Bookmarks (1039)

Why Hokusai’s Great Wave – created amid Japanese isolation – became a resounding artistic and commercial success worldwide - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

A quick peek into the dynamics of herding behaviours in this mesmerising dance of sheep viewed from the sky above Israel - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Why is English spelling so weird and unpredictable? Don’t blame the mix of languages; look to quirks of timing and technology - by Arika Okrent Read at Aeon

How would a piano sound on Mars? Explore real and speculated soundscapes in this absorbing CGI voyage beyond Earth - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Emergency first responders working the graveyard shift in San Francisco field life-or-death calls – then try to forget them - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

At 700, Dante’s Divine Comedy is as modern as ever – a lesson in spiritual intelligence that makes us better at being alive - by Mark Vernon Read at Aeon

The half-gods of Plato’s Atlantis never existed, but their story still has much to teach us about the values of ancient Athens - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Most cosmologists say dark matter must exist. So far, it’s nowhere to be found. A widely scorned rival theory explains why - by David Merritt Read at Aeon

From cradle to grave, we are soothed and rocked by attachments – our source of joy and pain, and the essence of who we are - by Mostafa El-Kalliny & Zoe R Donaldson Read at Aeon

Albert Camus’s philosophy charts a path to humanity that shows why we should learn to stop worrying and love the absurd - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

There is no American history without the histories of Indigenous and enslaved peoples. And this past has consequences today - by Karin Wulf Read at Aeon

The chaotic and joyful musical moment in 1978 when two punk bands came to play at a psychiatric hospital in California - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

What can the decline of the Roman Empire and the end of European feudalism tell us about COVID-19 and the future of the West? - by John Rapley Read at Aeon

Take a ride on the retro side with this stylish celebration of classic motorcycle design of the 1950s and ’60s - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

Disagreements can be unpleasant, even offensive, but they are vital to human reason. Without them we remain in the dark - by Ian Leslie Read at Aeon

Simone Weil: mystic, philosopher, activist. Her ethics demand that we look beyond the personal and find the universal - by Deborah Casewell Read at Aeon

Popular culture sees Nero as a sadist. The artefacts tell a more balanced story, revealing how history mutates over time - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon

We no longer have a clear sense of how to introduce our children to death. But their questions can help us face up to it - by Pragya Agarwal Read at Aeon