Brian Klaas

2 weeks ago | contrarian.substack.com | Brian Klaas

Dr. Brian Klaas joins Jen Rubin to discuss the impact of seemingly random global events and how they change our lives. When this thinking is applied to the Trump Administration, we see a loss of global reputation, top scientists and researchers opting to leave U.S. universities, and a break down in our systems and institutions. Make sure to read Brian’s latest Atlantic article DOGE Is Courting Catastrophic Risk, and his most recent book Fluke to learn more.

1 month ago | theatlantic.com | Brian Klaas

On December 26, 2004, the geological plates beneath Sumatra unleashed the third-most-powerful earthquake ever recorded. A gargantuan column of water raced toward Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. None of these countries had advance-warning systems in place, so no one had time to prepare before the surge hit. Some 228,000 people died—the highest toll of any natural disaster so far this century.

1 month ago | open.substack.com | Byline Supplement |Brian Klaas

Thank you for reading The Garden of Forking Paths. Please consider supporting my work with a paid subscription, for about the price of one coffee per month—like caffeine but for your inquisitive brain. My work is fully reader-supported. Or, you can support my work by buying my book, FLUKE, twice named a “best book of 2024.”One of the strangest dynamics of modern politics is that the richest man in the world chooses to get his information from grifting ignoramuses on social media.

2 months ago | open.substack.com | Brian Klaas

Thank you for reading The Garden of Forking Paths. Some of this edition is for paid subscribers only, so to unlock this post and gain full access to 180+ other essays from the archive, consider upgrading to a paid subscription for just $4/month. I rely exclusively on reader support to keep writing for you. Or, you could also check out my book—FLUKE. On December 26, 2004, at 7:58 in the morning, the thick plates beneath Sumatra’s west coast began to shake violently.

2 months ago | theatlantic.com | Brian Klaas

In the early 1500s, an unknown wealthy patron is said to have commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to produce the Salvator Mundi, a striking ecclesiastical masterpiece in which Jesus is shown blessing humanity with his right hand while holding an orb representing the Earth in his left.