The Spark Collection contains many of these titles in print, offering concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects. Each volume provides an authoritative and engaging assessment of a concept, field, or body of work, drawing out the central ideas, themes, and approaches, making often challenging topics highly readable to develop core knowledge.

The Big Ideas Simply Explained series uses creative design and innovative graphics along with straightforward and engaging writing to make complex subjects easier to understand.

THE BASICS is a highly successful series intended for students approaching a subject for the first time. The books both introduce the essentials of a subject and provide an ideal springboard for further study.

Each text comes with recommendations for further study and gradually introduces the complexities and nuances within a subject.

OBJECT LESSIONS is a series of concise, collectable, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. Each book starts from a specific inspiration: an historical event, a literary passage, a personal narrative, a technological innovation—and from that starting point explores the object of the title, gleaning a singular lesson or multiple lessons along the way. Object Lessons paints a picture of the world around us, and tells the story of how we got here, one object at a time.

With over 100 subjects to explore, this Oxford University Press series offers authoritative discussions of complex contemporary issues.

Books in the series are written by leading experts in their fields, supplying students, professionals, and inquiring minds alike with the basic knowledge to drive conversations on matters of urgent debate. Authors address the key political, cultural, social, and economic factors influencing that topic through responses to incisive questions.

ScienceDaily features breaking news about the latest discoveries in science, health, the environment, technology, and more — from leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.

There are more than 500 individual topics, grouped into 12 main sections covering: the medical sciences and health; physical sciences and technology; biological sciences and the environment; and social sciences, business and education.

Stories are posted daily, selected from press materials provided by hundreds of sources from around the world. Links to sources and relevant journal citations (where available) are included at the end of each post.

The Conversation is a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good. According to their website, they “publish trustworthy and informative articles written by academic experts for the general public and edited by our team of journalists.”

The articles share researchers’ expertise in policy, science, health, economics, education, history, ethics and most every subject studied in colleges and universities. Some articles offer practical advice grounded in research, while others simply provide authoritative answers to questions that sparked our curiosity.

Since 2012, Aeon has established itself as a unique digital magazine, publishing some of the most profound and provocative thinking on the web. They ask the big questions and find the freshest, most original answers, provided by leading thinkers on science, philosophy, society and the arts.

Essays – longform explorations of deep issues, written by serious and creative thinkers.
Video – a mixture of curated short documentaries and original Aeon productions.

Until May 2020, Aeon also published Ideas – short provocations, maintaining Aeon’s high editorial standards but in a more nimble and immediate form. You can browse the extensive archive of Aeon Ideas here, and you can find all newly published Ideas on their sister site Psyche.

Psyche is a digital magazine from Aeon that illuminates the human condition through psychology, philosophy and the arts.

As with Aeon, Psyche disseminates knowledge from a wide range of expert perspectives. Psychology and philosophy are key, but Psyche also draws on history, anthropology and other disciplines. Psyche recognises that the human condition has always been illuminated by the imagination as much as by reason and practical knowledge, and will showcase poetic and artistic voices and perspectives.

Psyche is organised into three sections. Therapeia provides expert insights and practical help in dealing with emotional and psychological challenges. Eudaimonia focuses on the perennial puzzle of how to live well in our complex world. Poiesis explores the imaginative, artistic and transcendent facets of life. 

Psyche has three content channels: Ideas (short articles of 1,000-1,800 words) from experts and writers; Guides, which provide in-depth, expert-written, practical know-how; and Films, which showcase immersive short films. New content is published every weekday.

Explore the most popular Guides, Ideas and Films on their Popular page.