The benefits of mathematical literacy reach far beyond the realm of numbers and equations.

In this excerpt from The Intimate Animal, Justin Garcia shows why curiosity and self-disclosure — not attraction alone — help build intimacy and sustain it over time.

Carl Sagan's baloney detection kit taught us how to separate good science from the work of charlatans. In 2026, that matters more than ever.

I'm definitely a Kitsune, but would a Kitsune actually say that?

Liz Tran makes the case for a new kind of intelligence that addresses our ability to handle today’s ever-fluctuating challenges: AQ.

In this excerpt from Flourish, Daniel Coyle shares how stillness, presence, and attention help people build meaningful connections.

For elite climbers, divers, and explorers, mastery can fuel an escalation loop in which identity and danger rise together.

Not all knowledge carries over.

Labels help your brain make sense of a complex world, but when self-attached, those same labels can convince you that you're unable to grow.

Today, nostalgia is somewhat kitsch. Back then, it was something to be feared.

Tara Narula shares how journalist Richard Cohen challenged conventional ideas about illness, identity, and strength while living with MS.

Emily Mendenhall traces the medical myths, gender bias, and neurological truths behind hysteria, one of history’s most damaging diagnoses.

Psychologist Chris Moore reveals why guilt and anxiety lead us to the compassion necessary to earn forgiveness.

Revisiting the year’s noteworthy nonfiction.

"The big question then is why are most people resilient and why are some people not resilient?"

In an age of polycrisis, argues leadership coach Lisa Bennett, we should spend less time trying to save the world — and focus on savoring it instead.

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

In this excerpt from "The Hypocrisy Trap," Michael Hallsworth explains why accusations of hypocrisy don’t always damage credibility.

Joe Nucci, author of "Psychobabble," joins us to discuss how the misuse of psychological language risks blurring the lines between everyday problems and clinical diagnoses.

“Why would adding shame and blame help me improve my behavior?”

“Psychedelics crosscut so many interesting domains. They've been used for time immemorial by indigenous cultures. In our own Western cultural history, they really exploded on the scene in the 1960s, and were associated with radical changes to society.”

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

These expert-recommended books reveal how big ideas can shape — and sometimes redefine — human progress.

From science to philosophy, three perspectives explore why humans can’t stop asking “why.” Our search for purpose, they suggest, is less about finding answers and more about learning how to move forward.

When a word comes to mean everything, it means nothing.

"Our ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death but a good life to the very end."

Is your humor affiliative or adversarial?

“When you start to accept that you have profound influence on the world, but very limited control, you start to see the world differently.”

A preview of the latest novel by the National Book Award finalist Brandon Hobson.

Introverts have social batteries that will drain over time, but they can be recharged with good energy hygiene. Here’s how.