Adjacent Possible

The Legible Society

In part four of Planet of the Barbarians: how early city-states used the world’s first information technology to finally close the agrarian trap.

Apr 3 • Steven Johnson

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March 2026

Back To The Garden

In part three of Planet of the Barbarians, a four-thousand-year paradise vanishes from the archaeological record. But did a memory of it persist in the…

Mar 2 • Steven Johnson

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February 2026

The Architecture Of Ideas

A field guide to the rituals, routines, and workflows of creative thinkers.

Feb 3 • Steven Johnson

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January 2026

The Wetlands Interregnum

In part two of Planet of the Barbarians: how Cold War espionage gave us new insight into the origins of the agricultural revolution.

Jan 26 • Steven Johnson

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The Agrarian Fall

In part one of Planet Of The Barbarians: reconsidering humanity’s greatest mistake.

Jan 13 • Steven Johnson

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Introducing Planet Of The Barbarians

In a new five-part series, a declassified history of the first civilizations.

Jan 5 • Steven Johnson

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November 2025

What Is The Right Atomic Unit For Knowledge?

Two centuries ago, the invention of peer-reviewed articles changed the course of scientific history. What will be its equivalent in the age of AI?

Nov 26, 2025 • Steven Johnson

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September 2025

The Blank Page Revolution

How paper changed the way we think.

Sep 20, 2025 • Steven Johnson

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July 2025

Magic Cards and Knowledge Bottles

Can AI give us an enhanced version of the "digital librarians" first envisioned almost a half century ago?

Jul 24, 2025 • Steven Johnson

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June 2025

Machine Readable

Language models are opening new avenues for inquiry in historical research and writing. But will they undermine the reading of primary sources?

Jun 25, 2025 • Steven Johnson

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May 2025

City Of Bombs

My first true NYC book—now out in paperback—wins an Edgar Award.

May 9, 2025 • Steven Johnson

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February 2025

Condensing The Iceberg

Attention, addiction, and the crucial art of withholding information in an era of data abundance.

Feb 19, 2025 • Steven Johnson

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