In This EpisodeWhy finishing a first novel didn't make finishing the next one any easierCritique groups, deadlines, dopamine, and the strange ways motivation can work against the workExperimenting as…
In This EpisodeStone, steel, water, sound, and the physical rhythm of sharpening a knifeThe point where usefulness ends and craftsmanship becomes something elseRead the Full EssayRead “Sharpening…
In This EpisodeWhy walking deserves considerably more attention than we give itThe important distinctions between walking, ambling, and moseyingRead the Full EssayRead “Notes on Walking” and find more…
In This EpisodeThe annual Gulf Coast invasion of insects too busy having sex to notice they're invadingThe escalating logistical problem of trying to coexist with something completely harmlessRead the…
In This EpisodeWhy sex dungeons may have a surprisingly strong historical claim to the nameThe disappointing truth about castle prisons, oubliettes, cisterns, and the latrines fantasy adventurers may…
In This EpisodeWhy Monopoly turns winning into something strangely personalWhat a rigged game can tell us about advantage and self-justificationWhy winning has a way of making luck look like meritRead…
Only the most stubborn individuals would claim that there is no suffering in the world. From paper cuts to genocide, most of it is laid bare, plain to see for any who wish to risk a glance. It’s only…
Easier to Remove the OptionI twirl my hair. I've done it since childhood, I've tried repeatedly to stop, and eventually I found a remarkably effective solution: don't have enough hair to twirl.This…
In This EpisodeWhat makes receiving a package feel so satisfying? This week's essay wanders from country mailboxes and junk mail to online impulse purchases, forgotten orders, fulfillment warehouses,…
In This Episode Why do we assume ancient monuments were built for grand and mysterious purposes?In this essay, we explore the most obvious theory of history throught the lens of civilization's…
