Some end of semester true teaching confessions, like why I avoid teaching ethics, and why I asked my students to talk to a tree. open.substack.com/pub/beatricema…

Time for a quick human composting legislation update! First, ‘Human Composting Gains Traction Across the U.S.’: newsweek.com/human-composti…

Julia Whitney Barnes, Picturesque Botany watercolor, gouache and cyanotype

Mass arrests of students and some faculty in US higher ed, mass redundancies in UK higher ed, almost like these places don't even want their universities anymore

This thoughtful piece by Beatrice Marovich made me think a bit more about what a "death cult" is. Any worldview, Christianity or any other needs to find a place for death as a necessary part of life. Or, substack.com/inbox/post/143…

My latest on the problems of positive thinking, death, and whether philosophy can be self-help. Possibly fun for Digressionsnimpress. Liam Bright Michael A Osborne Beatrice Marovich East of Dulwich A X Douglas helendecruz.substack.com/p/thinking-lea…

I sometimes arrogantly make the universalist assumption that no one really likes aging.

Inspired by ancient political uses of astrology, my students and I have been reading Trump and Biden’s charts.

When periodical cicadas meet the Dead Man's Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) MU Plant Sciences Mizzou IPM MO Conservation Dr. Tamra Reall

The Devil looked at the horrors and atrocities of man and realized he had become obsolete. He was a horse in the age of the automobile.

I recently asked my students to imagine human life in 200 years. The class descended into cynical & disappointed laughter. It made me rethink how I talk about collective mortality, in a world that’s on fire: open.substack.com/pub/beatricema…

Spending time with used books gives you such an acute sense of how quickly ideas age.

Only in America: convicted felons cannot vote in the upcoming election (except in two states), but a man convicted of 34 felony counts could potentially be elected President of the United States this November.

Democrats don’t just need a new candidate. They need a reckoning | Osita Nwanevu theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

I’m happy about the Walz pick, but there might be dark days coming for weird folks.