Second Thoughts on Whether Self-Knowledge Is Overrated
Intellectuals defend the value of being intellectuals.
Stories by John Horgan
Is a Popular Theory of Cosmic Creation Pseudoscience?
Physicists battle over whether the theory of inflation is untestable, and hence not really scientific
Is Self-Knowledge Overrated?
Scientists and philosophers doubt the ancient claim that vigorous examination of yourself and others makes you a better person
Why String Theory Is Still Not Even Wrong
Physicist, mathematician and blogger Peter Woit whacks strings, multiverses, simulated universes and “fake physics”
What's Your Utopia?
Imagining an ideal world can help us make this world better
David Chalmers Thinks the Hard Problem Is Really Hard
Consciousness will still mystify us even if we scientifically solve it, philosopher predicts
Will Neuroweapons, Micro-Drones and Other Killer Apps Really Make Us Safer?
Americans should have a more vigorous debate over Pentagon’s relentless pursuit of “disruptive” innovations
R.I.P. Huston Smith, Religious Scholar Who Defended Psychedelics' Spiritual Potential
The advocate of "perennial philosophy" held that “entheogens” can provide glimpses of transcendent truths embodied in religions
Is Nuclear War the Only Cure for Inequality?
A historian claims only apocalyptic destruction can close the gap between rich and poor
Is Consciousness Real?
Philosopher Daniel Dennett tries, once again, to explain away consciousness
Polymath Stephen Wolfram Defends His Computational Theory of Everything
Creator of Mathematica and A New Kind of Science remains confident that he can transform science and other realms of knowledge
Why Freud Still Isn't Dead
Psychoanalysis still attracts adherents in spite of relentless criticism and the rise of psychopharmacology and other alternatives
Astronomy Writer Confronts Mysteries of Inner Space
Science Journalist Michael Lemonick answers questions about his new book The Perpetual Now: A Story of Amnesia, Memory, and Love.
Philosophers Push Back
Philosophers react to a science journalist’s critique of their calling
What Is Philosophy's Point?, Part 5--A Call for "Negative Philosophy"
Philosophy’s chief value is countering our terrible tendency toward certitude
What Is Philosophy's Point?, Part 4--Maybe It's Poetry with No Rhyme and Lots of Reason
The line between philosophy and the arts can get awfully blurry
What Is Philosophy's Point?, Part 3--Maybe It Should Stick to Ethics
Philosophers keep giving us moral advice in spite of their doubts about all ethical systems
Dear Anti-Trump Protestors, Please Renounce Violence
Protesters who smashed windows and punched police on Inauguration Day are mirroring the violence they supposedly abhor
What Is Philosophy's Point?, Part 2--Maybe It's a Martial Art
Philosophers sometimes seem more concerned with winning than wisdom
What Is Philosophy's Point?, Part 1 (Hint: It's Not Discovering Truth)
Philosophy can still serve many purposes, even if it can’t compete with science as a method of accumulating knowledge
