AEON
Blaming individuals for obesity may be altogether wrong
As the American people got fatter, so did marmosets, vervet monkeys and mice. The problem may be bigger than any of us.
AEON
What if jobs are not the solution but the problem?
Economists believe in full employment. Americans think that work builds character. But what if jobs aren’t working anymore?
AEON
What the idea of civilisational ‘collapse’ says about history
The idea that the Maya or Easter Islanders experienced an apocalyptic end makes for good television but bad archaeology.
Aeon
A culture of hyper-reality made paranoid delusions true
Schizophrenics used to see demons and spirits. Now they talk about actors and hidden cameras – and make a lot of sense
AEON
Your brain does not process information and it is not a computer
Your brain does not process information, retrieve knowledge or store memories. In short: your brain is not a computer
AEON
The evidence is in: there is no language instinct
For decades, the idea of a language instinct has dominated linguistics. It is simple, powerful and completely wrong.
Aeon
How did usury stop being a sin and become respectable finance?
Moneylending has been taboo for most of human history. So how did usury stop being a sin and become respectable finance?
aeon
The myth of ‘mad’ genius
The Romantic stereotype that creativity is enhanced by a mood disorder is dangerous, and dissolves under careful scrutiny
Aeon
Not your Tibetan Buddhism
Behind the beatific image of Tibetan Buddhism lies a dark, complicated reality. But is it one the Western gaze wants to see?
AEON
Why pregnancy is a biological war between mother and baby
A ferocious biological struggle between mother and baby belies any sentimental ideas we might have about pregnancy
AEON
Innovation is overvalued Maintenance often matters more
Capitalism excels at innovation but is failing at maintenance, and for most lives it is maintenance that matters more.
Aeon
Going nowhere fast
After the success of the Standard Model, experiments have stopped answering to grand theories. Is particle physics in crisis?
aeon
Mad, or bad?
Even in the decade of dissent, Thomas Szasz stood alone when he attacked the idea of madness from the political right
AEON
Why the Western philosophical canon is xenophobic and racist
Academic philosophy in ‘the West’ ignores and disdains the thought traditions of China, India and Africa. This must change.
Aeon
The selfish gene is a great meme. Too bad it’s so wrong
For decades, the selfish gene metaphor let us view evolution with new clarity. Is it now blinding us?
Aeon
A former inmate returns to teach meditation
In the harsh environment of a Rhode Island men’s prison, fifty inmates are transforming their lives through the practice of mindfulness meditation.
aeon
The Black Death
At least one in three Europeans and untold millions in Asia died. What was the source of this brutal, lethal efficiency?
AEON
Why is linguistics such a magnet for dilettantes and crackpots?
The study of languages has long been prone to nonsense. Why is linguistics such a magnet for dilettantes and crackpots?