Archive - Predirections

The elephant’s mental map: Why our future depends on the living world

Guest post by Tim Christophersen, author of Generation Restoration

Jun 11 • Jonathan Tonkin and Tim Christophersen

The graveyard of unfinished work

On sunk costs, abandoned projects, and when to let go

Jun 4 • Jonathan Tonkin

May 2026

Ecological complexity—and the erosion of scientific capacity

How humans reshape ecosystems, and why eroding scientific capacity makes understanding that harder (Nexus Notes #29)

May 29 • Jonathan Tonkin

The further you go, the less you know (and why that’s a good thing)

Reflections on academia, ego, and learning to find what works for you: three more reflections for early-career researchers

May 21 • Jonathan Tonkin

Compounding crises and the colour of tennis balls

Nine signals on climate extremes, ecological justice, academic rejection, and an unexpected legacy (Nexus Notes #28)

May 14 • Jonathan Tonkin

Your unread books are a map of who you're becoming

On tsundoku, antilibraries, and the joy of never catching up

May 7 • Jonathan Tonkin

April 2026

Rivers don't lie

What 100 years of flow data tells us about 2026 (Nexus Notes #27)

Apr 30 • Jonathan Tonkin

Climate change is messing with the seasons. Here's why that matters.

A celebration of Earth’s seasons on Earth Day — and the risks we face as they unravel

Apr 23 • Jonathan Tonkin

Knowing more, understanding less

Models, optimism, moral courage, and the limits of knowing (Nexus Notes #26)

Apr 16 • Jonathan Tonkin

How nature spreads risk (and we don't)

Lessons from ecosystems for a world obsessed with efficiency

Apr 10 • Jonathan Tonkin

We built a fragile society

Modern society has optimised for efficiency at the expense of resilience

Apr 1 • Jonathan Tonkin

March 2026

Two years outside the ivory tower

Two years of Predirections, a global community of 16,000, and why the next phase starts with you

Mar 25 • Jonathan Tonkin