To Cope with Digital Distraction, Embrace Digital Neurodiversity
The internet is changing our brains. Our columnist suggests that maybe this isn't such a bad thing.
The Tangled Language of Jargon
What our emotional reaction to jargon reveals about the evolution of the English language, and how the use of specialized terms can manipulate meaning.
The Unbearable Sadness of Toast
One scholar sees the toaster as a symbol of a modernized, industrialized society—the culprit of bread’s mechanization and a perpetrator of assimilation.
The Internet Needs a “Handle With Care” Protocol
Emotion can be difficult to parse online. Why not adopt a common protocol that lets our fellow internet citizens know our emotional state?
How Virtual Reality Could Change the Art World
Acute Art is a kind virtual reality marketed directly to artists. Marina Abramović, Olafur Eliasson, and Jeff Koons have been the first to try it out.
Did the Internet Kill the TV Cliffhanger?
The internet may have changed the concept of the television cliffhanger, but is it possible that knowing the ending of something increases our enjoyment?
Wikipedia: Go Forth and Cite!
Remember what it was like to put together a school report with only the encyclopedia volumes you could find ...
What Santa Claus Looks Like
Where does the figure of Santa Claus come from? Turns out the answer is not "the North Pole." And he's not just about Christianity, either.
The Cozy Linguistics of Hygge and Other “Untranslatable” Words
Why English speakers love "hygge" and other "untranslatable" words about emotional states.
Navigating Traumatic Events Online
We need to approach our online conversations with an awareness of the different levels of risk and vulnerability each of us bring.