Blobs of human brain cells cultivated in the lab, known as brain organoids or “mini-brains”, are transforming our understanding of neural development and disease. Now, researchers are working to make them more like the real thing
The cover shows an artistic impression of marine life in Indonesia’s coral reefs. The question of whether there are limits to biodiversity in the seas is typically addressed by examining the fossil record. In this week’s issue, Pedro Cermeño and his colleagues present a model that combines the fossil record with plate tectonics and Earth’s environmental conditions to offer insight into regional diversification of marine invertebrates. The researchers used the model to examine how biodiversity recovered after mass extinctions during the Phanerozoic eon, covering
some 500 million years of Earth’s history. They found that throughout the Phanerozoic, less than 2% of area of the globe covered by water showed signs of diversity levels reaching saturation. The team also note that as Pangaea broke up into continents, the stability of Earth’s environmental conditions allowed the development of diversity hotspots that helped to drive an increase in biodiversity in the late Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.
Bizarre sea creatures, a new view of the ocean, the race to the moon, and more
We humans may think of ourselves, or possibly beetles, as typical Earthlings, but to a first approximation, life on Earth exists in the sea. And what spectacular life! Our special package on the oceans is teeming with images of eerie, delicate, elaborate, glowing and occasionally kind of frightening creatures that have rarely been seen by terrestrial species. The in-depth report was guided by sustainability senior editor Mark Fischetti along three main themes: mystery, discovery and surprise.
The Times Literary Supplement (TheTLS) featuring @ambermedland on Jean Rhys; @joemoransblog on Britain’s housing inequality; @maryanneclark60 on the first true-crime play; @colincraiggrant on In the Black Fantastic; @bjkingape on the science of dogs – and more.
Photographer Reuben Wu took innovative risks to show one of the world’s most-photographed sites in a new light.
Reuben Wu, a British photographer and visual artist based in Chicago, was first introduced to National Geographic as most people are: When he was a child, he enjoyed looking at the magazines his father subscribed to for decades.
He dreamed of seeing his photographs in the same magazine—and even on the cover. So when National Geographic asked him to photograph an iconic monument he knows well, he was ready to work.
Harper’s Magazine, August 2022 – The Next Front in the Fight to Choose, Marilynne Robinson on the Roots of American Liberalism, Is Christopher Hitchens Still Worth Reading?
Salman Rushdie on the War of the Narratives and more in the August issue https://harpers.org/archive/2022/08/…
There may be a heatwave in Europe, but winter is coming. It promises to be brutal and divisive: the energy crisis is rapidly worsening as Vladimir Putin strangles gas supplies https://econ.st/3aJz3ir
Panelists are split on where the economy and markets are headed, but agree this year’s selloff has left plenty of bargains.
By Emily Temple – Lithub, July 14, 2022, 9:01am
Today, the Whiting Foundation announced the winners of its 2022 Literary Magazine Prizes, which honor “the most innovative and essential publications at the forefront of American literary culture.” The five winners were chosen—from an initial pool of more than eighty applicants —based on their “excellence in publishing, advocacy for writers, and a unique contribution to the strength of the overall literary community.”
“This prize was designed to create cohorts capable of tackling shared challenges with mettle and imagination, and it’s thrilling to picture the conversations that these terrifically varied magazines will have,” said Courtney Hodell, director of literary programs, in a statement. “We look forward to learning with and from them.”
The 2022 print winners are:
ZYZZYVA (San Francisco, CA), a stalwart West Coast publication with national reach, an exquisitely curated reading experience, and top-notch design.
Medium-Budget Print Prize Winner ($150,000–$500,000 budget)
Total prize: $60,000
Bennington Review (Bennington, VT), a relaunch of an eminent university publication—a visually stunning journal with an imaginative and sophisticated vision that offers hands-on experience to the next generation of editors.
Small-Budget Print Prize Winner (under $150,000 budget)
Total prize: $30,000
American Chordata (Brooklyn, NY), a budding independent magazine full of thought-provoking interplay between text and visual art—a careful assemblage of young writers and artists alongside recognized talents.
Print Development Grantee (under $50,000 budget)
Total prize: $15,000
And the 2022 digital winners are:
Apogee Journal (New York, NY), an incubator for multicultural writers with a finger on the pulse of the literary landscape and an established reputation for publishing stellar up-and-comers.
Digital Prize Winner (under $500,000 budget)
Total prize: $19,500
Electric Literature (Brooklyn, NY), a buzzing concourse for news and ideas publishing compelling essays, short stories with insightful context, and incisive critical coverage of the literary world.
Digital Prize Winner (under $500,000 budget)
Total prize: $19,500
Boomers Daily 