Science & Technology

"The nineteenth century believed in science but the twentieth century does not." — Gertrude Stein

Modest Witnesses
Two recent books make the case that the birth of the sciences relied on a series of personal transformations and imaginative leaps.
Sean SilverDec 7, 2018
- Literary Criticism
- Science & Technology
Cute as a Button? Think Twice
Buttons may be the ultimate tangible expression of modernity, but how much do we know about what’s underneath them?
Anna FeuerNov 30, 2018
Science’s Freedom Fighters
Any process of designing science, with its complex suite of methods, funding structures, laboratories, and so forth, is inherently political.
W. Patrick McCrayNov 18, 2018
Hide-and-Seek Amid the Ruins
A mixed-media quest to recover one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Paul MaziarNov 17, 2018
You Can Read (and So Can This Computer)
Sheila Liming reviews Andrew Piper’s “Enumerations: Data and Literary Study.”
Sheila LimingNov 12, 2018
- Literary Criticism
- Science & Technology
The Value of W, or, Interdisciplinary Engagements on Culture
Jessica Riskin appreciates “Darwin’s Unfinished Symphony” by Kevin Laland.
Jessica RiskinOct 31, 2018
- Science & Technology
This Broken World: On “The Banner Saga”
Video games might seem an odd place to turn for representations of environmental collapse, but "The Banner Saga" accomplishes what other mediums have not.
Justin ThompsonOct 20, 2018
- Politics
- Science & Technology
Higher Laughter: On Jim Holt
"When Einstein Walked with Gödel" is a perfect bedtime book, with each essay providing a luminous devotional on heavy topics, delivered with a light touch.
David KordahlOct 19, 2018
- Memoir & Essay
- Science & Technology
Asylum, Again: Why We Need to Stop Punishing the Mentally Ill
As more and more prisons become warehouses for the mentally ill, is it time to go back to the asylum? Taylor Beck explores, via Alisa Roth's "Insane."
Taylor BeckOct 15, 2018
- Politics
- Science & Technology
The Crisis of Intimacy in the Age of Digital Connectivity
The internet’s quintessential, paradoxical message is “Only Connect.”
Stephen MarcheOct 15, 2018
- Cultural Studies
- Science & Technology
History for Sale: On Paige Williams’s “The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy”
Lydia Pyne digs into “The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth’s Ultimate Trophy” by Paige Williams.
Lydia PyneOct 10, 2018
- History
- Science & Technology
Delete Your Account Now: A Conversation with Jaron Lanier
Harper Simon asks philosopher Jaron Lanier about his latest book, “Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now.”
Harper SimonOct 8, 2018
- Science & Technology