After Transcendence, Choosing Reality

How grief and belonging shape us after transcendence, forcing us to return to reality.

By Saumya Sharma  |  September 3, 2026
Thought of the Day

The corpse which you see here is that of M. Bayard, inventor of the process that has just been shown to you. As far as I know this indefatigable experimenter has been occupied for about three years with his discovery. The Government which has been only too generous to Monsieur Daguerre, has said it can do nothing for Monsieur Bayard, and the poor wretch has drowned himself. Oh the vagaries of human life….! … He has been at the morgue for several days, and no-one has recognized or claimed him. Ladies and gentlemen, you'd better pass along for fear of offending your sense of smell, for as you can observe, the face and hands of the gentleman are beginning to decay.

From the dispatch: The First Selfie by Robert Cornelius by Lukesh Umak
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