Why Nikola Tesla's Love for a Telepathic Pigeon Made Sense

The latest from Nautilus, and this week’s Facts So Romantic. [View in browser](| [Join Nautilus]( Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here.]( This Thursday, read the latest stories from Nautilus—and this week’s Facts So Romantic below [HISTORY]( [Tesla’s Pigeon]( An inventor, a bird, and a plan to connect all the minds in the world. BY AMANDA GEFTER On a February morning in 1935, a disoriented homing pigeon flew into the open window of an unoccupied room at the Hotel New Yorker. [Continue reading→]( [Where Art Meets Science]( [Colossal]( believes that creativity comes in many forms. In a world brimming with information overload, environmental catastrophe, and social injustice, we focus on the most positive, diverse, and impactful stories around the issues we care about most. Explore the intersection of art and science by [subscribing to Colossal](, and use the code NAUTILUS for $25 off any annual Colossal Membership. 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Reply to this newsletter with your response, briefly explaining your choice, and we’ll reveal the top answers. (This question was inspired by “[My 3 Greatest Revelations](” by Maggie Jackson, author of Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure.) Top Answers to Our Previous Question - The algorithms used to push content at me are terrible or have an agenda I can't fathom, but surely being relevant or useful would engage me more? – Bruce S. - The thing I would change is so many posts being added to my feed: such a time suck. It’s designed to keep you scrolling and that manipulation bothers me—although clearly not enough to give up social media altogether ;-). – Jo M. FACTS SO ROMANTIC The Best Things We Learned Today Alessandro Volta modeled the first battery on the nerves of the electric eel. [Nautilus→]( Lefties are at a higher frequency among competitive fencers than in the general population. The same goes for cricket, baseball, table tennis, and martial arts. [Nautilus→]( When you realize that you don’t know something, your focus tends to widen, your working memory improves, and your brain becomes more receptive to new data. [Nautilus→]( The volcanic island Thera, or Santorini, whose catastrophic eruption around 1600 B.C. devastated the Minoan civilization, is a perennial favorite on lists of possible sites for Plato’s lost city of Atlantis. [Nautilus→]( The Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else in the world. [Nautilus→]( Anger can serve as a motivation for reconciliation. [Nautilus→]( [“If thoughts generated brain waves, why couldn’t other minds pick them up?”]( [Amanda Gefter writes about Nikola Tesla’s technological quest to feel less alone, and his love for a peculiar pigeon with whose mind he believed he could commune.]( Your free story this Thursday! [ZOOLOGY]( [What Pigeons Teach Us About Love]( The sweet, avian romance of Harold and Maude. BY BRANDON KEIM Last spring I came to know a pair of pigeons. [Continue reading for free→]( From The Porthole—short sharp looks at science [ARTS]( [Portrait of a Fractured Arctic]( What the melting permafrost looks and sounds like to a scientist. BY KATHERINE HARMON COURAGE Mark Urban was not in the Arctic to study ice. [Continue reading→]( EXCLUSIVE MEMBER CONTENT | [Explore Memberships→]( [Experience an Immersive Showcase of Ocean Science and Art at Art Basel Miami Beach]( Nautilus invites members to explore a dynamic ocean-inspired art and science showcase at [Art Basel Miami Beach]( from December 6 through December 10, 2023. [Join Nautilus to attend for free.]( In partnership with UNESCO and the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, we will unveil interactive installations, remarkable visual displays, and informative presentations from leading marine experts about the latest scientific research and conservation efforts. This event demonstrates the collective commitment of Nautilus and our partners to promote awareness about the importance of ocean conservation. Nautilus Members and a guest can attend for free, including full access to Frost Science and our exclusive Member Lounge at the Art Basel Convention Center. We look forward to seeing you there! [JOIN TO RECEIVE YOUR INVITATION]( P.S. “She understood me and I understood her. I loved that pigeon.” That’s what Nikola Tesla told his biographer about one of the many pigeons—“pure white with light gray tips on its wings,” he said—that would pay the great inventor a visit. Amanda Gefter’s [surprising story about Tesla’s avian romance]( reminded me of Brandon Keim’s insightful story from 2016, “What Pigeons Teach Us About Love,” (free to read 👆). “Perhaps love is not what defines us as human,” Keim wrote, “but is something we happen to share with other species, including the humble pigeon.” 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](