💡 Life Always Wins. Follow Me

What’s popular and new this week in Nautilus. [View in browser](| [Join Nautilus]( EDITORS' CHOICE Together with Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here.]( Hello there Nautilus readers, and thanks for popping in. This Memorial Day weekend, we’re giving our attention again to the Hibakujumoku, trees that survived the atomic bomb and stand as a “living hymn to the force of life.” Our popular story this week reveals why our brains are so efficient; and our latest stories consider whether psychiatry has lost touch with individuals, and what science forgets. Be sure to check out your question of the day (on blindspots) and today’s free story (on the reality of nothingness) below. Be well! —Brian Gallagher ENVIRONMENT [Life Always Wins. Follow Me]( A botanist is introduced to escapees from the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. BY STEFANO MANCUSO Japanese cuisine is so varied and refined that it’s hard to happen upon something unpleasant to the palate. [Continue reading →]( Popular This Week NEUROSCIENCE [Why Is the Human Brain So Efficient?]( How massive parallelism lifts the brain’s performance above that of AI. BY LIQUN LUO The brain is complex; in humans it consists of about 100 billion neurons, making on the order of 100 trillion connections. [Continue reading →]( The latest from Nautilus PSYCHOLOGY [Has Psychiatry Lost Touch With Individuals?]( An argument for emphasis on subjective experience. BY KRISTEN FRENCH [Continue reading →]( PHILOSOPHY [What Science Forgets]( Human experience must be factored into science. The authors of a new manifesto argue why. BY AMANDA GEFTER [Continue reading →]( ADVERTISEMENT Restore the Planet, One Mission at a Time [Planet Wild]( is a community of people who finance efficient projects aimed at saving animals, oceans and forests. Every month, [Planet Wild]( pools member contributions and funds nature restoration where it really matters. This is all documented in monthly videos, so you regularly get to see what impact your support creates. No contribution is too small. Start from just $6/month and cancel anytime you want. If you care about nature, you can now do something to protect it. [Join Planet Wild]( and get your first month for free! [Join Planet Wild]( WE ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW... What tends to be a blind spot for you? Let us know! Reply to this newsletter with your response, briefly explaining your choice, and we’ll reveal the top answers. (This question was inspired by “[What Science Forgets](.”) Top Answers to Our Previous Question (On Some of Your Favorite Instrumental Melodies) • “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” by Edvard Grieg. “Welcome Ceremony,” by John Antill. Boléro, by Maurice Ravel. – Louise M. • Boléro, by Maurice Ravel. The increasing volume of the repetition is beautiful as it is mesmerizing. – Hélène J. • “Green Onions,” by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. – Anne M. • “Millennium Dance,” by Mehdi. Joyful, inspiring, moving. – Tina L. • “Albatross,” by Fleetwood Mac. – Steven J. PARTNER Try The Browser Never be bored with [The Browser](, the newsletter for curious minds. We recommend outstanding articles in every field, so you’ll always have something new to ponder. [Try it today.]( [Try The Browser]( Your free story this Sunday! PHILOSOPHY [Angst and the Empty Set]( We can experience nothingness, but does it actually exist? BY LEON HORSTEN Suppose you open your handbag one day expecting to find your wallet there, but don’t. [Continue reading for free→]( Rocking Invisibility Deep beneath the sea, a host of animals have evolved a most peculiar power—the power of invisibility. In his [story](, “Nature’s Invisibility Cloak,” Edwin Barkdoll explains why and how so many animals disappear in the depths and hide in plain sight. Who better to tell his story about animals that seem to defy the laws of physics than the vocalist of a band that defies the limits of genre—Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells? You can now [watch]( and [listen]( to Sleigh Bells singer Alexis Krauss read Barkdoll’s story about animal invisibility on [YouTube]( and [Spotify](. [WATCH]( [LISTEN]( P.S. The German philosopher Martin Heidegger, an influential existentialist, died on this day in 1976. He believed that angst could put us in contact with nothingness. “In Heidegger’s view,” wrote Leon Horsten, “we can experience not just the absence of things, but [we can experience nothingness]( itself.” Today’s newsletter was written by Brian Gallagher Thanks for reading. [Tell us](mailto:brian.gallagher@nautil.us?subject=&body=) your thoughts on today’s note. Plus, if you find our content valuable, consider [becoming a member]( to support our work, and inspire a friend to sign up for [the Nautilus newsletter](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2024 NautilusNext, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from [nautil.us](. Our mailing address is: NautilusNext 360 W 36th Street, 7S, New York, NY 10018 Don't want to hear from us anymore? [Unsubscribe](