Philosophy

Philosophy

Examine life’s biggest questions, from ethics to existence, with curiosity and critical thinking.

quantum steampunk
How efficiently could quantum engines operate?
Inflection points veer life in unexpected directions. While unnerving, they provide opportunities for those who can navigate them.
Satire and an inflated sense of self-importance collide in a series of maps that goes back more than 100 years in American history.
benjamin franklin lightning rod
Benjamin Franklin's lightning rod saved countless lives, but some religious leaders denounced his invention.
Plants are very sensitive to touch, with research showing that touching a plant can change its genome and launch a cascade of plant hormones.
A surreal painting ponders is time travel possible, with melting clocks draped over a tree, ledge, and abstract form in a barren landscape against distant cliffs.
Theoretical physicist Brian Greene explores the potential particles of time and why we could, in theory, travel forward in time but not back.
John Templeton Foundation
When was the last time you spent some quality time with yourself?
quasar-galaxy hybrid
Single objects rarely change the course of an entire scientific field. Distant object GNz7q, a galaxy-quasar hybrid, might do exactly that.
Studies show that feelings of ease and comfort in a given situation are tied to feelings of authenticity.
Many atheists think of themselves as intellectually gifted individuals, guiding humanity on the path of reason. Scientific data shows otherwise.
John Templeton Foundation
For some reason, the charges on the electron and proton are equal and opposite, and their numbers are equal, too. But why?
what aliens look like
We should not expect aliens to look anything like us. Creatures that resemble octopuses or birds or even robots are legitimate possibilities.
Successful romantic relationships require desire, but that desire doesn't have to be sexual.
In the pursuit of happiness, money probably trumps meaning.
A digital illustration of a stereotypical alien figure, inspired by concepts of extraterrestrial life, featuring a large bald head, big dark eyes, and a small mouth on a pale yellow background.
5mins
Dr. Sara Walker is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist, who is questioning the very nature of life and how we’re attempting to find it elsewhere.
John Templeton Foundation
If we are wreaking havoc on ourselves and the world, it is because we have become mesmerized by a mechanistic, reductionist way of thinking.
Will all robots think like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg?
I hate grading. I love teaching, though, and giving students feedback is teaching.
kama sutra
There is much more to the Kama Sutra than just sex. It's a guide to anyone wanting more pleasure in life, however they take it.
ancient smells
Most cities reeked of death, defecation, and industrial waste. Still, focusing only on stench means turning a blind eye (or nose) to the many other smells that helped shape human history.