Symbols and myth
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/88052e1d-d4a7-4c89-8a3b-3fa87c992bc2/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Spirituality and religion
idea
This is not the end. Apocalyptic comfort from ancient Iran
Faced with the collapse of their empire, Zoroastrians sought comfort in the apocalyptic – and their literature flourished
by Domenico Agostini & Samuel Thrope
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3d42913c-473b-4457-aa18-5ed226eaf08a/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Creativity
idea
Our greatest invention was the invention of invention itself
Hypothetical thinking is the key to sustained innovation and creativity: invention drove the evolution of the human mind
by Keith Frankish
![A stylised figure drawn in glowing red lines stands on a cliff reaching towards a dark sky full of stars above a calm sea. The scene has a mystical atmosphere.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/201abfcd-50fe-40cb-aa31-09cf18517553/navajo-tales-the-stars-landscape-2-v2.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Symbols and myth
film
A Navajo creation story illustrates why humans must forge their own path
Directed by Dallin Penman
![Stone statue of Buddha with serene expression and draped robes, backs onto a circular halo, displayed against a dark background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3d998de7-bb7b-4897-be51-2e9061cde2b5/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Symbols and myth
idea
Why the first Buddhas in art wore finely folded Greek tunics
How the iconography of Greek art influenced the development of an increasingly standardised image of the Buddha in India
by Garrett Ryan
![Illustration of animals dressed as humans in a courtroom setting. A lion is the judge, surrounded by various other animal characters.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8bf98c92-afef-403c-87b8-59c616e5e0f2/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Animals
idea
What our use of animal-based slurs and endearments says about us
The image of the adorable kitten and the insult of calling someone a ‘pussy’ have more in common than you might realise
by David Egan
![Abstract illustration of a face with closed eyes and black-tipped fingers covering the mouth. Blue and purple splashes and a butterfly adorn the image.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/f962b8c5-c898-4fc6-8e32-191cd960012f/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Memory and nostalgia
film
Butterflies are reborn as memories of a past love in this striking visual poem
Directed by Sofia El Khyari
![Two people sitting on a blanket under a starry night sky, with mountains and tall trees in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/6eb9399e-a4b1-445b-934c-4bc265585867/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Nature and the environment
idea
Why people across the world see constellations, not just stars
Orion, the Big Dipper and the rest reflect shared features of human perception – but also diverse cultural interpretations
by Simon J Cropper, Duane W Hamacher, Daniel R Little & Charles Kemp
![Ancient artefact with gold sun, moon, and stars on a dark blue-green background, likely depicting an early astronomical observation.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/74a4de8c-ca40-45d8-bcb3-05641089a333/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Wonder and the sublime
idea
Bronze Age people looked to the skyscape to navigate their lives
Long before stargazing helped humans navigate the Earth, the skyscape gave Bronze Age people mystery and wonder
by Kata Karáth
![Illustration of cupped hands holding a golden artefact with intricate patterns against a textured background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/556c85c7-9d19-40c2-8ff0-dd1c945899fa/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Traditional arts
film
A Bronze Age pendant links lives centuries apart in this wondrous short
Directed by Samantha Moore