Culture & Society

Meditations on technology, science, future, and life. Veteran tech writer and investor.

Kevin Xu on China tech and US-China tech relations. Deep analysis from both sides.

Essays on tech industry dysfunction, consulting, and organizational failure modes.

Noah Smith on economics, geopolitics, and technology. Former Bloomberg columnist.

Deep technical dives into computing history, telecom, and infrastructure. The stuff they don't teach you.

Guess when photos were taken. Historical photo dating game.

Interactive digital magazine. Data journalism you can explore.

Brian Potter on why buildings cost so much. Industrial engineering.

Magazine on progress and stagnation. Deep dives into why things work.

San Francisco urban history and architecture. Deep local knowledge.

Critical takes on architecture and urbanism. Beyond the pretty pictures.

Public scholarship on architecture and landscape. Deep essays.

Urban life and policy. Cities, transportation, and housing.

Rethinking urban development. Financially resilient communities.

Design podcast and articles. The unnoticed architecture of our world.

Directory of global textile traditions. Artisan techniques documented.

Philosophy jokes in comic form. Learn philosophy while laughing.

Sustainable solutions through historical technology. Challenging progress narratives.

Building a world of resilient communities. Energy, economy, environment.

Citizen media from around the world. Underreported stories translated.

Media criticism newsletter. Checking sources and debunking viral claims.

Tech and science journalism by former Motherboard reporters. Independent and subscriber-funded.

Cultural criticism and political commentary. Challenging conventional wisdom.

Politics, culture, and ideas. Long-form progressive commentary.

Nonprofit investigative journalism. Deep dives into public interest stories.

History of food and cooking. When foods were invented and how.

Railroad news and history. Coverage of freight, passenger, and model trains.

Zine culture magazine. Reviews, interviews, and DIY publishing news.

Vinyl news and culture. New releases, features, and record store guides.

Vinyl culture magazine. Collector stories, gear reviews, and release coverage.

In-depth retro game coverage. Series retrospectives and obscure game deep dives.

Board game reviews and videos. Honest, entertaining coverage of tabletop gaming.

Drinks culture publication. Cocktails, coffee, beer, wine, and spirits coverage.

Drinks journalism and culture. Cocktail history, recipes, and bar industry coverage.

Hidden places and forgotten history. Urbex meets cultural curiosity.

Jason Scott's archive of BBS-era text files. Thousands of documents from the pre-web internet preserved for posterity.

Adversarial journalism. Investigative reporting on national security, politics, and civil liberties.

Open source intelligence and investigative journalism. Pioneering OSINT techniques to uncover truth.

Data-driven investigative journalism on technology. Exposing how algorithms affect our lives.

Investigative journalism from The Center for Investigative Reporting. Deep dives into systemic issues.

Clear on climate. Science-based analysis of climate change and energy policy.

Ben Thompson's analysis of tech strategy and business. The gold standard for tech industry analysis.

Jason Scott's documentary about bulletin board systems. Free to watch, captures the spirit of pre-internet online communities.

Archive of the PC cracking and warez scene. NFO files, cracktros, and digital artifacts from underground computing.

Jamie Zawinski, Netscape/Mozilla co-founder, DNA Lounge owner. Tech commentary with a punk attitude since the 90s.

John Gruber's influential Apple and technology commentary. Creator of Markdown.

Sharp analysis of technology trends and industry dynamics. Known for 'Google Search Is Dying' piece.

File, track, and share public records requests. Making FOIA accessible to everyone.

Follow the money in politics. Campaign finance and lobbying data made accessible.

Wired founding editor on technology and culture. Cool Tools, 1000 True Fans, and more.

Venkatesh Rao's longform essays on organizations, technology, and thinking.

Continuing Roger Ebert's legacy of film criticism. Thoughtful reviews and essays on cinema.

Definitive guide to the world's wondrous and curious places. Hidden gems everywhere.

Science and math journalism. Accessible coverage of cutting-edge research.

News for nerds since 1997. Tech news and discussion from the old web.

Community blog on rationality and AI. Deep discussions on thinking clearly.

Effective altruism community. Discussions on doing the most good.

Interactive explainer on how data collection chills free expression. How surveillance changes behavior.

Authoritative, peer-reviewed philosophy reference. The definitive resource for philosophy.

Peer-reviewed academic resource on philosophy. Accessible yet rigorous articles.

Magazine of ideas. Accessible philosophy for the general public.

Stoic philosophy for everyday life. Practical wisdom from ancient philosophers.

Digital collections from the world's largest library. Photos, maps, recordings, and documents from American history.

Digital heritage from European museums, libraries, and archives. Millions of cultural artifacts online.

Story of building a successful e-commerce business selling Vidalia onions. Refreshingly simple business model.

Essays on philosophy, science, and society. Deep thinking for curious minds.

Conversations with scientists and thinkers. Big questions, deep answers.

Maria Popova on literature, science, and wisdom. Now The Marginalian.

Curated links to essays and reviews. The thinking person's homepage.

Literary and cultural essays. Some of the best long-form writing.

Essays and reviews on books and ideas. Intellectual discourse since 1963.

Encyclopedic collection of religious, mythological, and folkloric texts. World's religions and esoterica.

Literary magazine since 1953. Fiction, poetry, and legendary author interviews.

Book reviews and literary criticism. Intellectual weekly since 1902.

Curated essays on public domain works. Rediscovering forgotten treasures.

Portal to historical maps from libraries around the world. See how places looked centuries ago.

Exploring the history of computing. Online exhibits, timelines, and oral histories from tech pioneers.

Anecdotes about the development of the original Macintosh. First-hand stories from the team that built it.

Literary magazine with long-form interviews and essays. Thoughtful writing on books, art, and culture.

Vintage computing community. Forums for classic computer enthusiasts.

Maria Popova's blog on literature, science, and philosophy. Thoughtful synthesis of ideas across disciplines.

A solar-powered website about sustainable technology and historical alternatives. Goes offline when the sun doesn't shine.