Too often the humankind puts itself at the center of any reflection on the meaning of life, but the truth is our planet—not to speak about the entire universe—has existed since long before we came on to the scene, and will probably outlive us. The beauty of Beloved Curve, a recent conceptual photography series by 31 year-old Scottish photographer Sarah Amy Fishlock, is the simplicity with which it connects the existential theme of the incessant cycle of life to her grieving process for her father's death through the intelligent use of double exposures.

The grim prefab Khrushchyovkas helped solve the USSR’s housing crisis after World War II. Now, Moscow plans to demolish 8,000 of them, displacing more than 1.5 million people. Should any be preserved for posterity? By Mark Byrnes.

Constructing sets that look functional but are intentionally useless, an artist parodies the seamless illusion of images. By Sarah Bay Gachot.

Stains, smells, secrets, thieves, dead bodies, and even a radioactive towel have all found their way down one. By Sarah Minor.

The winner of our tenth essay contest, Meghan Tear Plummer, shares her honest, heartfelt story of loving her transgender brother—and missing the sister he used to be.

Which objects would you choose to tell the story of your life? By Gemma Carney.

It may seem slippery and maddeningly abstract, but it’s also deeply intimate, infusing our every word and gesture. By Alan Burdick.

Why does reality seem to slow down in moments of extreme peril? Can the mind really bend time? Here’s the neuroscience behind the phenomenon. By Jeff Wise.

Here Are All the Possibilities. By Robert Lawrence Kuhn.

How Stéphane Mallarmé's greatest work was forged from tragedy. By Ellen Handler Spitz.

Time has just posted a mini-site about the 100 most influential photographs of the world, accompanied by their history. The selection is very relevant, the images are fantastic and varied, there is nothing to add. So I decided to present here 100 photographs that had absolutely no influence on anything. Existence, thankfully, their only merit.

Days before Fidel Castro’s death, National Geographic Photo Camp asked students in Havana what it means to be Cuban. This was their response. By Kirsten Elstner.

There were many things that set the KLF apart from other musical acts who enjoyed commercial success in the UK’s thriving dance scene of the early 1990s. By Chris McCall.

The idea that humans are ephemeral compared to the workings of nature isn’t as persuasive as it once was. By David Farrier.

Butches, Femmes, and Mobsters: Inside the world of America's first drag superstars. By Hugh Ryan.

College should prepare students not only for a rich life but also for a meaningful death. By John Kaag and Clancy Martin.

Two memorable nights in the life we shared reveal the private and public sides of the famous man. By Bill Hayes. (Aug. 26, 2016)

How is it possible to get something from nothing? By Amanda Gefter.

Vincenzo Di Nuzzo

Consider—if you will—the fate of the trend, which is to fall dramatically from grace. For instance, these “model” interiors from the 1970s. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair! By Kelly Faircloth.