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Philosophy
“The Devil Is a Southpaw”: A novel by Brandon Hobson
A preview of the latest novel by the National Book Award finalist Brandon Hobson.
Groupthink in science isn’t a problem; it’s a myth
Scientists are notoriously resistant to new ideas. Are they falling prey to groupthink? Or are our current theories just that successful?
14 min
Why Einstein called awe the fundamental emotion
If you’ve gotten goosebumps when hearing a story about a stranger’s selfless heroism, or you’ve felt your chest swell at a concert, when the audience’s voice and the musician’s instruments align, you have felt awe. And, according to professor Dacher Keltner, who has spent his life studying it, it’s one of humankind’s most unifying traits:
Resilience is overrated: Unlock the real secret to business longevity
Andrew Markell — philosopher, martial artist, and CEO advisor — argues that true endurance comes from desire, ritual, and learning to evolve through chaos.
3 min
Can you measure love? 3 experts discuss
From neuroscience to philosophy, experts reveal why compassion may be the most important human skill we have.
Unlikely Collaborators
9 min
How facing adversity can help you live a deeper, more meaningful life
“There would be something very, very empty and meaningless about [a] sort of life with no problems.”
Why aliens might not “speak physics” the same way we do
Physicist Daniel Whiteson challenges the notion that all intelligent species would eventually uncover the same laws of nature. Do you agree?
Every era believes it is enlightened. Old books teach us otherwise.
Reading classic books can teach you as much about the present as the past.
Members
Productivity for Mortals
Everywhere we turn, we’re surrounded by polished images of how life should look, and even knowing perfection isn’t real can leave us feeling stuck. In this class, Oliver Burkeman invites us to see through that illusion and embrace our limitations, revealing a more grounded path to productivity that actually works for real, imperfect people.
21 min
How accepting impermanence can end the struggle to “fix” your life
“The idea is that we move from a place of wanting the world to conform to what we like [towards] not needing other people to be different from who they are.”
Where does the expanding Universe begin?
The planet, the Solar System, and the galaxy aren't expanding. But the whole Universe is. So where does the dividing line begin?
1 min
How your cognitive biases lead to terrible investing behaviors
“Let me walk you through the biggest traps that you should be aware of that are a danger to your financial wellbeing.”
Ask Ethan: Why couldn’t the Universe have expanded forever?
For 13.8 billion years, the Universe has been expanding. But that couldn't have been the case for an eternity, and science has proven it.
Every tree, star, and cloud is a compass — if you know how to read them
Natural navigator Tristan Gooley joins us to discuss the philosophy of reading nature’s hidden clues — and how relearning this ancient skill can help us see the world, and ourselves, with greater awareness.
5 undeniable, truthful facts about dark matter
Dark matter has never been directly detected, but the astronomical evidence for its existence is overwhelming. Here's what to know.
6 Japanese concepts you need to know, according to Marie Kondo
It's not just about the home; it's about everything.
More than a game: How play helps wire our social brains
In this excerpt from "Playful," Cas Holman surveys the research that brought the neuroscience of play into the mainstream.
3 min
Is free will a fallacy? Science and philosophy explain.
Philosophy asks if free will is real. Neuroscience reveals why the answer is more complicated than we expected.
Unlikely Collaborators
What sea slugs can teach us about the nature of consciousness
In this excerpt from "One Hand Clapping," Nikolay Kukushkin makes the case that neurons reveal how memory, meaning, and even consciousness emerge from the same biological roots in humans, sea slugs, and beyond.
3 min
Even AI is self-censoring. Here’s why that matters.
If the people controlling AI are biased, the output will also be. Free speech scholar Jacob Mchangama makes the case for completely open-source AI.
15 min
Why 2025 is the single most pivotal year in our lifetime
"We're living in an extraordinary moment in history. We are at a moment here in 2025 where we have world historic game-changing technologies now starting to scale."
Is our first “galaxy-quasar hybrid” also a Little Red Dot?
Found by Hubble before JWST's launch, GNz7q looked like a mix of a galaxy and a quasar. Was it actually our first known "little red dot"?
25 min
Are we blinded by our desire to find extraterrestrial life?
“Deep down the natural endpoint of this whole goal of looking for planets is to answer the question: are we alone?”
17 min
The ancient origins of partnering and romantic love
“No matter what their gods were, what they did for a living, what they wore, the songs they sang, everything varies except love, and everybody loves.”
9 min
Sean Carroll: Can we ever escape the logic of a clockwork universe?
“The universe clicks along in perfect accord with the laws of physics forever.”
The “intoxication thesis”: The evolutionary benefits of getting drunk
Getting drunk might be bad for you but good for us.
“All That We See or Seem”: A novel by Ken Liu
A preview of the latest novel by the Hugo- and Nebula-winning author.
How to navigate the hidden economics of waiting in line
In this excerpt from "Lucky By Design," Judd Kessler explains how opportunity costs shape our choices and why time is the real price we pay.
5 horrifying stories that double as lessons in philosophy
Each of these stories rests on a foundation of great ideas that will scare you to death and make you think.