We humans

I wrote a haiku every day for a week — here’s what I learned

Attention fellow word nerds: Daily haiku-ing fired up my creativity, sweetened my days, brought me closer to others, and more, says TED Ideas Editor Daryl Chen.

Tech

Was this poem written by a computer or human?

Put your bot-sniffing skills to the test, and see how you do.

We humans

5 poems for an inauguration

Five powerful poems to commemorate this moment in time, as we look toward the 2017 US Presidential inauguration ceremony.

We humans

How our dreams illuminate our lives: A reading list

Maria Popova of brainpickings.org shares some of her favorite books relating to dreams and dreaming.

We humans

How poetry can free a prisoner’s mind

In the “hell” of incarceration, Cristina Domenech finds the raw material for poetry

We humans

Maxims and mottoes from masters of one-liners: A reading list

Professional aphorist and all round word nerd James Geary shares his list of must-read books from authors covering literary life, proverbs, aphorisms, and the art of being quoted.

Arts + Design

A poem from the future

“How weird will the future be?” we asked. And how else could writer and performer Ben Burke respond but with a poem penned and recorded especially for the occasion? Behold: THE TRANSHUMANIST’S LAMENT or TOO MANY RIVERS, NOT ENOUGH LAKES or OH, FUTURE- YOU SO CRAZY.