The Best of Salon
10+ most popular Salon articles, as voted by our community.
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Is a post-car future actually possible? Experts say yes — here's how we could do it
Though the United States seems hopelessly addicted to our vehicles, experts say we could rethink our civilization to live without them
Salon on Environment
Why “greening” cities can make gentrification worse — and often doesn’t help the environment either
Urban renewal under the guise of “going green” isn’t working — for the environment, or for residents
Salon on Food
When cooking became cut-throat: A brief history of the culinary competition
Our collective hunger for cooking as sport is an enduring mainstay, from Medieval Baghdad to modern cable TV
The world is hooked on junk food: How big companies pull it off
Ultraprocessed foods are often noted as being an insidious mark on our food systems. How do we stop eating them?
Salon on Influencer Marketing
Influencer culture is everywhere — even in academia
Though academics may wring our hands about influencer culture, social media promotion is now a necessary evil
Salon on Nature
The first observations of octopus brain waves revealed how alien their minds truly are
Scientists implanted electrodes into an octopus' head for the first time. The bizarre signals only raised more questions
Bees' average lifespan has halved in fifty years. Here's why that's bad news for humanity
One-third of the human diet comes from plants pollinated by bees
Salon on Psychedelics
Psychedelic startups are betting on synthetic versions of "magic" mushrooms as the future
You can't patent naturally-occurring molecules like psilocybin. That's led to a rush to find a trippy synthetic "blend" as a profitable alternative
In defiance of federal drug law, mushroom dispensaries are popping up across North America
Psychedelic shops are openly selling mind-altering fungi in a growing number of cities. Is this just the beginning?
Salon on Science
The scientist who discovered sperm was so grossed out he hoped his findings would be repressed
Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek, the father of microbiology, was horrified at the appearance of sperm under the microscope
Panpsychism, the idea that inanimate objects have consciousness, gains steam in science communities
An expanding notion of what "consciousness" is could have profound repercussions
«Panpsychism's appeal may stem partly from the fact that scientists currently can not explain what consciousness – the thing that gives you a mind and makes you self-aware — actually is»
Salon on Space
Why humans may not be able to live on Mars without horrific health consequences
Cold, bathed in radiation and far from Earth, living on Mars would strain our mental and bodily limits. The prospect for a long-term settlement is bleak
Salon on UBI
Could universal basic income work in the US? Economists look to a test case — in Alaska
Thanks to its UBI-esque permanent fund dividend, Alaska has "a much lower poverty rate," one economist says
Popular
These are some all-time favorites with Refind users.
How to cultivate creativity as an adult, according to an expert
Shared by 846, including Ines Bieler, Stephanie A Kowalski, Katja Evertz
«optimism and creativity often go hand in hand, but also that the status quo or ruminating on the status quo can often lead to a type of pessimism»
The brain is actually a fiction writer: How our minds create a sense of self from fragments
In "The Self Delusion," author Gregory Berns explains why our self-perception is a "sort of fiction"
«there are also some universal ground rules to the ways we construct these narratives. One we can all relate to is, for the most part, that episodic aspect of it»
Humanity's most distant spacecraft is sending back weird signals from beyond our solar system
Scientists are baffled at the odd telemetry data being relayed by Voyager 1, which was launched in 1977
Why is walking so good for the brain? Blame on the "spontaneous fluctuations"
Going on a walk makes your mind wander in ways that neuroscience is only just coming to terms with
«Fractal patterns are easy on the eyes, endlessly fascinating to see and hear and even inspire feelings of beauty. »
Why returning to medicine’s roots in nature could help fill drug discovery gaps
Some scientists are looking for new drugs in nature rather than synthesizing them in the lab. Here's why
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