All articles from Aeon

Great art explained: The School of Athens by Raphael

A close look at ‘The School of Athens’ reveals how Raphael turned to the past to capture the progress of his times - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon

What sleep is

It is our biggest blind spot, a bizarre experience that befalls us every day, and can’t be explained by our need for rest - by Vladyslav Vyazovskiy Read on Aeon

Do no harm

After 17 years of struggling with a heroin addiction, Raina finds a path to recovery through compassion and connection - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon

Holes in the web

Huge swathes of human knowledge are missing from the internet. By definition, generative AI is shockingly ignorant too - by Deepak Varuvel Dennison Read on Aeon

Art must act

Throughout decades of writing, Harold Rosenberg exhorted artists to resist cliché and conformity and instead take action - by Blake Smith Read on Aeon

A move

On a visit to her hometown in Iran, Elahe navigates delicate family dynamics as she chooses to leave her hair uncovered - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon

The puzzle of the ‘idiot savant’

The convergence of singular talent and profound disability confounded scientists eager to place humans into neat categories - by Violeta Ruiz Read on Aeon

IntranQu’îllités

Take a tour of Haiti’s contemporary arts scene in this short documentary, led by some of its most celebrated artists - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon

Towards good globalisation

How do some countries manage to channel foreign capital into economic development while others are just exploited by it? - by Guilherme Klein Martins Read on Aeon

Bernard Carr: physics of the observer

What role, if any, does the observer play in fundamental physics? A cosmologist lays out the leading theories in the field - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon

Brain man

How can you have a picture of the world when your brain is locked up in your skull? Neuroscientist Dale Purves has clues - by Asif Ghazanfar Read on Aeon

From nothing, everything

The idea of nothing pushes at the limits of thought, spawning paradoxes that have long nourished art, philosophy, and science - by Victoria Wohl Read on Aeon

Africa’s cultural landmarks: Great Zimbabwe

What the medieval stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe tell us about an advanced African society and its legacy today - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon

Kabul in my heart

When the Taliban captured my city, thousands fled and the rest were severely repressed. But I’ve stayed – and survived - by Maryam Mahjoba & Asad Nariman Read on Aeon