One of the Most Egregious Ripoffs in the History of Science

What’s popular this week in Nautilus. [View in browser](| [Join Nautilus]( EDITORS' CHOICE Brought to you by Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here.]( This Sunday, read the latest and most popular stories from Nautilus [READ NAUTILUS]( [ASTRONOMY]( [A Wild Idea to Solve the Mysteries of Black Holes]( Could quantum mechanics hold the key? BY PAUL M. SUTTER There’s an outside chance we’ve been getting black holes wrong. [Continue reading →]( [There’s No Replacement for Time in the Barrel]( Today is the last day to enter for an opportunity to visit Glenfiddich's world-renowned distillery in historic Dufftown, Scotland, and witness how the world's finest whiskies are made. As [this story from the Nautilus archives]( reports, the aging process is irreplaceable, and Glenfiddich has been perfecting it for over 130 years. You and a guest can experience a little slice of that time yourselves, including roundtrip airfare, a private tour, and even more perks. [ENTER NOW]( WE ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW... How do you set yourself up to think clearly and creatively? 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 Magic of the Blackboard.”]() Top Answers to Our Previous Question (On the Antiquated Technology You Refuse to Give Up) - My M-Player iPod Shuffle 2 GB. One square inch in size with a memory large enough for several audiobooks. Plug into earphones and clip onto the edge of a T-shirt. Start and stop with one press between the thumb and forefinger. Advance or rewind with an easy squeeze on the right or left side of the box. I use it daily. You hardly notice its presence, and it is weightless. – Cynthia G. - A wind-up pocket watch. So satisfying in hand. Check the time, no other distractions, and, yes, it’s usually in the same pocket as my phone. – Dan R. - As a suspense and thriller author, the typewriter has become a key part of my writing process. Its rhythmic sounds and physical interaction put me in a meditative creative mindspace, ideal for constructing intricate plots and compelling characters. As I type on the old Remington's keys it creates physical tension which is inherent in my genre. It's a relic steeped in mystery and nostalgia and much more than a writing tool—it's a source of inspiration. – Luca S. Popular This Week [EVOLUTION]( [Evolution Led Humans into a Trap]( The cultural forces that fueled our success now threaten to end it. BY KRISTEN FRENCH [Continue reading →]( [HISTORY]( [One of the Most Egregious Ripoffs in the History of Science]( A new history of the race to decipher DNA reveals Shakespearean plots of scheming. BY KEVIN BERGER [Continue reading →]( The latest from Nautilus [ENVIRONMENT]( [There’s Even Plastic in Clouds]( Five new places scientists have uncovered plastics. BY KATHARINE GAMMON [Continue reading →]( ASTRONOMY [Jupiter’s Io Gets a Close-Up]( A new image of our solar system’s most volcanic body. BY KATHERINE HARMON COURAGE [Continue reading →]( [“Black holes might not be the only giant quantum creatures of our universe.”]( [Paul Sutter writes about “mind-bending” research showing you can make sense of black holes without gravity.]( From The Porthole—short sharp looks at science [PSYCHOLOGY]( [Are You Hypnotizable?]( Why some of us are more susceptible to hypnotism than others. BY CONOR FEEHLY A decade ago, when I was starting my first year of university in New Zealand, I attended a stage hypnosis. [Continue reading→]( Your free story this Sunday! [MATH]( [The Magic of the Blackboard]( Why scientists can’t quit chalk, even in the digital age. BY THEO ZENOU & THOMAS W. HODGKINSON In the beginning, there is nothing. [Continue reading for free→]( P.S. The Austrian logician Kurt Gödel, renowned for his profound “incompleteness theorems,” died on this day in 1978. In 1931, at 25 years of age, he “pulled off arguably one of the most stunning intellectual achievements in history,” wrote Natalie Wolchover. That achievement was [shattering the dreams]( of finding a mathematical theory of everything. Even logic has its limits. 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](