Mind & Brain
The Many Minds of Marvin Minsky (R.I.P.)
The late Marvin Minsky, a pioneer of artificial intelligence, was a paradoxical figure, who once said Freud was his favorite theorist of mind.
Stories by John Horgan
The Sciences
10,000-Year-Old Massacre Does Not Bolster Claim That War Is Innate
A new report on a massacre of hunter–gatherers in Africa is consistent with the claim that war, far from being an inborn trait that evolved millions of years ago, is a recent cultural invention...
The Sciences
How Physics Lost Its Fizz
Physics, which decades ago seemed capable of answering the deepest mysteries of existence, is now just recycling once-exciting ideas
The Sciences
The Beginning of The Ends of Science
A misprint played a crucial role in the origin of the controversial 1996 book The End of Science.
Mind & Brain
Are Brains Bayesian?
Just because algorithms inspired by Bayes’ theorem can mimic human cognition doesn’t mean our brains employ similar algorithms.
The Sciences
Bayes's Theorem: What's the Big Deal?
Bayes’s theorem, touted as a powerful method for generating knowledge, can also be used to promote superstition and pseudoscience
Health
What's the Biggest Science News? We're Still Human, for Ill or Good
In spite of countless prophesies that science is about to transform our bodies and minds, we humans remain stubbornly resistant to change
The Sciences
Ten Most Amazing Science(ish) Stories of 2015!
In a desperate attempt to boost end-of-year page-views, a blogger lists his favorite posts of the year, which explore meditation, "electro-cures," Thomas Kuhn, war and other topics...
Health
Trump's Muslim-Bashing and Hillary Clinton's Hypocrisy
Clinton has accused Trump of aiding ISIS recruitment, but she has also contributed to the problem of Muslim militancy.
The Sciences
Why a Science Writer Celebrates Winter Solstice
In the darkest time of year, religious rituals can help even non-believers see that life is a miracle.
Policy
Study Reveals Amazing Surge in Scientific Hype
Scientists are touting their research far more aggressively than they once did, according to a new study.
The Sciences
When Teaching Critical Thinking Backfires
Students taught to doubt scientists and other authorities may end up doubting their teachers.
Health
Questioning Mammograms Versus "Torturing the Data"
Another major study raises questions about the efficacy of mammography.
Mind & Brain
Consciousness and "Crazyism": Responses to Critique of Integrated Information Theory
Readers react to a critique of a radical new theory of consciousness.
Health
California Shootings Expose Need for More Gun Control, Not Counterterrorism
The ubiquity of guns poses a much greater threat to Americans than terrorism
Neuroscience
Can Integrated Information Theory Explain Consciousness?
A radical new solution to the mind–body problem poses problems of its own
Culture
Is Lawrence Krauss a Physicist, or Just a Bad Philosopher?
Physicist Lawrence Krauss, who disparages philosophy, acted like a bad philosopher in a recent debate.
Health
How Should the U.S. Respond to Terror?
By responding violently to terror attacks, the U.S. and its allies may exacerbate the problem they are trying to solve.
The Sciences
When Naïve Realism Collides with Postmodernism
A scientific realist defends his faith against Fire in the Mind, a classic work of postmodern science journalism.
The Sciences
Stephen Jay Gould on Marx, Kuhn and Punk Meek
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould was influenced by Marx and Kuhn as well as by Darwin.
