How to build real peace
From Colombia to Syria, I’ve seen that capitalist logic can’t help to rebuild postwar countries but cooperatives can - by Azize Aslan Read on Aeon
Philosophies
Ideas, ethics, consciousness, meaning, and ways of thinking.
Traction!
Tribologists study friction: what happens when things rub together. It’s indispensable, from the wheel to the paths of stars - by Jennifer R Vail Read on Aeon
How to be a (Roman) man
Cicero’s ideal of manly virtue stressed the performance of self-control and bravery, not boastful egotism and domination - by Catharine Edwards Read on Aeon
How to assemble science
Humanity produces a staggering amount of new knowledge every day. The question is how to make sense of it all - by Helen Pearson Read on Aeon
Affect theory
In the mid-1990s, thinkers pushed back against the idea we’re built by language, turning to feeling and the body instead - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
The meaning of fake marble
From ancient Roman frescoes to modern kitchen benchtops, our desire to recreate marble is about more than cutting costs - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
Penchants of the polymaths
The fathers of Islamic science hold lessons for students: breadth over specialisation, and never let constraints get in the way - by Mariam Sabri Read on Aeon
The Chinese room
Can we test for AI consciousness when we don’t understand our own? Getting into John Searle’s ‘Chinese room’ experiment - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
Our eloquent hands
Physicians reject palmistry as nonsense. But reading the creases of our palms for hidden meaning is what doctors have always done - by Alison Bashford Read on Aeon
The Singapore strategies
The nation’s water is secure, but its food is another matter: lessons from the city-state in efficiency versus self-sufficiency - by Peter A Coclanis Read on Aeon
Towards an AI for Africa
Western-developed AI rides roughshod over Ubuntu values of connection and community that animate African ethical life - by Fainos Mangena Read on Aeon
How to spot pseudoscience
We are living in a golden age of pseudoscience. Here are three helpful tools for separating science from its imitator - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
The Skinner revolution
A 1979 doc examining the life and ideas of B F Skinner, with a focus on his radical, controversial behaviour experiments - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
How to offset your brain
From confirmation bias to loss aversion, everyone suffers from cognitive biases. Skilfully targeted mindfulness can help - by Stephanie Dorais Read on Aeon
Skill nostalgia
Is all the beekeeping, baking and leatherwork just escapist fantasy or the start of a radically human approach to work? - by Joshua Habgood-Coote Read on Aeon