The Power of Language
At the pediatrician’s clinic, a nurse told Viorica Marian, who is a native speaker of Romanian, to use only English with her American-born daughter. Speaking another language would “confuse” the child and hurt her long-term,…
The Darkness Manifesto
In the twilight, bats, which nest in the old church of Suntak in Sweden, fly around, hunting for insects. The twelfth century church’s façade is not lit up at night. So, as in the…
Agrippina -- sculpture from the British Museum
On The Scent
Early in the pandemic, which began in March 2020, London-based reporter Paolo Totaro, abruptly lost her sense of smell. With that, food too turned unappetizing – her favorite dark chocolate tasted like “unscented soap.” Trapped…
Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter, and Beyond
Book Bright Galaxies, Dark Matter, and Beyond: The life of astronomer Vera Rubin Ashley Jean Yeager VERA RUBIN began her career at a time when women were denied access to telescopes at leading observatories. Eventually…
Quantum Life
They called him “The Professor” because by the time he was ten years old, he was reading every book he could get his hands on. In sixth grade, he scored 162 on an I.Q. test.…
Three Cheers for Alcohol
A good book can take you to some unexpected places. Like this whiskey room at a giant tech company furnished with colorful beanbags and foosball tables. When coders at Google hit a creative wall,…