Featured articles
From The Observatory
Featured Articles
We forget most of our dreams. So why do we have them?
European cabinet and gallery paintings reveal how private art collections became subjects of paintings themselves, shaping modern museums, curation, and the display of art.
Our food system is linked to an economic system fundamentally biased against what’s good for people and the planet.
The least humane way of culling poultry and pigs has become increasingly common.
By: Michael Windsor
We know from history that there are many ways we can live together—let’s explore the idea.
By: David Graeber and Nika Dubrovsky
The school district was at the forefront of a public education model that is gaining national popularity—but its decision undercuts what the community appreciates about each school’s custom offerings that put students first.
By: Jeff Bryant
For 6,000 years, humans have controlled water to serve their needs, but a warming planet is revealing the limits of that approach.
By: Jeremy Rifkin
Bats pollinate wild agave plants, sustaining desert ecosystems and preserving the genetic diversity that supports tequila and mezcal production.
By: Reynard Loki
Switching to organic products is an easy way to eat healthier and support the environment.
By: Caroline Cox
Imagined devices such as Francis Bacon’s sound-houses and the “cat piano” reveal how speculative musical instruments have influenced music, technology, and cultural ideas about sound.
By: Deirdre Loughridge and Thomas Patteson
