EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE

The Entire History of Humanity In 10 Minutes

The Entire History of Humanity In 10 Minutes

From sharing the earth with many other human species merely as hunter gatherers trying to brave the elements, to building rockets, creating the internet, and now with our eyes set on Mars, the history of humanity is one that’s filled with determination, cooperation, and ingenuity. We have done much more for ourselves than our ancestors could have ever imagined. Today, humans dominate contemporary life on Earth, but we haven’t always been this powerful. 
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Cryptomnesia: You've Never Had An Original Thought

Cryptomnesia: You've Never Had An Original Thought

Picture this. You’re in a work meeting attempting to troubleshoot a problem that your team has been struggling to figure out. You suggest something, a solution equal parts ingenious and elegant. Your coworkers are impressed and shower you with praise, all except for one person who for some reason looks upset. Afterwards this person confronts you, claiming they had mentioned this same solution to you during a private call last week, accusing you of intellectual theft.
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TikTok is More Dangerous Than We Thought

TikTok is More Dangerous Than We Thought

In a previous Aperture episode, we looked at the mental health effects of TikTok. But it seems as though the self-inflicted risks directly linked to the app are more far-reaching and have greater consequences than we could have ever imagined. From health and safety to privacy and security, given the long list of problems that TikTok seems to pose to the general public, what do we do? What can we do? Can we “fix” TikTok? Or should we just ban the app entirely?

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The Most Dangerous Thing In The Universe

The Most Dangerous Thing In The Universe

We’ve gotten so good at adapting to our surroundings that at this point, most natural disasters don’t pose much of a threat to our species as a whole. But what couldn’t we withstand? What, if it happened tomorrow, could end the human story instantly and infinitely? These are the biggest threats our species faces. The threats which seek to make us history, like the 99% who came before us. These are the most dangerous things in the Universe.
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The Stoic's Guide to New Year's Resolutions

The Stoic's Guide to New Year's Resolutions

What is your New Year’s  resolution? For some of us, it’s to be more productive. For others, it’s to lose weight or simply be healthier. For you, it might be to spend some more time with friends and family, or finally write that book that you’ve been putting off for the past year. When the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, most of us already have a list of goals we wish to achieve, things we hope to be better at and habits we desperately want to let go of, all within the next 365 days. 
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The Media is Lying To You

The Media is Lying To You

While in the past the job of passing on necessary life skills, history and information was a collective effort, today, all of that power has been given to commercial media. In the words of George Gerbner, “Commercial media has eclipsed religion, art, oral traditions and the family as the great storytelling engine of our time. And whoever tells the stories of culture gets to govern human behavior.” 
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Shower Thoughts

Shower Thoughts

Dreams are confusing. Some people believe they can tell the future, others feel they are just a way for our brains to remember our past. Whatever you think about them, dreams shouldn’t be that confusing, right? I mean, after all, our brains are the ones creating them. So why are they also simultaneously being surprised, entertained, confused and scared by them? Like one half of your brain is creating a short film for the other half to watch.

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The Fear of Death

The Fear of Death

Death can only be interpreted by people who are alive, yet since no one who is alive can simultaneously experience what it's like to be dead, who then does death actually concern? This logic is oddly reassuring. Even so, if my doctor were to call me up right now and tell me that I would die in 12 hours, I would still likely spend all that time in a state of debilitating fear and anxiety. Just thinking about this possibility makes me realize that whether I like it or not, death terrifies me right now, even as a person who is fortunate enough to be in good health.

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How Money Works

How Money Works

Money. How does that word make you feel? Is it a rush of adrenaline, dollar signs running through your head like a slot machine? Perhaps you feel motivated, ready to send those work emails you’ve been putting off, or spend an extra hour writing that movie script that you’re certain will be a hit. But maybe you don’t feel so good when you hear that word. Maybe the mere mention of money causes your hands to go clammy, your heart rate to rise and your brain to start doing somersaults around all the ways in which you don’t have, need more, want more, money.

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Why We Love Anti-Heroes

Why We Love Anti-Heroes

I have a pretty serious confession to make. I don’t like Superman. Before you destroy me in the comments, I know this is an unpopular opinion, but the Man of Steel has just never resonated with me. The problem for me has always been that he is too strong. I mean, one of his primary powers is invulnerability. Talk about a tension killer. The conflict is never if Superman will save the day, only how.
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Why Do We Love Sports?

Why Do We Love Sports?

Today, the Olympics still brings countries of the world together in the spirit of healthy competition, many of whom are not friendly with one another anywhere else. Why do we love sports so much that we’re willing to put aside even our most extreme differences to participate in them? Maybe it’s because we want to feel the highs of winning without the fear of the consequences of losing. When the soldiers played against each other, they could get excited over the potential of winning, without worrying about what would happen to them if they didn’t.
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TikTok Is Causing A Mass Psychosis

TikTok Is Causing A Mass Psychosis

In June 2019, Kirsten Muller-Vahl, a psychiatrist at Hannover Medical School and head of its Tourette’s outpatient department, noticed unusual symptoms in her new set of patients. To begin with, all of them were teenagers, and they were suffering from sudden and uncontrollable tics. Even though none of them had any history of the condition, they were all shouting different kinds of obscenities. 
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