Culture & Religion — September 26, 2014

Turns Out People Have Been Sharing Cat Photos For Over a Century

Montage of eight photographs of cats, ca. 1903-1928 from Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute. Part of a larger collection taken by photographer Jessie Tarbox Beals.

Robert Montenegro

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The above montage of eight photographs of cats, ca. 1903-1928, is part of a larger collection from the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, part of Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute. The photos are the work of photographer Jessie Tarbox Beals, pictured below.

Something tells me she would’ve really been into Tumblr:

The most counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

Collage of classical art suggesting a theme related to somatic markers.

Business

How “somatic markers” can transform your decision-making

Ditch the old brain vs. heart assumptions, and instead think about a heart-led brain.

A black and white image of a bunch of spheres, symbolizing the multiverse concept discussed by scientists.

Starts With A Bang

How logic and reasoning can fail as scientific tools

In logic, ‘reductio ad absurdum’ shows how flawed arguments fall apart. Our absurd Universe, however, often defies our intuitive reasoning.

A wooden sign indicating "assisted migration rep 2" in a pine forest under a clear blue sky.

Life

Moving trees north to save the forests

As the world warms, trees in forests such as those in Minnesota will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That’s where assisted migration comes in.

Historical map illustration depicting a planned city layout with a circular central area and radiating streets.

Strange Maps

Ohio’s Circleville ditched the grid system. Then it got squared.

A small Ohio town tried to escape America’s addiction to rectangular grids. It didn’t last long.

Bullet Cluster separation mass gravity x-ray lensing

Starts With A Bang

Flagship NASA space telescope faces a penny-pinching death

NASA’s only flagship X-ray telescope ever, Chandra, still works and has no planned successor. So why does the President want to kill it?

Up Next

Technology & Innovation

How to Gauge a Nonprofit’s Integrity Using Public Information

A recent Minnesota state audit revealed that board members of the charitable nonprofit Community Action of Minneapolis were dipping into the organization’s coffers. While it’s not always easy to spot that sort of corruption, you can do your own quick investigating to determine whether a nonprofit is worth your time and money.