Welcome to Tendere

We have questions. Quite a few of them, actually.

Some are about artificial intelligence and what it may mean for the way we live, work, and make decisions. Others are about business, health care, science, technology, institutions, markets, and the people trying to navigate all of them. Current events, sports, music, and culture, too.

Mostly, we're interested in consequential questions—the ones for which the obvious answer may not be the right one, the evidence may point in more than one direction, and changing your mind should be considered a sign of progress rather than weakness.

That's why we created Tendere.

The name comes from a Latin verb meaning to stretch, extend, or reach toward something. We rather like the idea of a publication that keeps reaching.

We're independent, and our approach rests on three things: Curiosity. Evidence. Perspective.

Curiosity means starting with the question rather than rushing toward an answer.

Evidence means being willing to test what we think we know—including the things we'd prefer to be true.

And perspective means recognizing that consequential questions rarely look the same from every side.

We intend to walk around them.

Sometimes that will mean a substantial investigation. Sometimes an interview, an editorial, a case study, or a piece of information that deserves more attention.

And occasionally we'll publish something simply because it's interesting, amusing, or worth talking about.

Our more substantial investigations and editorials will appear under Irreducible. For sports, music, culture, and the lighter side of life, there's Six, Two, and Even. You'll find the story behind that name in this inaugural edition.

We aren't particularly interested in choosing sides before we've done the work. Artificial intelligence doesn't receive a handicap because it's new, and human judgment doesn't receive a halo because it's human.

We'll look. We'll ask. We'll test.

Then we'll tell you what we found.

And when we don't know, we'll tell you that, too.

This first edition considers what the world's nations might accomplish by cooperating on artificial intelligence, whether better access to medical information can lead to better health care, and a little October baseball through the eyes of a memorable Red Sox manager.

We're delighted to publish the inaugural edition of Tendere.

As we find our footing, our publishing schedule may be less regular than we intend. We'd rather take the time to produce something worth reading than publish simply because the calendar says we should.

We hope you'll subscribe. It's free, and we'll let you know whenever we publish something new. That way, you won't have to wonder when the next edition arrives.

And please join the conversation. We welcome your questions, perspectives, and disagreements. Some of our best future articles may begin with something a reader brings to our attention.

We're glad you're here.