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History and Society
The existential philosopher argued that an authentic and meaningful life is measured by choice.
With no other galaxies in its vicinity for ~100 million light-years in all directions, it's as isolated and lonely as a galaxy can be.
Once a cosmopolitan faith, Islam valued intellectualism and modernity. It was derailed by various geopolitical and religious forces.
A new book by historian and author Paul Strathern argues that the Northern European Renaissance has long been overlooked.
Bram Stoker's mother survived a terrible cholera outbreak and recounted the ghastly scenes to her son years later.
Spiritual experiences can be explained in terms of a highly evolved brain. But they also can be extremely meaningful.
John Templeton Foundation
Is blood the key to anti-aging, or just another lucrative biotech opportunity?
There are two methods to measure the expansion rate of the Universe. The results do not agree with each other, and this is a big problem.
Is there an ultimate answer to the age-old question?
While many imagine terrifying futures run by AI, Rohit Krishnan is quietly identifying real problems and solutions.
Fear of technology is not new. But we misunderstand its origin. In reality, we don't fear technology but each other.
Diogenes engaged in shocking behavior to demonstrate the contradictions, small-mindedness, and sheer absurdity of prevailing social conventions.
And why you, a non-expert, should absolutely not consider "explaining what you know" to an actual expert in the field.
Before Constantine received his history-defining vision, a pagan Sun god paved the way for Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into the Eternal City.
Memorial day is a time to remember veterans killed in the line of service. These spaceflight heroes deserve to be remembered, too.
From forgotten Hollywood movies to Frank Herbert’s "Dune," science fiction illustrates some of our deepest fears about technology.
Would you confess your crimes to a skeleton with "an unnatural ghastly glow"? One inventor thought you would.
A philosophy of birth can offset the prevailing narrative around extinction and mortality.
"Groupthink" gets a bad rap. In reality, we need groups to focus our thinking and to build on the ideas of others.
John Templeton Foundation
We commonly stereotype psychopaths as criminals, but there are probably more in upper management.
Memory, responsibility, and mental maturity have long been difficult to describe objectively, but neuroscientists are starting to detect patterns. Coming soon to a courtroom near you?
In a time when we dislike and distrust our politicians, why can't we get more popular leaders like Kim Jong Un and Bashar al-Assad?
Walking is rarer in the U.S. compared to similar nations. It is also deadlier: Nearly 7,500 pedestrians were killed in 2021.
If our Universe were born a little differently, there wouldn't have been any planets, stars, galaxies, or chemically interesting reactions.
Germans are masters of building cars, cooking brats — and sitting while peeing.
"Superhabitable" planets might be real, but Earth is probably as good as it gets.
Some scientists think we should allow our bodies to more harmlessly live with pathogens until they’re cleared from our systems.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.