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Essays

Boomerang

Empires have a way of seeding their own destruction.

Essays

Retrograde

Like water, gold simply can’t tell you what it used to be.

  • The LRB Podcast: On Politics: Iran and the Oil Crisis

    Listen: https://ift.tt/ZJkuUwh Trump’s war on Iran has highlighted recent dramatic changes in the politics of oil. While the United States still guarantees maritime security in the Middle East, it is no longer the primary beneficiary, with most oil and gas… more ›

  • Why Not Mars

    The goal of this essay is to persuade you that we shouldn’t send human beings to Mars, at least not anytime soon. Landing on Mars with existing technology would be a destructive, wasteful stunt whose only legacy would be to… more ›

  • The best video essays of 2025 | Sight and Sound

    Now in its ninth year, our annual poll showcases 255 vital video essays, nominated by 72 international voters. https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/best-video-essays-2025 more ›

  • How we tested and evaluated AI-generated dance videos – The Markup

    None of the videos produced by the leading AI platforms showed the actual dances we requested. https://themarkup.org/show-your-work/2026/01/21/how-we-tested-ai-generated-dance-videos more ›

  • God is with the Lazy – The Millions

    The lazybones attracts all the waves of the sea. “Let me sleep,” he begs, “so nice and warm under my white sheets and blue blankets.” And would you believe it? The sun’s on his side. — Edmond Jabès, 1945 https://themillions.com/2013/11/god-is-with-the-lazy.html more ›

  • You Are Not a Function

    A tree does not exist in order to produce lumber. You can make lumber from it, and good lumber is nothing to sneer at. But if you look at a tree and see only lumber, you have missed what is… more ›

  • Decoder with Nilay Patel: Okta’s CEO is betting big on AI agent identity

    Listen: https://ift.tt/kGCr1ci My guest today is Okta CEO Todd McKinnon. Okta is a platform that big companies use to manage security and identity across all the many apps and platforms their employees use. Most of us run into it as… more ›

  • Photos | No Kings Protest in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

    The No Kings protest in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, drew hundreds of residents on Saturday, March 28. Here are some of the photos from the day. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/photos-no-kings-protest-in-hattiesburg-mississippi-2/ more ›

  • EU votes in favor of migrant ‘return hubs’

    Human rights groups have warned of asylum seekers disappearing into “legal black holes” beyond EU borders, while concerns have also been raised over the influence of the far right over the legislation. https://www.dw.com/en/eu-votes-in-favor-of-migrant-return-hubs/a-76538594?utm_source=semafor?mobileApp=true#cmpimport=Q1FNVFhVQVFNVFhVQUFmUDZERU5CYkZnQUFBQUFBQUFBQWlnR2d3QVFHZ2dBQUFBI180N180OV8jX3M5NF9zNDBfczIxOF9zNjVfczIzX2M0MzQ0OV9jNDQ0MjhfczExMDBfczdfczI2MTJfczEzNV9zMTQwOV9zOTA1X3M5NzdfczQ2X3MxNF9zMTQ3NV9zMl9jNDQzOTRfYzQ0MzkxX2M0Mjc3NV9jNDQzOTJfczM0X3M2N19jNDI4MTRfczMwX1VfIzEtLS0j more ›

  • White with Fear: Trailer

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