The Moon Is Underrated

[View this email in your browser]( [Nautilus logo]( Thursday, February 17, 2022 Dear Nautilus Reader, We just love the point of view of astrophysicist Sean Raymond that the moon is underrated. Of course, the moon has been the muse of poets for ages, the “mother of pathos and pity,” wrote Wallace Stevens. Shakespeare, in an anarchic mood, has his character Timon, banished from Athens, pronounce that thievery runs in our nature. Look at the moon, “an arrant thief, And her pale fire she snatches from the sun.” Raymond writes about new research that shows us that Earth’s moon, compared to other planets and their moons, is abnormally big. And that’s a big deal. “Without a moon as big as ours, it’s possible Earth wouldn’t have the sort of environment that’s ideal for life to develop and evolve.” Anthropologist Anna Machin, who spells out the genetics and neurochemistry of love, might make the poets weep. But as she illuminates the biochemicals that draw us into a romantic embrace, she explains why love among humans is far from clinical, it’s awesome in its complexity. At Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, scientists are embarked on a project to model the interplay of neurons that spark human decisions. Already their research has yielded remarkable new insights into decision-making. The scientists know that a full picture of brain activity is far, far away. The poet had that one right. “The Brain,” wrote Emily Dickinson, “is wider than the Sky.” [SUBSCRIBE TO NAUTILUS]( [Ei.Ventures]( [The Moon Is Underrated]( [New research hints at what makes Earth’s moon special.]( [Sean Raymond]( [Earth without its moon is like macaroni without cheese, Bert without Ernie, Batman without Robin.]( PAID ADVERTISEMENT [Psilocybin Is Reimagining the Mental Health Industry]( [Ei.Ventures ]( [Ei.Ventures]( is using the healing powers of psilocybin and other psychedelics to usher in a new era of mental wellness. Currently in the preclinical phase, Psilly, the company's flagship product, is said to have the potential to help millions struggling with mental illness—from anxiety and depression to PTSD and alcohol and nicotine addiction. And now, you can invest in the [psychedelic future of mental health](. The campaign closes on March 22. [LEARN MORE]( [Love Is Biological Bribery]( [Evolution uses all its tricks to make sure we procreate. But love in humans is a many-splendored thing.]( [Brian Gallagher]( [In an episode of the satirical comedy The Great, the reign of the reason-and-science-loving Russian empress Catherine nearly collapses when her husband Peter, the deposed emperor, storms into her private quarters, determined to imprison her.]( NAUTILUS PARTNER [MIT Case Studies, Free to Read!]( The [MIT Case Studies in Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing]( ([SERC]() features specially commissioned and peer-reviewed cases, all made freely available via open-access publishing. Individual case studies are brief and written by topic-area experts, drawn from computing fields as well as from humanities and social sciences. Some cases focus closely on particular technologies, others on trends across technological platforms. Still others examine social, historical, philosophical, legal, and cultural facets that are essential for thinking critically about present-day efforts in computing, data science, and society. [READ HERE]( [AI Is Helping Scientists Explain the Brain]( [But what if it’s telling them a false story?]( [Bahar Gholipour]( [The brain is often called a black box but any neuroscientist who has looked inside knows that’s a sobering understatement.]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [Web Site]( Copyright © 2021 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? [Click here to unsubscribe.](