Asher Elbein

Asher Elbein

Sep
22
America, Inflamed

America, Inflamed

What's behind the epidemic of chronic disease in America? Annika returns to welcome us to the Inflammatory Industrial Complex.
38 min read
Sep
05
The Road Is An Ecological Trap: An Interview with Ben Goldfarb

The Road Is An Ecological Trap: An Interview with Ben Goldfarb

The road: evolutionary influence, ecological trap, and equal-opportunity killer. Journalist Ben Goldfarb explains.
27 min read
Jul
27
One Trillion Fires

One Trillion Fires

Science writer John Vaillant tells us why we're thinking of fossil fuels all wrong
27 min read
Mar
02
Decline and Fall Free: Purge Night

Decline and Fall Free: Purge Night

Anakin Skywalker falls, leading us to ask: what does it really take to commit an atrocity?
18 min read
Mar
02
Decline and Fall: The Turning Point

Decline and Fall: The Turning Point

Revenge of the Sith ends. We contemplate the nature of coups, purges, and what it actually means to fall.
51 min read
Feb
17
Inaugurating the Cabinet of Curiosity

Inaugurating the Cabinet of Curiosity

Ape gestures, urban evolution, and virus eaters: Heat Death launches a new science digest.
7 min read
Jan
30
The Ringmasters: An Interview with Abraham Josephine Riesman

The Ringmasters: An Interview with Abraham Josephine Riesman

On wrestling, the post-truth carnival, and the latent fascism of Vince McMahon
19 min read
Dec
16
Decline and Fall Free: The Very Model of a Modern Jedi Master

Decline and Fall Free: The Very Model of a Modern Jedi Master

Obi Wan Kenobi is the consummate Jedi. Is that a good thing?
13 min read
Dec
16
Decline and Fall: Anatomy of a Tragedy

Decline and Fall: Anatomy of a Tragedy

Revenge of the Sith premiers. The Iraq War goes sour. We contemplate legitimacy, interpersonal politics and magic.
39 min read
Nov
10
I Met A Traveler From An Online Land

I Met A Traveler From An Online Land

What do lost cities and the modern internet have in common?
17 min read