Aeon Magazine
@aeon.co
Aeon is a magazine of ideas and culture. Visit aeon.co for more.
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Aeon Magazine
@aeon.co
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It seems these days that it’s difficult to find time to think. This is what Aeon offers to its readers: time to consider, ponder and marvel at what it means to be human. Today, we launch our annual donation drive, inviting you to support us in this mission. Donate now at aeon.co/donate
‘A historical view of our relationship with orcas reveals that they have often served as a Rorschach test for humanity’s conflicted attitudes toward the sea.’ This Essay by environmental historian Jason Colby explores how our understanding of orcas has shifted over the last century
Orcas haven’t changed, but our view of the killer whale has | Aeon Essays
Sea pandas or sadistic killers? These enigmatic creatures invite contradictory labels that say far more about us than them
buff.ly
February 9, 2026 at 1:00 PM
‘A historical view of our relationship with orcas reveals that they have often served as a Rorschach test for humanity’s conflicted attitudes toward the sea.’ This Essay by environmental historian Jason Colby explores how our understanding of orcas has shifted over the last century
Aeon audio asks the big, existentially significant questions and finds the freshest, most original answers, provided by leading thinkers on philosophy, science, psychology, society and culture.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: buff.ly/VcJM8zn
And Spotify: buff.ly/Ml8z9dr
Listen on Apple Podcasts: buff.ly/VcJM8zn
And Spotify: buff.ly/Ml8z9dr
February 9, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Aeon audio asks the big, existentially significant questions and finds the freshest, most original answers, provided by leading thinkers on philosophy, science, psychology, society and culture.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: buff.ly/VcJM8zn
And Spotify: buff.ly/Ml8z9dr
Listen on Apple Podcasts: buff.ly/VcJM8zn
And Spotify: buff.ly/Ml8z9dr
We’re hiring! The Sophia Club (part of Aeon Media) is looking for a proactive, creative, and meticulous Event Manager and Producer to join our Melbourne-based team (3 days/week). If you have experience producing high-quality performance and literary events, we’d love to hear from you buff.ly/bZYgj4Z
February 9, 2026 at 9:30 AM
We’re hiring! The Sophia Club (part of Aeon Media) is looking for a proactive, creative, and meticulous Event Manager and Producer to join our Melbourne-based team (3 days/week). If you have experience producing high-quality performance and literary events, we’d love to hear from you buff.ly/bZYgj4Z
Reposted by Aeon Magazine
In an essay for @aeon.co, I argue that humans evolved not to cooperate or to compete, but with the capacity for both – and with the flexibility to cheat when we’re likely to get away with it.
Cooperation is therefore something we need to promote, not to presume.
🧪
aeon.co/essays/we-co...
Cooperation is therefore something we need to promote, not to presume.
🧪
aeon.co/essays/we-co...
We cooperate to survive. But, if no one’s looking, we compete | Aeon Essays
An age-old debate about human nature is being energised with new findings on the tightrope of cooperation and competition
aeon.co
February 8, 2026 at 5:02 PM
In an essay for @aeon.co, I argue that humans evolved not to cooperate or to compete, but with the capacity for both – and with the flexibility to cheat when we’re likely to get away with it.
Cooperation is therefore something we need to promote, not to presume.
🧪
aeon.co/essays/we-co...
Cooperation is therefore something we need to promote, not to presume.
🧪
aeon.co/essays/we-co...
Set against the backdrop of Poland’s economic recession in the 1980s, this animation captures a group of friends intent on taking a joyously aimless road trip to the country’s Baltic coast in a small, overcrowded car
Youthful joy and civil unrest collide in this epic road trip tale | Aeon Videos
It was a rust bucket, sure, but this car delivered the most precious good to a group of friends in 1980s Poland: freedom
buff.ly
February 7, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Set against the backdrop of Poland’s economic recession in the 1980s, this animation captures a group of friends intent on taking a joyously aimless road trip to the country’s Baltic coast in a small, overcrowded car
Pushing back against both the rose-tinted view of pre-agricultural society as a harmonious, cooperative paradise and the cut-throat notion of humans as purely self-motivated individuals, the social scientist Jonathan R Goodman offers an even-handed vision of humanity in this thought-provoking Essay
We cooperate to survive. But, if no one’s looking, we compete | Aeon Essays
An age-old debate about human nature is being energised with new findings on the tightrope of cooperation and competition
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Pushing back against both the rose-tinted view of pre-agricultural society as a harmonious, cooperative paradise and the cut-throat notion of humans as purely self-motivated individuals, the social scientist Jonathan R Goodman offers an even-handed vision of humanity in this thought-provoking Essay
Botswana’s Tsodilo Hills – sometimes called the ‘Louvre of the desert’ – contain one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world. This short documentary examines the significance of the hills, as well as ongoing efforts to preserve them for future generations
What the ‘Louvre of the desert’ reveals about the human story | Aeon Videos
Rising far above the desert, the walls of these magnificent hills carry the ancient story of humanity’s creative spark
buff.ly
February 5, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Botswana’s Tsodilo Hills – sometimes called the ‘Louvre of the desert’ – contain one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world. This short documentary examines the significance of the hills, as well as ongoing efforts to preserve them for future generations
In Japanese philosophy, unlike the atomised Western self, we are ‘ningen’ (人間), each enmeshed with other humans and nature @takeshimorisato.bsky.social
The Japanese ethics of ‘ningen’ dethrones the Western self | Aeon Essays
In Japanese philosophy, unlike the atomised Western self, we are ‘ningen’ (人間), each enmeshed with other humans and nature
buff.ly
February 5, 2026 at 11:00 AM
In Japanese philosophy, unlike the atomised Western self, we are ‘ningen’ (人間), each enmeshed with other humans and nature @takeshimorisato.bsky.social
The German philosopher Martin Heidegger believed that true knowledge requires stepping into the realm of the unknown. This excerpt from ‘Being in the World’ interrogates Heidegger’s ideas via conversations with philosophers that explore how highly skilled individuals venture beyond the comfortable
True mastery demands going beyond the rules to learn for yourself | Aeon Videos
To master our own lives, we must venture beyond the rules and embrace risk – Heidegger’s philosophy grounded in real life
buff.ly
February 4, 2026 at 11:15 AM
The German philosopher Martin Heidegger believed that true knowledge requires stepping into the realm of the unknown. This excerpt from ‘Being in the World’ interrogates Heidegger’s ideas via conversations with philosophers that explore how highly skilled individuals venture beyond the comfortable
Neuroscientists have long relied on the metaphor of ‘brain rewiring’ to communicate their complex findings. In this Essay, the retired neurologist Peter Lukacs argues that while some metaphors can be helpful, it’s time we recognise the true complexity – and incompleteness – of brain change
What the metaphor of ‘rewiring’ gets wrong about neuroplasticity | Aeon Essays
The metaphor of rewiring offers an ideal of engineered precision. But the brain is more like a forest than a circuit board
buff.ly
February 3, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Neuroscientists have long relied on the metaphor of ‘brain rewiring’ to communicate their complex findings. In this Essay, the retired neurologist Peter Lukacs argues that while some metaphors can be helpful, it’s time we recognise the true complexity – and incompleteness – of brain change
Inside the murky underworld of scam compounds, the line between victim and perpetrator is being continually redrawn
Inside the criminal world of Southeast Asia’s scam compounds | Aeon Essays
In Southeast Asia’s scam compounds, workers are being enslaved but the boundary between victim and perpetrator is blurred
buff.ly
February 2, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Inside the murky underworld of scam compounds, the line between victim and perpetrator is being continually redrawn
It seems these days that it’s difficult to find time to think. This is what Aeon offers to its readers: time to consider, ponder and marvel at what it means to be human. Today, we launch our annual donation drive, inviting you to support us in this mission. Donate now at aeon.co/donate
February 2, 2026 at 1:15 PM
It seems these days that it’s difficult to find time to think. This is what Aeon offers to its readers: time to consider, ponder and marvel at what it means to be human. Today, we launch our annual donation drive, inviting you to support us in this mission. Donate now at aeon.co/donate
This short captures stunt performers in the state of West Bengal as they circle the 18-metre-high walls of the Well of Death, exploring how thrills, freedom, camaraderie and unconventional life paths have drawn them to this work
The Indian daredevils who feel at home in the Well of Death | Aeon Videos
For India’s travelling stunt drivers, who risk their lives for a living, freedom lies on the other side of fear
buff.ly
January 31, 2026 at 3:45 PM
This short captures stunt performers in the state of West Bengal as they circle the 18-metre-high walls of the Well of Death, exploring how thrills, freedom, camaraderie and unconventional life paths have drawn them to this work
Drawing from myriad historical and contemporary examples of social movements driven by anger, this Essay from the Aeon archive argues that it is often unfairly maligned. A clear-eyed exploration of anger that still resonates
Anger is a valuable emotion driving private and public good | Aeon Essays
To those who say anger is destructive or pointless: Not so! Getting angry spurs and sustains us to take action for justice
buff.ly
January 30, 2026 at 11:30 AM
Drawing from myriad historical and contemporary examples of social movements driven by anger, this Essay from the Aeon archive argues that it is often unfairly maligned. A clear-eyed exploration of anger that still resonates
This evocative film profiles three former prisoners turned activists who endured long-term solitary confinement, which is still practiced in the US despite movements opposing it
The elaborate places one’s mind wanders in solitary confinement | Aeon Videos
Where does the mind go in solitary confinement? An evocative animation exploring three individual experiences
buff.ly
January 29, 2026 at 2:45 PM
This evocative film profiles three former prisoners turned activists who endured long-term solitary confinement, which is still practiced in the US despite movements opposing it
Is inherited wealth bad? Despite fears of a new aristocracy, inheritance flows today are lower than a century ago, and inherited wealth now accounts for a much smaller share of total wealth. In today’s Essay, the eminent Swedish economist, Daniel Waldenström, examines the data
inherited wealth is a natural byproduct of a healthy, growing economy | Aeon Essays
Despite associations with the idle rich, the fact that inheritances are rising is a sign of a healthy, growing economy
buff.ly
January 29, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Is inherited wealth bad? Despite fears of a new aristocracy, inheritance flows today are lower than a century ago, and inherited wealth now accounts for a much smaller share of total wealth. In today’s Essay, the eminent Swedish economist, Daniel Waldenström, examines the data
Reposted by Aeon Magazine
Goldsmiths Prize 2015 shortlistee, @richbeard.bsky.social, on 'the miracle of human artistic selection' and much more in @aeon.co
aeon.co/essays/sure-...
aeon.co/essays/sure-...
Sure, AI can ‘do’ writing. But memoir? Not so much | Aeon Essays
As AI’s endless clichés continue to encroach on human art, the true uniqueness of our creativity is becoming ever clearer
aeon.co
January 27, 2026 at 11:11 AM
Goldsmiths Prize 2015 shortlistee, @richbeard.bsky.social, on 'the miracle of human artistic selection' and much more in @aeon.co
aeon.co/essays/sure-...
aeon.co/essays/sure-...
Talk of wellness is usually reserved for our bodies and minds, but what about the larger structures that we navigate every day? For #FinancialWellnessMonth, we are featuring McLauglin and Erars excellent 2018 Essay on how to construct a household model that works for your unique configuration
Households are mini-economies that need slack to be productive | Aeon Essays
A household is a miniature ecosystem with inputs, outputs and flows: thinking like this can make life a whole lot better
buff.ly
January 28, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Talk of wellness is usually reserved for our bodies and minds, but what about the larger structures that we navigate every day? For #FinancialWellnessMonth, we are featuring McLauglin and Erars excellent 2018 Essay on how to construct a household model that works for your unique configuration
It’s not particularly difficult to imagine the Universe without light – after all, many nonhuman animals live in lightless environments. However, as this video by @rigb.org explores, such a reality would be impossible
Our Universe has light not by chance but by necessity | Aeon Videos
Light is fundamental to the workings and laws of our Universe – but why does it exist in the first place?
buff.ly
January 28, 2026 at 12:45 PM
It’s not particularly difficult to imagine the Universe without light – after all, many nonhuman animals live in lightless environments. However, as this video by @rigb.org explores, such a reality would be impossible
Reposted by Aeon Magazine
@aeon.co asked me to write about the incursion of AI into the creative arts, and why my memoir project The Universal Turing Machine stands up for all that is good and right. I'll do what I can, I said.
aeon.co/essays/sure-...
aeon.co/essays/sure-...
Sure, AI can ‘do’ writing. But memoir? Not so much | Aeon Essays
As AI’s endless clichés continue to encroach on human art, the true uniqueness of our creativity is becoming ever clearer
aeon.co
January 23, 2026 at 5:15 PM
@aeon.co asked me to write about the incursion of AI into the creative arts, and why my memoir project The Universal Turing Machine stands up for all that is good and right. I'll do what I can, I said.
aeon.co/essays/sure-...
aeon.co/essays/sure-...
Through the story of Crispina Peres, a powerful businesswoman prosecuted by the Portuguese Inquisition, this Essay paints a fascinating picture of the remarkably pluralistic environment she lived in – a bustling 17th-century West African port town
Lessons in pluralism from a 17th-century African town | Aeon Essays
The 17th-century town Cacheu was a hub of West African and European cultures, languages and beliefs (and run by women)
aeon.co
January 28, 2026 at 1:34 AM
Through the story of Crispina Peres, a powerful businesswoman prosecuted by the Portuguese Inquisition, this Essay paints a fascinating picture of the remarkably pluralistic environment she lived in – a bustling 17th-century West African port town
In recent years, evidence has been accumulating for a third class of particles called ‘anyons’ which rewrite the rules for how particles move, interact, and combine. However, they’re theoretically possible only in 2D, so what kind of reality do they actually possess? if any at all?
Anyons: the two-dimensional particles that reframe reality | Aeon Essays
Physicists believe a third class of particles – anyons – could exist, but only in 2D. What kind of existence is that?
buff.ly
January 26, 2026 at 11:45 AM
In recent years, evidence has been accumulating for a third class of particles called ‘anyons’ which rewrite the rules for how particles move, interact, and combine. However, they’re theoretically possible only in 2D, so what kind of reality do they actually possess? if any at all?
This year marks a century since the birth of television, a medium that has shaped our worldview, meaning-making, and self-imagination. In this Idea from the archive, Shuster argues how contemporary television respondeds to social fragmentation not by turning away from intimacy, but by reimagining it
Our golden age of TV: amid collapse, a new family emerges | Aeon Ideas
The last site of normative authority: what the renaissance in television art tells us about the political present
buff.ly
January 26, 2026 at 11:05 AM
This year marks a century since the birth of television, a medium that has shaped our worldview, meaning-making, and self-imagination. In this Idea from the archive, Shuster argues how contemporary television respondeds to social fragmentation not by turning away from intimacy, but by reimagining it
On the #InternationalDayofEducation, we’re resharing this Essay drawing on the radical vision of Jean-Jacques Rousseau to ask what we really mean by learning. Is education merely a system for transmitting knowledge and preparing people for work or could it be something more expansive and humane?
It’s time we revived Rousseau’s radical spirit in schooling | Aeon Essays
Rousseau’s child-centred ideals are now commonplace but his truly radical vision of educational freedom still eludes us
buff.ly
January 24, 2026 at 11:30 AM
On the #InternationalDayofEducation, we’re resharing this Essay drawing on the radical vision of Jean-Jacques Rousseau to ask what we really mean by learning. Is education merely a system for transmitting knowledge and preparing people for work or could it be something more expansive and humane?
Can AI be creative? Machine learning mechanisms are based on predictability and following instructions – anathema to making truly great art, which at its core is ‘an affirmation of human existence’, as Richard Beard argues in this passionate Essay
Sure, AI can ‘do’ writing. But memoir? Not so much | Aeon Essays
As AI’s endless clichés continue to encroach on human art, the true uniqueness of our creativity is becoming ever clearer
buff.ly
January 23, 2026 at 11:30 AM
Can AI be creative? Machine learning mechanisms are based on predictability and following instructions – anathema to making truly great art, which at its core is ‘an affirmation of human existence’, as Richard Beard argues in this passionate Essay