Aeon Magazine

Dark matter is the commonest, most elusive stuff in the universe. Can we grasp this great unsolved problem in physics? Alexander B Fry considers. Read by Sam Dresser

What to eat, when to meditate and whether to call your parents: can self-monitoring tools really make a difference? Flintoff considers. Read by Sam Dresser

Insomnia brings many gifts — the noises of the night, the twist of narrative, and a stolen march on time. Melanie McGrath reflects. Read by Sara Masters.

If my grandfather could survive the Siege of Leningrad and still distinguish between a German and a Nazi, then so can I. Read by Sara Masters

From Pygmalion to Bladerunner, we fall for our robot creations. But then, what else is artificial intelligence good for? Read by Sam Dresser.

For all their intricate symbolic force, from the Paleolithic to today's herbalism, plants are still a deep mystery to us. Read by Sara Masters.

Sadness, anger, disappointment: for once, I saw the perfect storm behind her mask of adolescent indifference. Read by Sara Masters.

They were mouldy, unread and long out of date. So why did I feel so bad about burning my Britannicas? Julian Baggini contemplates. Read by Sam Dresser

Digital gadgets are the first thing we touch in the morning, and the last thing we stroke at night. Are we slaves to their magic? Tom Chatfield reflects. Read by Sam Dresser.

Volcanic feelings of love and hate are part of being a parent: it's dangerous to pretend otherwise. Edward Marriott reflects on the ambivalence of being a parent. Read by Sam Dresser

‘On an echoing, static line my wife broke the news. Before I could ask for any details, the connection was broken’. Tim Ecott on death and diving. Read by the author.

In Javanese culure, a ruler must stand chivalrously above strife: cool, intelligent and self-contained. Sound familiar? Edward L Fox on Obama's connection to Java. Read by Sam Dresser.

Jules Evans investigates the elusive notion of empathy through a series of interviews with Roman Krznaric and Aeon contributors Maria Konnikova and Tobias Jones.

In play an adult can become like a child, fully absorbed in the here-and-now. Play, not work, brings us fully to life. Read by Sam Dresser

A dominant species is a dominant species. If you really care about animal rights, vegan ethics don't go far enough. Rhys Southan looks at veganism through the lens of an alien invasion. Read by Sam Dresser.