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Aeon

aeon.co

Long essays in philosophy, psychology, science, and culture. Single-author, deeply argued — the kind of piece you save and finish on the train home.

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Aeon

The joy of autism

Yes, we’re in a world of our own: for the autistic mind, it’s a place of intense curiosity, deep focus and sensory delight- by Sarah HendrickxRead on Aeon

Sarah HendrickxJun 9, 2026
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What shape is the Earth?

The extraordinary challenge of determining the true shape of Earth reveals the deep value of measurement to scientific progress- by Miguel OhnesorgeRead on Aeon

Miguel OhnesorgeJun 8, 2026
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The steam engine

The science behind the revolutionary engine that became the bedrock of global energy – born of a curiosity from 130 BCE- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoJun 8, 2026
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Artist of sympathy and cruelty

Mozart’s genius lay in writing music of such power that he could draw his audience into morally wrenching predicaments- by Dorian BandyRead on Aeon

Dorian BandyMay 29, 2026
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Flickering Enlightenment

Attacked by the Left and Right, the Enlightenment can only be saved through use of its greatest legacy: permanent critique- by Eliane GlaserRead on Aeon

Eliane GlaserMay 28, 2026
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Life recombined

In the early 1970s, genetic engineers launched the most controversial revolution in science since the atomic bomb- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoMay 28, 2026
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The meatseller

Selinna is 15 when she leaves her home in Nigeria, bound for Italy, a journey as perilous as it is transformative- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoMay 27, 2026
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Aeon

The embattled witnesses

The UN’s special rapporteurs are experts charged with a singular mandate: to monitor the world’s worst human rights abuses- by Alvina HoffmannRead on Aeon

Alvina HoffmannMay 26, 2026
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Aeon

Can ecosystems malfunction?

We are told the natural world is ‘breaking down’. But forests don’t work like airplanes or human hearts- by John DrakeRead on Aeon

John DrakeMay 25, 2026
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This is my island

Life on this small, off-the-grid island offers closeness to land and community for those willing, and able, to work for it- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoMay 25, 2026
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Aeon

Being small

Nobody quite recovers from being a child: the asymmetry of power between parents and children always leaves a trace- by Tom WooldridgeRead on Aeon

Tom WooldridgeMay 22, 2026
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Make immigration boring

The fiercest political battle of our age needs less moral drama and more hard thinking about numbers and fair tradeoffs- by Alan ManningRead on Aeon

Alan ManningMay 21, 2026
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Aloha ʻāina

It’s marketed as a holiday destination, but the true meaning of Hawai’i lies in the connections between land and people- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoMay 21, 2026
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Aeon

Looking for a donkey

After two arrests and a national uproar, why is it so tricky to find the donkey once likened to Venezuela’s president?- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoMay 20, 2026
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Maritime China

Far from turning its back on the sea, the fate of Qing China was tied as much to tides and storms as to cavalry and walls- by Ron PoRead on Aeon

Ron PoMay 19, 2026
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Mathematics is out there

Sergiu Klainerman spent years proving that black holes won’t fly apart; and arguing that maths is not a human invention- by Steve NadisRead on Aeon

Steve NadisMay 18, 2026
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How death came to Earth

Why must humans die? According to an ancient Indian folktale, death first came to Earth through an ill-fated love affair- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoMay 18, 2026
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Aeon

Africa’s cultural landmarks: Ọṣun-Òṣogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria

Deep inside a luscious grove in Nigeria, a community of artists preserves otherworldly monuments to Yorùbá spirituality- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoApr 27, 2026
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Hunting ‘Man the Hunter’

For a century, this theory of human origins has died and returned. To free it from limbo, we must disentangle its many meanings- by Vivek V VenkataramanRead on Aeon

Vivek V VenkataramanApr 28, 2026
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1,000 years of Japanese swords

From weapon to icon – a riveting history lesson in the many meanings of the samurai sword that’s also just plain cool to see- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoApr 29, 2026
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The Ethiopian running secret

One school of training is highly personalised, technical and data-driven. The other is the one that wins marathons- by Michael Crawley & Geoff BurnsRead on Aeon

Michael Crawley & Geoff BurnsApr 30, 2026
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Who invented bad guys?

The good-vs-evil paradigm of most pop-culture storytelling is a relatively recent effort to promote social cohesion- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoApr 30, 2026
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To be is to participate

For Lucien Lévy-Bruhl, a person is not self-contained, but the outcome of a lifelong process of living with others: we before I- by João de Pina-CabralRead on Aeon

João de Pina-CabralMay 1, 2026
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Reality emerges

Particles are nature’s smallest constituents, but that doesn’t mean they’re fundamental. So what is the Universe made of?- by Felix FlickerRead on Aeon

Felix FlickerMay 4, 2026
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Democracy by lottery

Ancient Athenians chose leaders by lottery rather than elections. Could this solve the problems facing democracy today?- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoMay 4, 2026
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Embrace the edge!

Brilliance and kindness shine brightest when far from the comfortable centre. Even nature is more generative there too- by Charles FosterRead on Aeon

Charles FosterMay 5, 2026
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Sarnevesht (Daughter)

In rural Iran, Sahar faces a stark choice: stay at home to look after her father, or go to the city to pursue her education- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoMay 6, 2026
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Aeon

The origins of Indians

Genetic studies support what historians have argued for decades: ancient India was a place of migration and mixture- by Kiran KumbharRead on Aeon

Kiran KumbharMay 7, 2026
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Nature’s hardware store: building the future with biology

What if the tools for sustainable space exploration could be found in cellular life on Earth? A NASA astrobiologist explains- by Aeon VideoWatch on Aeon

Aeon VideoMay 7, 2026
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The prophet in your pocket

Things have jobs: pillows are made for comfort, scissors are sharp, and digital devices are made to track your every move- by Carissa VélizRead on Aeon

Carissa VélizMay 8, 2026