Human settlement has always followed the patterns of the earth. Researchers now theorize that Machu Picchu, the quixotically remote outpost of the Incans, may have been built high in the Andes as that was where earthquakes had deposited a wealth of fractured rocks useful for construction. Machu Picchu was built over major fault zones. Now, researchers think they know why - Sid Perkins / Science
Organizations comprised of the smartest, most capable people still get bogged down. Even the best assemblage of talent can fall prey to a bad system that prioritizes the wrong things and encourages collaboration in the wrong ways. Coordination Headwind: How Organizations Are Like Slime Molds - Alex Komoroske / Komoroske.com
What if we simply accelerate the Earth's natural carbon cycle? Minerals, as a matter of course, absorb ambient CO2. But given the amount we're spewing into the atmosphere, they can't keep up. Researchers are investigating ways to accelerate this natural absorption by experimenting with different minerals - including asbestos - unearthed during industrial mining operations. Asbestos could be a powerful weapon against climate change (you read that right) - James Temple / MIT Technology Review
You wouldn't assume someone would want used fish tank water, and you'd be wrong. "Buy Nothing" groups, where users gift (no exchanges of money or goods) each other things they no longer need, are becoming increasingly popular. It's particularly interesting both in the way it challenges traditional assumptions (people happily accept dryer lint) and in that it's an interesting social dynamic that cannot be monetized. Inside the World of Buy Nothing, Where Dryer Lint Is a Hot Commodity - Ronda Kaysen / NY Times
Don't get caught up in the biometric orb: Worldcoin is really cool. While the main narrative has already focused on the retina-scanning orb as a distribution vehicle (and the privacy implications), Sam Altman's Worldcoin startup is proposing a really interesting solution to a very real problem: if you want to make a truly global currency, you need a way of disambiguating people that isn't based on emails, driver's license numbers, or other identification tools that are national, hackable, or otherwise unreliable. Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sam Altman wants to scan your eyes in exchange for free cryptocurrency - Ryan Browne / CNBC
Micronations are mostly jokes. Westarctica, at the beginning, was no different. But in the two decades since Travis McHenry first established his claim over this region of Antarctica by cold-mailing a number of governments (he received no response) he's turned the national identity into a somewhat successful vehicle for raising conservation funds. A Very Big, Little Country - Katherine LaGrave / Afar
School rankings are dumb. Ranking middle and elementary schools transcends stupidity into the realm of societal harm. Not only are the rankings based entirely on standardized test scores (which themselves have been shown relate to demographics more tightly than quality of instruction) but they have the potential to spark a downward spiral for neighborhoods if their schools are ranked low. 'Best schools' lists are meaningless — and could make segregation worse - Jack Schneider / WBUR
Einstein and Newton didn't set out to make big discoveries. Discovery itself is a byproduct of the innate human pursuits of curiosity and learning. Simply by noticing, and attempting to understand the phenomena of the universe, we push against the bounds of human understanding and discover new things. Research as Understanding - Kanjun Qiu / kanjun.me