Leslie Valiant on The Importance of Being Educable March 26, 2024 We are at a crossroads in history. If we hope to share our planet successfully with one another and the AI systems we are creating, we must reflect on who we are, how we got here, and where we are heading. Read More
Martin Thomas on The End of Empires and a World Remade March 25, 2024 Martin Thomas tells the story of decolonization and its intrinsic link to globalization. He traces the connections between these two transformative processes: the end of formal empire and the acceleration of global integration, market reorganization, cultural exchange, and migration. Read More
How bad was the world’s first pandemic? March 25, 2024 What exogenous shock knocked the Roman Empire from its prosperous and peaceful pinnacle? In recent years, historians have zeroed in on an infectious outbreak known as the Antonine plague—an apparent pox-like disease that ravaged not just Rome, but several Roman cities during Marcus’ reign. Read More
The wonderful world of wasps March 20, 2024 Wasps continued conservation and presence are essential for our own well-being but, rather scarily, we know very little about the world’s incredibly rich species diversity, and even less about their ecological interactions. Read More
Books for understanding how we vote March 15, 2024 2024 is a momentous year for global elections, with high-stakes, historic elections in over 50 countries. Seeking clarity on voting worldwide, and the political and social factors at play? This reading list can help. Read More
ISMs: Quotations for a new generation March 13, 2024 While Einstein, Darwin, and Jung conducted most of their intellectual work in writing, artists rarely do the same. But it is still possible to know their words. Read More
AI Needs You March 12, 2024 Artificial intelligence may be the most transformative technology of our time. As AI’s power grows, so does the need to figure out what—and who—this technology is really for. AI Needs You argues that it is critical for society to take the lead in answering this urgent question and ensuring that AI fulfills its promise. Read More
Urs Gasser and Viktor Mayer-Schönberger on Guardrails March 08, 2024 What are good guardrails in today’s world of overwhelming information flows and increasingly powerful technologies, such as artificial intelligence? Read More
Books to read during Women’s History Month March 01, 2024 Throughout Women’s History Month in March, we will highlight books by and about women who have pushed boundaries, effected change, redefined roles, or who have complicated our understanding of what it means to be powerful. Read More
Books for understanding the US election March 01, 2024 Voting, both a fundamental civic duty and a hard-won right, is at the core of our democratic process. With election season upon us, delve into this list of books for understanding today’s increasingly complex election politics. Read More
Listen in: Pox Romana February 27, 2024 In the middle of the second century AD, Rome was at its prosperous and powerful apex. The emperor Marcus Aurelius reigned over a vast territory that stretched from Britain to Egypt. The Roman-made peace, or Pax Romana, seemed to be permanent. Read More
Stephen Porder on Elemental February 27, 2024 It is rare for life to change Earth, yet three organisms have profoundly transformed our planet over the long course of its history. Read More
Learning from imperial violence February 22, 2024 Historians are supposed to feel lucky when our new books align closely with topics prominently in the news. I would welcome a little less relevance for “They Called It Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence.” Read More
PUP Speaks: Christopher Harris on the need to reframe Black History Month February 21, 2024 This month, Christopher Harris reminds us that to celebrate Black history is to cherish everyday Black life. Read More
A Real Right to Vote February 21, 2024 Throughout history, too many Americans have been disenfranchised or faced needless barriers to voting. Part of the blame falls on the Constitution, which does not contain an affirmative right to vote. Read More