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4mins
What is quantum mechanics? A philosopher of science explains how it emerged as the necessary response to classical physics.
4mins
What will it take to test one of the most ambitious scientific theories of our time? At this point, even the grandest effort to establish its truth will be far […]
10mins
The philosopher of physics explains the “unsettling” manner in which movement, at its most essential level, breaks down cognitive categories and exhausts the capacities of human logic.
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The fundamental contradictions of physics are present in even the most quotidian of objects. As the philosopher of science explains, some of quantum mechanics’ greatest mysteries are embodied in a […]
53mins
A conversation with the philosopher of science at Columbia University.
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What can a philosophy of science really accomplish? As the head of Columbia’s Philosophy of Physics program explains, the field is at its healthiest when philosophy and science are indistinguishable […]
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Historian of technology Rachel Maines explains the most fascinating insight to emerge from her current research.
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Activities that were once functional—from gardening to brewing—have become recreational in advanced societies. The author of “Hedonizing Technologies” explains why.
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The “Hedonizing Technologies” author wouldn’t bet against it. Ironing, she says, is already a sport.
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How common is vibrator use among women, men, and societies worldwide? Has this segment of the market been hurt (or stimulated) by the recession?
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And did the doctors who claimed to “treat” it by inducing orgasm know better? Rachel Maines reveals the truth behind the historical rumors.
6mins
The “Technology of Orgasm” author recounts the outrageous history of female genital “manipulators,” from water-powered turbines to the contraption called the Chattanooga.
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When Rachel Maines first published a history of the vibrator (“The Technology of Orgasm”), she “expected it to derail [her] career, and it did.” But even she wasn’t prepared for […]
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These days the astronaut worries about how best to prepare his young children for a changing world.
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Leroy Chiao had to overcome being picked on for his small stature and being one of the few minorities in his mostly white Midwest town.
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Leroy Chiao would break bread with Sergei Korolyov, the father of the Soviet Space program and the first man to build a rocket that could make it into space.
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Before becoming an astronaut, Leroy Chiao made some classic mistakes working as a young engineer, but he’s glad he learned his lesson early.