Burj Khalifa: Alone at the Top of the World
A dispatch from the hermetically sealed world of mega-developments as the author and his friend explore the tallest structure in the world, and reflect on the stratosphere of the super rich.
NATO Grapples with Serious Organisational Shortcomings
A piece suggesting that a shortfall in NATO’s military capacity, paired with its excessive bureaucracy, means it is ill-equipped to face “a major conflict with Russia”.
The Uninhabitable Earth
Published this month, The Uninhabitable Earth is apparently the most read article in New York Magazine’s history. The piece proposes that the impact of climate change will be felt far sooner and far more severely that people realise. The piece is of interest in its own right, but has also provoked a strong response in the scientific community, including many climate change scientists who believe it overstates the case in an unhelpful manner.
Second Life was Just the Beginning
Second Life was perhaps the first virtual world to enter mainstream discourse. Its founder thinks new virtual reality technologies are its successor, and destined for mass adoption. http://www.bit.ly/wired-secondlife
When Your Child Is a Psychopath
A look at what can be done for children that display traits commonly associated with psychopaths. They do not feel the wrong of actions, though they might intellectually understand them – they Òknow the words but not the musicÓ. http://www.bit.ly/atlantic-psychopath
Goodbye, My Brother
A former US Marine returns to cities in Iraq where he fought and lost friends, and assesses the situation on the ground today.
A Lot of What Is Known about Pirates Is Not True, and a Lot of What Is True Is Not Known
A piece reassessing the pirates of yesteryear and their impact on society, suggesting it was much more nuanced than is commonly understood. http://www.bit.ly/humanities-pirates
This 3,500-Year-Old Greek Tomb Upended What We Thought We Knew About the Roots of Western Civilization
A stunning archaeological find is not only providing a window into a 3,500 year old society, but also challenging founding principles underpinning our views of how Western civilisation developed.
The Oldest Restaurant in Kabul: Where Tradition Trumps Rockets
A look at the recent history of Kabul through the story of an enduringly popular restaurant.