Richard Fisher

The great myth of empire collapse | Aeon Essays Societal downfalls loom large in history and popular culture but, for the 99 per cent, collapse often had its upsides

Popular perceptions of past empires focus on their great artwork and monumental achievements. But in recent years, many historians have taken a different approach, asking: what was it like as an ordinary person to live through these imperial collapses?

How to see the ‘cosmic web’ here on Earth | Aeon Essays What are the largest shapes in the Universe? The answer might be found in the most unassuming places here on Earth

Absolutely delightful piece on our magnificent cosmic web by my friend and sometime collaborator @markneyrinck.bsky.social, who reminds us that the beauty of cosmos is also always here on earth with us. 🔭🧪 #scicomm

aeon.co/essays/how-t...

What can slime mould teach us about biological memory? | Aeon Essays Certain slime moulds can make decisions, solve mazes and remember things. What can we learn from the blob?

Do you need a brain to have a memory? Slime moulds suggest not. A new @aeon.co essay by @philosobio.bsky.social aeon.co/essays/what-...

Science — Latest | Aeon Science Essays from Aeon. World-leading scientists and science writers explore topics from theories of evolution to theories of consciousness, quantum physics to deep time, chemistry to cosmology.

At the moment, I'm particularly looking for *scientists* interested in writing for @aeon.co. Is that you? I have recently commissioned essays on geology, oceans, cosmology, astronomy, Antarctica, the brain, computer science, quantum and more. aeon.co/science

Should (or Could) Trump Be Added to Mount Rushmore? (Gift Article) Let’s review how we got here, and closely examine what the rock would allow.

What a fantastic piece of multimedia storytelling this is www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How the ‘myth of Phineas Gage’ affects brain injury survivors | Aeon Essays The misunderstood story of Phineas Gage shows that we need a new way of understanding the experiences of brain injury survivors

Learned some thing about Phineas Gage, a case I've always thought was really interesting.

How French ‘merveilleux-scientifique’ fiction reframed reality | Aeon Essays With brain swaps and death rays, a little-known French sci-fi genre explored science’s dark possibilities a century ago

Merveilleux-scientifique

With brain swaps and death rays, a little-known French sci-fi genre explored science’s dark possibilities a century ago

By Fleur Hopkins-Loféron

aeon.co/essays/how-f...

Maurice Renard at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho...

#books #sciencefiction

Anyway I'd really recommend spending a bit of time with Ben's essay, which explores the legacies and contradictions of these two men. He spent months working on it, and it's written with compassion, rigour and insight.

...whereas Eadweard Muybridge - another brain injury survivor who was a contemporary of Gage's, but a different class - has been lauded. I had seen Muybridge's photography (it's displayed in my local cinema in Kingston where he was born, for instance). What I never realised: he murdered a guy.

Gage is commonly described as a case study for "disinhibition", a behaviour change prompted by brain injury. But as Ben explores in the essay, the evidence for that is rather thin...

How the ‘myth of Phineas Gage’ affects brain injury survivors | Aeon Essays The misunderstood story of Phineas Gage shows that we need a new way of understanding the experiences of brain injury survivors

One thing I'd never done until recently was look closely at Phineas Gage's photo, especially his good eye. He was probably far more complex than he is described in the textbooks. Ben Platts-Mills investigates how Gage's humanity has been overwritten to create a case study aeon.co/essays/how-t...

Thank you for sharing!

Thanks very much for sharing!

Richard Fisher Richard Fisher is a journalist, author, lecturer and presenter based in London, specialising in science, technology, history, and philosophy

About me as an editor: I'm primarily focused on the physical sciences, nature/environment, technology and neuroscience... less so health/medicine/biology, but we have other editors for that! This is me: richardfisher.carrd.co

Just to add: an essay idea needn't be the culmination of a life's work, or a fit-for-journal finding: it could be an open question you're wrestling with, a mystery that intrigues you, an idea you're exploring. We aim to capture science as it develops, in pursuit of knowledge, not just end products!

At Aeon, we offer a supportive & creative editing process (working with me!) We're open-access, with a global general audience of smart readers. Many of our writers are postdocs/early-career. We pay an honorarium. Any questions, send a DM! #science #scicomm

Science — Latest | Aeon Science Essays from Aeon. World-leading scientists and science writers explore topics from theories of evolution to theories of consciousness, quantum physics to deep time, chemistry to cosmology.

At the moment, I'm particularly looking for *scientists* interested in writing for @aeon.co. Is that you? I have recently commissioned essays on geology, oceans, cosmology, astronomy, Antarctica, the brain, computer science, quantum and more. aeon.co/science

The macabre book covers alone are great! You can browse more at Fleur's instagram www.instagram.com/merveilleux_...

How French ‘merveilleux-scientifique’ fiction reframed reality | Aeon Essays With brain swaps and death rays, a little-known French sci-fi genre explored science’s dark possibilities a century ago

A century before Black Mirror, the French merveilleux-scientifique sci-fi genre was exploring dark thought experiments inspired by the era's science and technology. Really enjoyed working on this @aeon.co essay with Fleur Hopkins-Loferon aeon.co/essays/how-f...

I wrote this for the launch of Psyche's new memoir strand: "The girl was lying on a stretcher, wrapped in a blanket, and he reached for a medallion hanging around her neck, showing to me the two words embossed on it: Sourde-Muette." psyche.co/stories-of-c...

This is an interesting essay on gen AI by the philosopher Andy Clark, of the 'extended mind' idea. A few extracts that struck me: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Sighing at a colleague in frustration could be discriminatory, tribunal rules UK software engineer successfully sues employer for disability discrimination after complaining about manager’s sighing

These two in the photo have really been on a journey since 'distracted boyfriend'... it seems they broke up, became colleagues, and now are merely sighing at each other www.theguardian.com/money/2025/m...

Why do we clap? At the Cannes Film Festival, standing ovations can last for more than 10 minutes. It begs the question: what drives human beings to smack our hands together to applaud?

Since it's Cannes, resharing the time I spent more than 10 minutes clapping for a BBC article www.bbc.com/future/artic...

I did not approve this tweet, you're on probation

Thank you! Yes, that's a good way to put it... I recall Dauwalter talks of anticipating and even relishing those moments during races because it's when she knows she is expanding her abilities. Some might assume it's masochism...but pretty sure it's not pleasure!

This week, Psyche magazine has started running short 300-word pieces called 'Notes to Self'. I wrote this one about the 'pain cave' and the astonishing ultrarunning of Courtney Dauwalter psyche.co/notes-to-sel...

Welcome to the new Psyche!

Psyche is a digital magazine dedicated to helping you know your self and live well. We’ve relaunched with a revitalised mission, new content types and a fresh site design. Explore what’s changed here: psyche.co

screenshot of Psyche relaunch announcement

Read more from Psyche's Editor @christianjarrett.bsky.social about the thinking behind it all: psyche.co/relaunch-ann...

Congratulations to my colleagues at @psyche.co, who have relaunched the Psyche site today with a fresh look, a revitalised mission, and all-new treatments. Its simple goal is to help you know your self and live well psyche.co

Thank you for reading and sharing (I edited the essay). I'm pleased you noticed Darmok - I'm sure Nikhil won't mind me saying but, as a Trekkie, I introduced him to that episode. :)