storage. Now, scientists are taking note to address our storage crisis - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

The belief in witches is an almost universal feature of human societies. What does it reveal about our deepest fears? - by Gregory Forth Read at Aeon

Once lauded as a wonder of the age, cocaine soon became the object of profound anxieties. What happened? - by Douglas Small Read at Aeon

To make sense of a dark and confusing world, the acclaimed puppeteer Ronnie Burkett shrinks it down to a ‘manageable size’ - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Intellectual humility has recently been hailed as the key to thinking well. The story of Barbara McClintock proves otherwise - by Rachel Fraser Read at Aeon

A walk through the English countryside reveals tangible yet long-overlooked traces of a nomadic culture’s long presence - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon