Aeon Magazine
@aeon.co
Aeon is a magazine of ideas and culture. Visit aeon.co for more.
We are just one branch of a diverse human family tree. Aside from Neanderthals, who were they – and why did we replace them? This excellent essay on human evolution is an editor’s favourite, and the perfect companion to a quiet Boxing Day
Why one branch on the human family tree replaced all the others | Aeon Essays
We are just one branch of a diverse human family tree. Aside from Neanderthals, who were they – and why did we replace them?
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December 26, 2025 at 11:30 AM
We are just one branch of a diverse human family tree. Aside from Neanderthals, who were they – and why did we replace them? This excellent essay on human evolution is an editor’s favourite, and the perfect companion to a quiet Boxing Day
Blending live action, animation, and a soulful, hip-hop-infused beat, director Tajana Tokyo offers a rich snapshot of how relationships are understood in Sierra Leone, and how those views diverge from Western ideas – from divorce and cheating to why you should never ‘marry a man you like too much.’
Never marry a man you love too much, and other views on romance in Sierra Leone | Aeon Videos
A playful collage of audio interviews captures candid and revealing reflections on love, sex and marriage in Sierra Leone
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December 25, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Blending live action, animation, and a soulful, hip-hop-infused beat, director Tajana Tokyo offers a rich snapshot of how relationships are understood in Sierra Leone, and how those views diverge from Western ideas – from divorce and cheating to why you should never ‘marry a man you like too much.’
‘Our mental worlds are lively with experiences of absence, yet it’s a mystery how the mind performs the trick of seeing nothing.’ Revisit one of our most read Essays of 2025:
Why zero could unlock how the brain perceives absence | Aeon Essays
It took centuries for people to embrace the zero. Now it’s helping neuroscientists understand how the brain perceives absences
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December 25, 2025 at 11:30 AM
‘Our mental worlds are lively with experiences of absence, yet it’s a mystery how the mind performs the trick of seeing nothing.’ Revisit one of our most read Essays of 2025:
This video captures a group of teenagers in Portugal playing a game known as pau de sebo – which loosely translates as ‘greasy pole’ – in which participants attempt to climb a grease-coated wooden pole to claim prizes hanging from its peak
Teens battle grease and gravity in this lively street game | Aeon Videos
In a town park in Portugal, prizes dangle just out of reach up a greasy pole. How will the local teens manage to get them?
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December 24, 2025 at 12:15 PM
This video captures a group of teenagers in Portugal playing a game known as pau de sebo – which loosely translates as ‘greasy pole’ – in which participants attempt to climb a grease-coated wooden pole to claim prizes hanging from its peak
What differentiates righteous anger from mere grievance? This sharply argued Essay dissects the ‘constitutively negative’ orientation of grievance politics, which ‘what’s essential is the continuous expression of hostility, rather than the attainment of any particular goal’
What explains the perpetual need for political enemies? | Aeon Essays
Politics today is driven by grievances that can never be assuaged. For democracy’s survival, we must grapple with this dynamic
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December 23, 2025 at 11:15 AM
What differentiates righteous anger from mere grievance? This sharply argued Essay dissects the ‘constitutively negative’ orientation of grievance politics, which ‘what’s essential is the continuous expression of hostility, rather than the attainment of any particular goal’
If we are to think clearly about the question of AI in medicine, we must confront it from an outsider’s perspective, and consider whether new technologies could be part of a wider reckoning with what medicine is for and who it should serve
Who should decide the role of AI in the future of medicine? | Aeon Essays
Medical error kills hundreds of thousands yearly. If AI is sophisticated enough to help, doctors must not stand in the way
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December 22, 2025 at 12:00 PM
If we are to think clearly about the question of AI in medicine, we must confront it from an outsider’s perspective, and consider whether new technologies could be part of a wider reckoning with what medicine is for and who it should serve
This film takes us on a journey from the Linden-Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, to Nairobi, Kenya to uncover the meaning of a Kikuyu artefact taken into the museum in 1903
Why is this Kenyan artefact in storage at a German museum? | Aeon Videos
What is a German museum doing with a Kikuyu artefact it doesn’t know anything about? A journey to Kenya for some answers
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December 20, 2025 at 3:45 PM
This film takes us on a journey from the Linden-Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, to Nairobi, Kenya to uncover the meaning of a Kikuyu artefact taken into the museum in 1903
For Mandeville, humankind has a bottomless need to be liked: it is this perennial craving that forms the foundation of society. An Essay by Andrea Branchi
The hidden role of pride and shame in the human hive | Aeon Essays
For Mandeville, humankind has a bottomless need to be liked: it is this perennial craving that forms the foundation of society
aeon.co
December 19, 2025 at 4:05 PM
For Mandeville, humankind has a bottomless need to be liked: it is this perennial craving that forms the foundation of society. An Essay by Andrea Branchi
Aeon Essays are now available to listen to on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Listen now: buff.ly/IKW4hxJ
December 19, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Aeon Essays are now available to listen to on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Listen now: buff.ly/IKW4hxJ
Self-centered, validation-seeking, prideful – few of us would want to be described this way. But, the 18th-century philosopher Bernard Mandeville argued, these are the traits that allow our society to function. As debates about narcissism abound, Mandeville is a thinker worth revisiting
The hidden role of pride and shame in the human hive | Aeon Essays
For Mandeville, humankind has a bottomless need to be liked: it is this perennial craving that forms the foundation of society
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December 19, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Self-centered, validation-seeking, prideful – few of us would want to be described this way. But, the 18th-century philosopher Bernard Mandeville argued, these are the traits that allow our society to function. As debates about narcissism abound, Mandeville is a thinker worth revisiting
Reposted by Aeon Magazine
As an editor for @aeon.co, commissioning an essay about ultra-long-lived organisms called *aeonophiles* was a no-brainer. I loved working on this. Biologist @karenlloyd.bsky.social's research is deeply fascinating... + check out her brilliant book Intraterrestrials! aeon.co/essays/the-d...
The discovery of aeonophiles expands our definition of life | Aeon Essays
The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life
aeon.co
December 18, 2025 at 12:33 PM
As an editor for @aeon.co, commissioning an essay about ultra-long-lived organisms called *aeonophiles* was a no-brainer. I loved working on this. Biologist @karenlloyd.bsky.social's research is deeply fascinating... + check out her brilliant book Intraterrestrials! aeon.co/essays/the-d...
Reposted by Aeon Magazine
My article on aeonophiles (ultra-long lived organisms) came out in Aeon Magazine today!
The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life. An Essay by @karenlloyd.bsky.social
The discovery of aeonophiles expands our definition of life | Aeon Essays
The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life
aeon.co
December 18, 2025 at 11:19 PM
My article on aeonophiles (ultra-long lived organisms) came out in Aeon Magazine today!
The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life. An Essay by @karenlloyd.bsky.social
The discovery of aeonophiles expands our definition of life | Aeon Essays
The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life
aeon.co
December 18, 2025 at 11:05 PM
The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life. An Essay by @karenlloyd.bsky.social
Why the stunning rhinoceros hornbills are the farmers of the rainforest and a powerful avian symbol of regeneration
How a beautiful bird helps Southeast Asia’s rainforests flourish | Aeon Videos
Why the stunning rhinoceros hornbills are the farmers of the rainforest and a powerful avian symbol of regeneration
aeon.co
December 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Why the stunning rhinoceros hornbills are the farmers of the rainforest and a powerful avian symbol of regeneration
In this captivating short film by @cornellbirds.bsky.social, a conservation biologist and a wildlife photographer travel across Indonesia in search of hornbills, the birds helping to regenerate one of the world’s largest rainforest regions
How a beautiful bird helps Southeast Asia’s rainforests flourish | Aeon Videos
Why the stunning rhinoceros hornbills are the farmers of the rainforest and a powerful avian symbol of regeneration
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December 18, 2025 at 11:15 AM
In this captivating short film by @cornellbirds.bsky.social, a conservation biologist and a wildlife photographer travel across Indonesia in search of hornbills, the birds helping to regenerate one of the world’s largest rainforest regions
Some of the longest-lived organisms on Earth aren’t whales, trees or corals, but microbes buried deep in the earth. This eye-opening essay examines the slowest lives on Earth, asking what such lives mean for how we define life itself @karenlloyd.bsky.social
The discovery of aeonophiles expands our definition of life | Aeon Essays
The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life
buff.ly
December 18, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Some of the longest-lived organisms on Earth aren’t whales, trees or corals, but microbes buried deep in the earth. This eye-opening essay examines the slowest lives on Earth, asking what such lives mean for how we define life itself @karenlloyd.bsky.social
This celebrated short film presents a gentle portrait of intergenerational friendship, imagining a road trip to the sea that they can’t take in real life
A millennial and her centenarian friend take a unique road trip | Aeon Videos
Two women – one aged 35, the other 102 – become friends. This is what the road trip they can’t take would look like
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December 17, 2025 at 1:15 PM
This celebrated short film presents a gentle portrait of intergenerational friendship, imagining a road trip to the sea that they can’t take in real life
Reposted by Aeon Magazine
My piece on the radical lineage of the Catholic Church, and how tapping into those roots can help the religion play a critical role in combating climate change, is out today in @aeon.co: aeon.co/essays/the-c...
