A man with his fingers crossed for good luck, circa 1950. (Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) We have nearly 100 billion neurons in our brain—about the number of stars in our galaxy—and they must all act in a particular way in order for us to exist precisely as we do. Similarly improbable, as Richard Dawkins wrote, “The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Arabia.” For that sperm to meet that egg, and so forth. We exist This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Seven Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 47 Minor Miracles Why good luck has great odds. Arts & Culture Issue 50 Close Knit Close Knit: Meet the weavers keeping traditional Egyptian tapestrymaking alive. Arts & Culture Issue 50 The Old Gays Inside a Californian TikTok “content house” of a very different stripe. Arts & Culture Issue 50 New Roots The Palestinian art and agriculture collective sowing seeds of community. Arts & Culture Issue 50 Angela Trimbur An all-out tour de force. Arts & Culture Issue 50 Peace & Quiet In the UK, a centuries-old Quaker meeting house encourages quiet reflection.
Arts & Culture Issue 50 Close Knit Close Knit: Meet the weavers keeping traditional Egyptian tapestrymaking alive.
Arts & Culture Issue 50 The Old Gays Inside a Californian TikTok “content house” of a very different stripe.
Arts & Culture Issue 50 New Roots The Palestinian art and agriculture collective sowing seeds of community.
Arts & Culture Issue 50 Peace & Quiet In the UK, a centuries-old Quaker meeting house encourages quiet reflection.
