💡 We Are Made of Waves

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 stopping by. Today we see why the “hot hand”—in basketball and elsewhere—is not a myth. Plus, we learn that the internet might be good for us, and that we are made of waves. Our popular stories this week show why love is like cocaine, and spotlight the smartphone of the middle ages. Be sure to check out your question of the day (on first using the internet) and today’s free story (on the mysteries of Uranus and Neptune) below. Stay cool. —Brian Gallagher The latest from Nautilus MATH [The “Hot Hand” Is Not a Myth]( With the NBA Finals upon us, a mathematician revisits the famous paper that claims a player’s hot streak is an illusion. BY AUBREY CLAYTON In a recent interview for the web series Hot Ones, where guests answer tough questions while eating super-spicy chicken wings, pro basketball superstar Stephen Curry was asked about a sports psychology study from the 1980s. [Continue reading →]( PSYCHOLOGY The Internet Might Be Good for Us One study suggests that, on a global scale, it’s associated with greater happiness. BY CHARLES DIGGES [Continue reading →]( PHYSICS We Are Made of Waves Everything in the universe, a playful new book argues, vibrates like a guitar string. BY ASH JOGALEKAR [Continue reading →]( Popular This Week NEUROSCIENCE Love Is Like Cocaine From ecstasy to withdrawal, the lover resembles an addict. BY HELEN FISHER [Continue reading →]( HISTORY The Smartphone of the Middle Ages An accident of lighting uncovers Jewish, European, and Islamic origins. BY TOM METCALFE [Continue reading →]( ADVERTISEMENT Bring the Heat This Father’s Day Men may be more motivated to eat hotter food, as [this Nautilus article]( explains. This Father’s Day why not put some spice in your dad’s life with the [Spicy Momofuku Starter Pack](? Each [Spicy Momofuku Starter Pack]( contains Extra Spicy Chili Crunch, Spicy Soy Ramen Noodles, kombu-steeped Soy Sauce, and Spicy Salt to supercharge your dad’s pantry. It’s the [perfect gift]( for dads who eat adventurously. [Buy on Amazon→]( WE ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW... What did you most memorably use the internet for when you first got it? 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 “[The I](nternet Might Be Good for Us.”) Top Answer to Our Previous Question (On What You Make of Quantum Mechanics) • The universe is not what it seems to be to reductionist analysis. It can be known only by learning the secret behind it. It hides itself, in the way a magician hides what he is doing by distracting your attention. Learning to focus attention on what it is doing, not to where it is pointing, is the key to really seeing what is going on. The Other is a sleight-of-hand expert who wants you to understand the trick. – Armin L. Make Espresso Anywhere The manually operated [Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker]( gives you the pleasure of drinking high quality espresso wherever you are—no electricity or batteries required. [BUY ON AMAZON]( Your free story this Sunday! ASTRONOMY The Planets with the Giant Diamonds Inside Mining the mysteries of Uranus and Neptune. BY COREY S. POWELL [Continue reading for free→]( “Machine Learning, Dream Merchant” That’s a line from Canadian electronic hip-hop artist Cadence Weapon’s song “My Computer” from his latest album ROLLERCOASTER. Cadence Weapon, also known as Rollie Pemberton, has been experimenting with computers to make music for decades. That’s why Pemberton is the perfect person to read Nick Hilden’s story “Creative AIs Depend on Creative Humans,” about how we think about creative collaborations with artificial intelligence. You can now [watch]( and [listen]( to Cadence Weapon read Hilden’s story on [YouTube]( and [Spotify](. P.S. The 19th-century German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle was born on this day in 1812. He used calculations provided by French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier, in an [“act of trans-national nerd comity,” wrote Corey Powell](, to spot a new planet less than one degree from its predicted location. Galle suggested naming it Janus, the two-faced Roman god, implying that it was facing outward toward the stars. Le Verrier objected. “Janus would indicate that this planet is the last of the solar system, which there is no reason to believe,” he wrote. Instead, he proposed Neptune, the god of the sea. 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](. 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](