Affective Science

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Affective Science

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Illustration of three stylized human brains in orange, pink, and green, each with abstract wave patterns inside, overlapping at their edges.
Mini Philosophy
The sci-fi hypothesis that explains why you click with certain people
You may actually be on the same wavelength.
Jonny Thomson
A collage features a man in academic regalia at a podium, a black-and-white rural village, ants, and the words “THE NIGHTCRAWLER” in bold text at the top, evoking the art of reason amid contrasting scenes.
Business
Meet the philosopher outsmarting me since kindergarten
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
A young girl with light brown hair sits with her knees drawn up, looking down, illustrated blue teardrops on her face—capturing a quiet moment that reflects why humans cry.
Books
Why do only humans weep? The evolutionary puzzle of crying.
In this excerpt from "When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...," Steven Pinker examines how crying may have evolved as part of a suite of emotional expressions aimed at strengthening social bonds.
Steven Pinker
A digital collage featuring a brain illustration, distorted human faces, signal towers, abstract waves, and scattered data points and text on a blue and gray background.
Neuropsych
Inside the search for a universal signature of unconsciousness
A universal signature could make surgeries safer — and help reveal what holds consciousness together.
Ross Pomeroy
A man and woman sit on a bed with two young children, sharing a quiet moment; the older child stands while the younger, cradled by the woman, embodies the precious gift of consciousness within the family.
Business
What brain surgery taught me about the fragile gift of consciousness
After the trauma of a high-risk medical procedure, Eric Markowitz discovered a kind of consciousness that lives not in thought — but in presence.
Eric Markowitz
Five books on consciousness and philosophy are displayed upright in a row against a pale background with abstract black lines.
Books
5 brilliant books on consciousness
These expert-recommended books try to answer the questions of consciousness, from its fundamental nature to its role in human experience and the natural world.
Kevin Dickinson
A group of people in ancient attire react to shadows cast on a wall, referencing Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.
Thinking
The thought experiments that test your life, not your logic
Why some of philosophy’s strangest scenarios are more than mental games.
Shai Tubali
A man dressed in red crawls on all fours with a bit in his mouth, while a woman in a checkered dress rides on his back, indulging in a playful kink scenario.
Mini Philosophy
The Tree of Kink: What science teaches us about fetish clusters
How deep is your kink?
Jonny Thomson
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