A Slow-Moving Disaster in California

What’s popular this week in Nautilus. [View in browser](| [Join Nautilus]( EDITORS' CHOICE Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here.]( This Sunday, read the latest and most popular stories from Nautilus [READ NAUTILUS]( GEOSCIENCE [Why Is It So Difficult to Map the Ocean?]( The most complete maps we have of the ocean floor lag far behind the maps we have of the moon. BY LAURA TRETHEWEY Cassie Bongiovanni’s favorite way to show people just how little we know about the seafloor is to open the mapping software on her computer and strip the world map down to what we do know about the seafloor. [Continue reading →]( [Questions About the Universe? We Have Answers.]( What is our Universe made of? Where did everything come from? What is the fate of the cosmos? Astrophysicist Dr. Ethan Siegel with [Big Think’s Starts With a Bang newsletter]( is your guide to unraveling the Universe’s greatest mysteries. From the largest cosmic scales down to the smallest quantum ones, sign up for free and get amazing stories every week. [SUBSCRIBE NOW]( Popular This Week [NEUROSCIENCE]( [Yes, We Have Free Will. No, We Absolutely Do Not]( A volley of new insights reignites the debate over whether our choices are ever truly our own. BY DAN FALK [Continue reading →]( [PHYSICS]( [The Strange Similarity of Neuron and Galaxy Networks]( Your life’s memories could, in principle, be stored in the universe’s structure. BY FRANCO VAZZA & ALBERTO FELETTI [Continue reading →]( The latest from Nautilus [ENVIRONMENT]( [A Slow-Moving Disaster in California]( More than 90 percent of coastal wetlands have been altered or destroyed. What’s next? BY KATHARINE GAMMON [Continue reading →]( [MATH]( [We’re All Math People]( Some of the power of math lies in the very fact that it’s made up. BY ELIZABETH LANDAU [Continue reading →]( [PHYSICS]( [The Astrophysicist Who Loves the Things We Cannot Know]( A conversation with “rational mystic,” physicist Marcelo Gleiser. BY ANNE STRAINCHAMPS [Continue reading →]( ENVIRONMENT [Sand Mafias Battle for the New Gold]( Violent gangsterism and illegal operations dominate sand mining in the global south. BY KATHARINE GAMMON [Continue reading →]( [“Mount Everest could fit into the Mariana Trench with a mile to spare.”]( [Laura Trethewey writes about how astonishingly little-mapped Earth’s oceans are.]( [GENETICS]( [How Life Really Works]( Just as I uncovered a new way to understand life, I got news about my own. BY PHILIP BALL The irony seemed a bit heavy-handed, frankly. [Continue reading for free→]( EXCLUSIVE MEMBER CONTENT | Explore Memberships→ [Join Us at Art Basel Miami Beach: FREE for Nautilus Members 🌊 🎨]( In partnership with UNESCO and the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Nautilus will present a dynamic showcase of ocean-themed exhibits and installations at [Art Basel Miami Beach]( from December 6 through December 10, 2023. [Join Nautilus to attend for free](. We’ll raise awareness, inspire action, and promote a deeper appreciation for our oceans. Attendees can explore ocean-inspired visual displays and learn about current conservation efforts and the latest marine scientific research from leading experts. Nautilus members and a guest can attend this groundbreaking event for free and gain full entry to Frost Science and our exclusive Member Lounge at the Art Basel Convention Center. We hope to see you in Miami! JOIN TO RECEIVE YOUR INVITATION P.S. Reuters reports in a new story that rockets aren’t the only thing soaring at Elon Musk’s SpaceX—so are the [company’s worker injuries](. The breakneck work pace Musk demands of his employees to get humanity to Mars has left safety something like a secondary concern, behind speed, according to Reuters. Philosopher Mary-Jane Rubenstein, author of Astrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race, [spoke to Nautilus about her issues with SpaceX](. “Under many conditions, a future where humanity is out exploring among the stars is a perfectly admirable future to aim for,” she said. “I am worried about the way in which SpaceX is getting there, the day-to-day operations.” 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, [browse our archive]( of past print issues, and inspire a friend to sign up for [the Nautilus newsletter](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 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](