There are infinite ways to fail, and just as many to deal with it. But what is failure, really? And how can we excel at it? This issue of maize is a celebration of losers—what we call “seconds,” or “eternal lasts”—because they can be more likeable (and more successful) than winners.
Pandemic prism
Covid-19 has infiltrated our lives, politics, and thoughts. Here’s a view of it through philosophy, history, and literature.

Why do we procrastinate?
Dr. Tim Pychyl takes us into the quicksand of wasting time and why we do it, instead of facing what really needs to get done.

Mostly plants, not too much
A philosophy about how to dine with reverence challenges us to go back to a place in time where food is sacred.
a conversation with Michael Pollan

Green activism
A responsible business grows thanks to corporate activism, not despite it.

The end of boundaries
Drawing lines is a cultural practice that puts us, and our view of reality, on the map.

Brave new work
Aaron Dignan helps companies navigate the unchartered territory of the workplace of the future, advocating for open information.

The currency of time
In principle, technology should allow us to work less, but in fact, we are working more.
Two minutes to midnight
The methane once trapped into tundra ice is evaporating. Rainfalls, flooding and hurricanes are increasing. Will we survive?

Harvesting misunderstanding
Every misunderstanding implies there is also an understanding. But what if understanding is only an illusion?
a conversation with Franco La Cecla

The World Wide Web utopia
Humanity should be the purpose of data and machines at work, but, today, that’s not quite the case.

Cartographies of time
What does time look like? Daniel Rosenberg and Anthony Grafton curated the first visual history of the timeline.
by maize