Charting the Smell-Scape (Aeon)
by Jason Castro
We have serviceable models for understanding the light we see and vibrations we hear. But mapping smells is a very different problem—one that massive computing power is beginning to crack.

Stop that Racket (The New Yorker)
by Alex Ross
“Noise” often means sound we don’t like. But our relationship with our auditory environments is wildly complex, bouncing off issues of class, race, and our level of control over what goes in our ears.

Practicing Patience with al-Ghazali (The Conversation)
by Liz Bucar
We’re all told that patience is a virtue, but what does that really mean? As the medieval Iranian jurist and theologian Abu Hamid al-Ghazali explained it, it’s much more than calm, passive waiting.

The WNBA’s Pay Problem (Vox)
by Li Zhou
Caitlin Clark has shined a spotlight on the disparity between pay in the NBA and WNBA. Her popularity could also be part of the solution—if it’s paired with continuing shifts in public attitudes and strong collective bargaining.

Engineering a Mouth-Cleaning Germ (Undark)
by Christina Szalinski
If a genetically modified bacteria could fight off its cousins and stop tooth decay, would you want it in your mouth? A startup raises questions about the potential benefits and dangers—including the possibility that people could unknowingly be infected.

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