If you want to learn about the Earth, go to outer space In this short film, five astronauts chronicle their experience of the "overview effect", a phenomenon that people who have been in space often describe as an intense sense of solidarity with all living things. It is the recognition that the Earth itself is a planetary oasis in an unimaginably vast desert, that we are all intimately connected to each other, that our existence is fragile and precious.

Far from being a waste of time, energy and money amid the climate emergency, the documentary shows how space travel can connect humanity in a way almost nothing else can at a moment when connection and solidarity are vitally needed.

Eric, Climate correspondent Crosspolinate: ‘The Overview Effect’ (viewing time: 19 minutes)
To have or not to have: it’s complicated As someone with an impending house move, I was naturally drawn to the title of this story "Accumulation and its discontents", by archeology professor Astrid Van Oyen. Turns out I’m not just a victim of late capitalism’s colossal overspill, or that listening to Marie Kondo would have brought salvation.

“Stuff”, according to van Oyen, is complex! Archeological research reveals that material things, from grain to smartphones, have been shaping our behaviour throughout the ages. Accumulation to secure power and status is just one way of relating to “things”. Or did you know that the Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka’wakw) people deliberately gifted away their accumulated wealth, and even destroyed some of it, to forge stronger relations in turn?

Next time you wonder whether some vase in your apartment is worth keeping, don’t ask, “Does this spark joy?“ but ponder instead: “What’s this thing making me do?”

Carmen, member support manager Aeon: ‘Accumulation and its discontents’ (reading time: 12 minutes)
The People’s Republic of Cupertino We’ve become numb to hearing about the power of tech giants, but that just makes reading the figures and hard evidence all the more shocking. Apple is not just a power – it’s a superpower. Its wealth of $1tn puts it on par with just under 30 national economies. Not only that, the company permeates almost every part of our daily lives – just like a nation state.

So Tortoise Media decided to report on Apple as if it were a country. The result? An Apple that resembles a liberal China and a fantastic journalistic deep-dive into the workings and struggles of the secretive tech powerhouse.

There are hours’ worth of reading in this eight-part series, covering everything from Apple’s constitution (yes, really) to its domestic and foreign policies. It’s worth every minute.

Shaun, copy editor Tortoise Media: ‘Welcome to Apple: A one-party state’ (reading time: as long as you like)

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