Richard Fisher
@richardfisher.bsky.social
1K followers 1.7K following 80 posts
Senior Editor, Aeon | Author of non-fiction book The Long View | Honorary professor in science communication, UCL | Formerly: BBC Future, MIT Knight Science Journalism fellow, New Scientist | https://richardfisher.carrd.co
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richardfisher.bsky.social
that's me in the picture, enjoying my mid-40s
Reposted by Richard Fisher
michael-marshall.bsky.social
My debut for @aeon.co:

Life formed incredibly early in Earth's history, so the idea that our world was once an unliveable hellscape is just not true.

https://aeon.co/essays/life-on-earth-emerged-fast-far-quicker-than-we-thought
The astronaut-scientist Harrison Schmitt during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity at the Taurus-Littrow landing site on the Moon, 13 December 1972. Courtesy NASA
richardfisher.bsky.social
The next day, Phil returns to ask for a copy of the photo. He knocks at the door... "Sally? Who is Sally?" the man asks.
Reposted by Richard Fisher
aeon.co
Popular perceptions of past empires focus on their great artwork and monumental achievements. But in recent years, many historians have taken a different approach, asking: what was it like as an ordinary person to live through these imperial collapses?
The great myth of empire collapse | Aeon Essays
Societal downfalls loom large in history and popular culture but, for the 99 per cent, collapse often had its upsides
buff.ly
Reposted by Richard Fisher
chanda.blacksky.app
Absolutely delightful piece on our magnificent cosmic web by my friend and sometime collaborator @markneyrinck.bsky.social, who reminds us that the beauty of cosmos is also always here on earth with us. 🔭🧪 #scicomm

aeon.co/essays/how-t...
How to see the ‘cosmic web’ here on Earth | Aeon Essays
What are the largest shapes in the Universe? The answer might be found in the most unassuming places here on Earth
aeon.co
Reposted by Richard Fisher
richardfisher.bsky.social
At the moment, I'm particularly looking for *scientists* interested in writing for @aeon.co. Is that you? I have recently commissioned essays on geology, oceans, cosmology, astronomy, Antarctica, the brain, computer science, quantum and more. aeon.co/science
Science — Latest | Aeon
Science Essays from Aeon. World-leading scientists and science writers explore topics from theories of evolution to theories of consciousness, quantum physics to deep time, chemistry to cosmology.
aeon.co
Reposted by Richard Fisher
gutenberg.org
Merveilleux-scientifique

With brain swaps and death rays, a little-known French sci-fi genre explored science’s dark possibilities a century ago

By Fleur Hopkins-Loféron

aeon.co/essays/how-f...

Maurice Renard at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho...

#books #sciencefiction
How French ‘merveilleux-scientifique’ fiction reframed reality | Aeon Essays
With brain swaps and death rays, a little-known French sci-fi genre explored science’s dark possibilities a century ago
aeon.co
richardfisher.bsky.social
Anyway I'd really recommend spending a bit of time with Ben's essay, which explores the legacies and contradictions of these two men. He spent months working on it, and it's written with compassion, rigour and insight.
richardfisher.bsky.social
...whereas Eadweard Muybridge - another brain injury survivor who was a contemporary of Gage's, but a different class - has been lauded. I had seen Muybridge's photography (it's displayed in my local cinema in Kingston where he was born, for instance). What I never realised: he murdered a guy.
richardfisher.bsky.social
Gage is commonly described as a case study for "disinhibition", a behaviour change prompted by brain injury. But as Ben explores in the essay, the evidence for that is rather thin...
richardfisher.bsky.social
One thing I'd never done until recently was look closely at Phineas Gage's photo, especially his good eye. He was probably far more complex than he is described in the textbooks. Ben Platts-Mills investigates how Gage's humanity has been overwritten to create a case study aeon.co/essays/how-t...
How the ‘myth of Phineas Gage’ affects brain injury survivors | Aeon Essays
The misunderstood story of Phineas Gage shows that we need a new way of understanding the experiences of brain injury survivors
aeon.co
richardfisher.bsky.social
Thanks very much for sharing!
richardfisher.bsky.social
About me as an editor: I'm primarily focused on the physical sciences, nature/environment, technology and neuroscience... less so health/medicine/biology, but we have other editors for that! This is me: richardfisher.carrd.co
Richard Fisher
Richard Fisher is a journalist, author, lecturer and presenter based in London, specialising in science, technology, history, and philosophy
richardfisher.carrd.co
richardfisher.bsky.social
Just to add: an essay idea needn't be the culmination of a life's work, or a fit-for-journal finding: it could be an open question you're wrestling with, a mystery that intrigues you, an idea you're exploring. We aim to capture science as it develops, in pursuit of knowledge, not just end products!
richardfisher.bsky.social
At Aeon, we offer a supportive & creative editing process (working with me!) We're open-access, with a global general audience of smart readers. Many of our writers are postdocs/early-career. We pay an honorarium. Any questions, send a DM! #science #scicomm
richardfisher.bsky.social
At the moment, I'm particularly looking for *scientists* interested in writing for @aeon.co. Is that you? I have recently commissioned essays on geology, oceans, cosmology, astronomy, Antarctica, the brain, computer science, quantum and more. aeon.co/science
Science — Latest | Aeon
Science Essays from Aeon. World-leading scientists and science writers explore topics from theories of evolution to theories of consciousness, quantum physics to deep time, chemistry to cosmology.
aeon.co
richardfisher.bsky.social
The macabre book covers alone are great! You can browse more at Fleur's instagram www.instagram.com/merveilleux_...
richardfisher.bsky.social
A century before Black Mirror, the French merveilleux-scientifique sci-fi genre was exploring dark thought experiments inspired by the era's science and technology. Really enjoyed working on this @aeon.co essay with Fleur Hopkins-Loferon aeon.co/essays/how-f...
How French ‘merveilleux-scientifique’ fiction reframed reality | Aeon Essays
With brain swaps and death rays, a little-known French sci-fi genre explored science’s dark possibilities a century ago
aeon.co