The Catholic Church can be a force for environmental change | Aeon Essays
Coursing through Catholicism is a radical tradition of environmental justice that will help combat the climate crisis
aeon.co
December 15, 2025 at 6:15 PM
My piece on the radical lineage of the Catholic Church, and how tapping into those roots can help the religion play a critical role in combating climate change, is out today in @aeon.co: aeon.co/essays/the-c...
Today, 250 years since the birth of #JaneAusten, we’re sharing this Essay exploring the relationship between nature and aesthetic beauty in her work. It brings her observations into conversation with Charles Darwin’s, asking the role of beauty in the naturalist’s view and naturalism in the artist’s
How Austen and Darwin converged on the question of beauty | Aeon Essays
Charles Darwin was as fascinated by extravagant ornament in nature as Jane Austen was in culture. Did their explanations agree?
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December 16, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Today, 250 years since the birth of #JaneAusten, we’re sharing this Essay exploring the relationship between nature and aesthetic beauty in her work. It brings her observations into conversation with Charles Darwin’s, asking the role of beauty in the naturalist’s view and naturalism in the artist’s
Reflecting on her 30-year career as a teacher, lecturer, radio presenter and playwright, an Afghan woman tells a story of joy amidst upheaval. As a new generation of Afghan girls confronts repression with grit and determination, she remains hopeful for the future @untold-narratives.bsky.social
I am witness to the strength of working women in Afghanistan | Aeon Essays
I am banned from working now, but as I look back on my long, challenging career in Afghanistan I feel hope for the future
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December 16, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Reflecting on her 30-year career as a teacher, lecturer, radio presenter and playwright, an Afghan woman tells a story of joy amidst upheaval. As a new generation of Afghan girls confronts repression with grit and determination, she remains hopeful for the future @untold-narratives.bsky.social
At Aeon, we publish essays on the existentially significant questions, alongside carefully curated short documentaries spanning philosophy, science, psychology, society and culture. Our archive is rich and inexhaustible – a place where every curious mind can find something to enjoy aeon.co
December 15, 2025 at 9:00 PM
At Aeon, we publish essays on the existentially significant questions, alongside carefully curated short documentaries spanning philosophy, science, psychology, society and culture. Our archive is rich and inexhaustible – a place where every curious mind can find something to enjoy aeon.co
On the 350th anniversary of Johannes Vermeer’s death, we’re re-visiting this Essay which reflects on Stendhal’s vision of art’s enduring purpose. For Stendhal, great works like Vermeer’s transcend visual appeal and technical mastery. The promise of art lies in its power to make you feel
What Stendhal says about the purpose and promise of art | Aeon Essays
As Stendhal knew, the reason for art is to make you feel. Do not try to grasp the artwork: allow it to grasp you instead
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December 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM
On the 350th anniversary of Johannes Vermeer’s death, we’re re-visiting this Essay which reflects on Stendhal’s vision of art’s enduring purpose. For Stendhal, great works like Vermeer’s transcend visual appeal and technical mastery. The promise of art lies in its power to make you feel
Given Catholicism’s reputation for conservatism, it would appear to be the last place you’d find radical innovation in environmental justice. But looking at the full sweep of the Church’s history uncovers a rich tradition of caring for the whole of God’s creation
The Catholic Church can be a force for environmental change | Aeon Essays
Coursing through Catholicism is a radical tradition of environmental justice that will help combat the climate crisis
buff.ly
December 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Given Catholicism’s reputation for conservatism, it would appear to be the last place you’d find radical innovation in environmental justice. But looking at the full sweep of the Church’s history uncovers a rich tradition of caring for the whole of God’s creation
This short explores Robert Frost’s ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ (1923), unravelling how the poem masterfully evokes the tension between the meditative moments that draw us away from clock time and the intrusions that pull us back in
How Robert Frost summoned a classic from life’s timeless moments | Aeon Videos
How did Robert Frost so perfectly capture a moment of timelessness? Discover the hidden craft in this classic’s simplicity
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December 11, 2025 at 3:15 PM
This short explores Robert Frost’s ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ (1923), unravelling how the poem masterfully evokes the tension between the meditative moments that draw us away from clock time and the intrusions that pull us back in
In 1927, Martin Heidegger argued that thinking and theorising presupposes a uniquely human mode of being. This excerpt from the documentary ‘Being in the World’ makes Heidegger’s arguments digestible through interviews with philosophers and artists who demonstrate this way of being
I am, therefore I think – how Heidegger radically reframed being | Aeon Videos
What does it mean to ‘be’? This excerpt provides a brief intro to Heidegger’s philosophy, via jazz, cooking and carpentry
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December 11, 2025 at 2:30 PM
In 1927, Martin Heidegger argued that thinking and theorising presupposes a uniquely human mode of being. This excerpt from the documentary ‘Being in the World’ makes Heidegger’s arguments digestible through interviews with philosophers and artists who demonstrate this way of being