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The shape of time

In the 19th century, the linear idea of time became dominant – with profound implications for how we experience the world

essayHistory of ideas

The shape of time

In the 19th century, the linear idea of time became dominant – with profound implications for how we experience the world

Emily Thomas

Popular this month

Silhouetted figure at a desk with US flag nearby, backlit by sunlight through curtains.

essayPolitical philosophy

Incandescent anger

Politics today is driven by grievances that can never be assuaged. For democracy’s survival, we must grapple with this dynamic

Paul Katsafanas

Digital illustration of a human skeleton scan on a futuristic medical interface, showing data and analysis metrics.

essayMedicine

Are doctors replaceable?

Medical error kills hundreds of thousands yearly. If AI is sophisticated enough to help, doctors must not stand in the way

Charlotte Blease

London’s Gherkin building lit at night with Canary Wharf skyscrapers glowing in the hazy background.

essayHistory of ideas

Philosopher of pride

For Mandeville, humankind has a bottomless need to be liked: it is this perennial craving that forms the foundation of society

Andrea Branchi

Coloured scanning electron micrograph of yellow bacteria surrounded by dark grey particulate matter.

essayDeep time

Long live the aeonophiles!

The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life

Karen G Lloyd

Painting of industrial workers and scientists performing tasks; includes gears, blueprints and factory elements.

essayPolitical philosophy

Landholder vs stockholder

In 1752, David Hume discerned that wealth was becoming untethered from land. Here lies the origin of our political divisions

Catherine Nichols

Photo of a person with glasses holding a clarinet, finger to lips in a shushing gesture, blue sky background.

videoNature and landscape

A breezy ode to wind ponders its power, beauty and utility

10 minutes

People lowering a wicker coffin into a grave in a green landscape with hills and a river in the background.

essayDeath

How to become a tree

Many people today want to commit their remains to rejuvenating the planet. But are these green deaths just greenwashing?

Hannah Gould & Georgina Robinson

Painting of a boy at an open window with a dandelion seed above him, in a textured, earthy-toned setting.

videoLove and friendship

The loving lies a father wrote to his daughter from a gulag

12 minutes

Sepia-toned photo of a person in traditional armour with a spiked helmet holding a weapon in a forest setting.

videoDesign and fashion

How islanders of Oceania built fearsome armour without metal

18 minutes

A humanoid robot holding a water bottle in front of parked cars under a partly cloudy sky.

essayAutomation and robotics

The synthetic self

In order to better understand our human nature, we must attempt to build a robot capable of robust subjective experiences

Tony J Prescott

Photo of seven scuba divers exploring an underwater rocky area with bubbles rising in a clear blue ocean setting.

essayOceans and water

Red tape on a blue planet

Do the laws and rules that once protected coral reefs now stand in the way of radical interventions that could save them?

Irus Braverman

3D rendering of a DNA strand with proteins interacting, featuring colourful molecular structures on a dark background.

videoBiology

Groundbreaking visuals capture how our bodies repair damaged DNA

4 minutes

A vibrant street scene with decorated vehicles, colourful flags and banners in front of a large urban building.

essayThinkers and theories

The tragedy of Trần Đức Thảo

How the persecuted Vietnamese philosopher became one of the first theorists of the divide between colonised and coloniser

Rory O’Sullivan

A person playing a stringed instrument with focus on the tuning pegs and the blurred player in the background.

videoMusic

Why millennia of history echo in each strum of a Persian tar

4 minutes

An elderly woman in profile smiling, seated on a patterned sofa with wall art and crosses in the background.

essayIllness and disease

The spiral of suffering

For people with chronic illnesses, the relief and recognition of online communities can set up a toxic psychological trap

Siddhant Ritwick & Tomi Koljonen

Photo of a group of rugby players wearing jerseys and helmets hugging and smiling after a match in a close-up shot.

videoGender and identity

The patient labour of building ties in a city far from home

20 minutes

Art deco painting of two women, one nude holding a rose, surrounded by birds and a person playing a lyre in red and black.

essayThe ancient world

The erotic poems of Bilitis

A lush translation of this late-discovered lesbian poet added to the legacy of Sappho, but there was a trickster at work

Cat Lambert

Photo of a person climbing a pole reaching for prizes, including a teddy bear and toy guitar, against a cloudy sky.

videoSports and games

Teens battle grease and gravity in this lively street game

5 minutes

Silhouetted figure at a desk with US flag nearby, backlit by sunlight through curtains.

essayPolitical philosophy

Incandescent anger

Politics today is driven by grievances that can never be assuaged. For democracy’s survival, we must grapple with this dynamic

Paul Katsafanas

Black-and-white illustration of a group of people in a room with a cassette player, a person holding a guitar, and a person reading a book.

videoWar and peace

In rare, candid interviews, Russians discuss life amid war

13 minutes

Digital illustration of a human skeleton scan on a futuristic medical interface, showing data and analysis metrics.

essayMedicine

Are doctors replaceable?

Medical error kills hundreds of thousands yearly. If AI is sophisticated enough to help, doctors must not stand in the way

Charlotte Blease

London’s Gherkin building lit at night with Canary Wharf skyscrapers glowing in the hazy background.

essayHistory of ideas

Philosopher of pride

For Mandeville, humankind has a bottomless need to be liked: it is this perennial craving that forms the foundation of society

Andrea Branchi

Photo of hornbill perched on a tree trunk with vibrant beak, surrounded by green leaves under a clear sky.

videoEcology and environmental sciences

How a beautiful bird helps Southeast Asia’s rainforests flourish

16 minutes

Coloured scanning electron micrograph of yellow bacteria surrounded by dark grey particulate matter.

essayDeep time

Long live the aeonophiles!

The discovery of organisms that have been alive for many thousands of years requires a revolution in how we understand life

Karen G Lloyd

Two felt figures sit together facing a desert landscape under a warm sky.

videoLove and friendship

A millennial and her centenarian friend take a unique road trip

15 minutes

Illustration of three people wearing headscarves walking along a wall carrying books and backpacks with trees and a decorative gate in the background.

essayBiography and memoir

A life of joy and work

I am banned from working now, but as I look back on my long, challenging career in Afghanistan I feel hope for the future

Najla & Asad Nariman

Black and white painting of a hand holding a spear aimed at a tree with glowing leaves against a dark background.

videoHuman rights and justice

Why is this Kenyan artefact in storage at a German museum?

30 minutes

Pope Francis wearing white robes waters a freshly planted tree from a wooden bowl, a man holding a book and a woman wearing a colourful headdress beside him and a cameraman in the background

essayReligion

Green dominion

Coursing through Catholicism is a radical tradition of environmental justice that will help combat the climate crisis

Mike Mariani