Philosophy

Philosophy

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

An image of a spiritually enlightened man posing with a celestial blue ball in tribute to Carl Sagan.
In polarized times, our shared cellular origin can unite us in solidarity and awe — from the embryonic scale to the grandest cosmic perspective.
A collection of written profiles featuring men with beards and moustaches.
Voyage into the lawless world of experimental literature.
Ancient headless stone Buddha statue with one arm missing, seated cross-legged against a solid dark purple background.
9mins
Spirituality declines, depression rises. Is there a link?
A photo of a skull conjured through necromancy in a pile of dirt.
The Te’omim Cave in the Jerusalem Hills is filled with skulls and oil lamps — objects a new study says may have been used in dark rituals.
An image of a sunset through a window.
How the simple act of watching twilight can radically transform our perception of the world and our role within it.
John Templeton Foundation
An image of a face with a blurred background.
1hr 13mins
This two-time debate world champion gives three tips for constructing the perfect argument.
A successful man in a suit captured in a black and white photo.
Psychopathic tendencies may be present to some extent in all of us. New research is reframing this often sensationalized and maligned set of traits and finding some positive twists.
A red and white illustration of a man and a woman, both portrayed as code-making geniuses.
Giambattista della Porta's contributions to codebreaking changed the course of communication.
A creative spark ignites amidst darkness.
Scott Dikkers discusses comedy, the creative process, and life lessons learned playing peekaboo.
A night sky filled with numerous shooting stars during the Perseid meteor shower.
Each year in mid-August, Earth plows through the debris stream of an enormous comet, creating the Perseids. 2023's show will be magnificent!
A woman in a vibrant dress is standing against a minimalist backdrop.
Why does the DMT experience feel so familiar to some people — even those who are trying the psychedelic for the first time?
A blastoid.
From the laying out of the body plan to the organization and functioning of our nervous system, cells rule gene expression and make us who and what we are.
A pixelated image depicting the structure of a human brain.
A study involving nearly 2,000 people found links between personality traits and the likelihood of moving toward or away from dementia.
X-ray view cartwheel galaxy
There are two types of missing, or "dark" matter: baryonic (made of normal matter) and non-baryonic. Have we finally found the normal stuff?
A drawing of a man with a beard and a pot.
Alchemy had its golden age in the 17th century, when it counted Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle among its adherents.
John Templeton Foundation
Judith Butler in a black jacket and grey scarf.
A primer on Judith Butler’s theory of gender and performativity.
Three silver boxes with designs on them.
These clocks burn powdered incense along a pre-measured paths, each representing a different amount of time.