There are folded pieces of paper on the passenger seat of my car, wedged between a tangle of charging cords, a Kindle, a laptop, and an iPad. One is a storm of scribbles—half-formed sentences, words crossed out in frustration. The other is a kids’ menu,...
The forest is full of quiet generosity. Trees, often thought of as solitary, are in constant communication beneath the soil, sharing resources in ways that keep the entire ecosystem alive. Scientists have discovered that when a tree is cut down, the surrounding trees respond. Their roots...
For years, Ella did her homework at the kitchen table while I made dinner. I’d move around the kitchen, chopping vegetables, stirring a pot, opening and closing the oven. She’d spread out her papers, flipping through notes, opening and closing her laptop. Between a step...
The abyssal anglerfish is a creature of the deep, living more than a mile beneath the surface in a world of darkness and pressure so intense that few things can survive it. She is small—no bigger than the palm of a hand—but built for the...
The girls and I have been watching Say Yes to the Dress, a show where soon-to-be brides try on wedding dresses and, in what feels like record time, declare, This is the one! I watch, a little baffled, as they twirl in certainty after trying on only a...
On a recent flight to a meeting where I was going to be talking about the science of human connection, I found myself seated next to a mom and her young son. As we settled in, she gave me a quick smile. “He gets a little...
The confusion began when a tourist in Iceland stepped away from her tour group to change out of wet clothes. Time passed, and the group grew concerned, noticing she hadn’t returned to the bus. A helicopter was called, but fog delayed the search. Meanwhile, the...
The results from the annual World Happiness Report are in, and guess what? Finland has claimed the top spot yet again. Despite long, dark winters and icy landscapes, Finns report higher life satisfaction than any other country. After seven consecutive years at number one, I...
We’re told no one is coming to save us. That life is about survival, about bracing for the worst and figuring it out alone. But that’s not what I see. When the fires tore through Los Angeles, taking homes and a lifetime of memories with them,...
“My dearest,” one letter begins. “I hope you are enjoying the sun today. Thank you for being there to listen. I needed someone to talk to, and you seemed like the perfect companion.” This might sound like the start of a letter to a cherished friend, but it’s...