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The Case for Pragmatic Progress
Michela Massimi reflects on Philip Kitcher’s vision for the future in “The Rich and the Poor.”
Science & Technology
"The nineteenth century believed in science but the twentieth century does not." — Gertrude Stein
Onto the Grayness
Dashiel Carrera speaks with Christian Bök about his ongoing poetry project, “The Xenotext.”
Mindless Machines, Mindless Myths
Erik J. Larson thinks about “Mindless: The Human Condition in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” which traces Robert Skidelsky’s philosophical reckoning with AI, automation, and the illusion of progress.
“Abundance” Is Not the Answer
Christopher F. Jones disagrees with large portions of Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s “Abundance”—in particular, the notion that we can “build” ourselves out of our national problems using technology.
The Private Fiefdom as Planetary Project
Raymond Craib reviews five new books to show that we ignore “Freedom Cities” and proprietary states at our peril.
Murderous Genes and Criminal Brains
In the ninth essay in the Legacies of Eugenics series, Oliver Rollins explores how the new biology of crime opens a backdoor to eugenics.
The Novel as Revolutionary Instrument
Holiday Dmitri interviews “Mars Review of Books” founder Noah Kumin about his first novel.
The Astronomy of Melancholy
Arnaud Gerspacher considers “Sad Planets” by Dominic Pettman and Eugene Thacker.
Terminal Delirium
From the perspective of her own experience as a neurologist, Pria Anand critically reads Michael Erard’s “Bye Bye I Love You: The Story of Our First and Last Words.”
What Would It Take to Re-Sacralize Nature?
Ellen Wayland-Smith admires how Robert Macfarlane’s “Is a River Alive?” places the reader in immersive contact with the nature we regard as mere backdrop to human activity.
AI Nightmares: Rise of the Dead Souls
Michael Berry sees warning signs of the creep of AI into education and translation work.
Clean Energy, Dirt on Our Hands
Greg Barnhisel reviews “Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future” by Vince Beiser.
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