How Would AI Cover an AI Conference?
An artificial reporter might not take concerns about superintelligent, sentient machines very seriously
Stories by John Horgan
What Happens When a Skeptical Science Writer Meets a Cult Leader
Was the Spiritual Leader Andrew Cohen enlightened or a “Super-egomaniac”?
War Scholar Critiques New Study of Roots of Violence
Study contradicts claim that humans prior to civilization were “plagued by war.”
Was Civilization the Cure for Primordial Human Violence?
A new study challenges the popular claim that lethal violence declined after our ancestors settled down
My Doubts about Deepak Chopra and the Monetization of Meditation
Has the holistic-health mogul overstated the health benefits of meditation and other spiritual practices?
My Bunk-Bashing Diatribe at a Deepak Chopra Conference
A skeptical science writer critiques strings, multiverses, meditation, the Singularity and “neo-geocentrism.”
What a Science Writer Thinks about Catching a Ferry to Manhattan
An afternoon journey triggers ruminations on heat death, habituation and invisible gorillas
World's Smartest Physicist Thinks Science Can't Crack Consciousness
String theorist Edward Witten says consciousness “will remain a mystery”
Could Olympians Be Tweaking Their Genes?
“Gene doping” remains unlikely, but if scientists can safely boost athletic performance by manipulating genes, that should be cause for celebration
Squabbling Over the End of Science on Charlie Rose
A televised debate over the limits of science raised a legitimate objection to the claim that there will be no more “fundamental” discoveries
Turned off by Trump and Clinton? Vote for a Transhumanist for President!
Transhumanist candidate Zoltan Istvan urges spending less on war and more on the scientific quest to defeat death
How Hawkish Hillary Clinton Can Become Our Greatest President
Clinton should seek ways to end war, which devastates those she has worked so hard to help—children and women
Lee Berger, the Death of Taung Child and My Run-In with a Raptor
A paleoanthropologist’s story about a famous fossil triggers a traumatic memory
The Mind–Body Problem, Scientific Regress and "Woo"
The science of consciousness, far from converging on a sensible paradigm, is going backward
For Independence Day, a Look at Thomas Jefferson's Egregious Hypocrisy
Even judged by his era’s standards, the actions of the slave-owning founding father fell too far short of his professed ideals.
When Simulations Replace Reality: A Q&A with Robin Hanson, Big Ideas Guy
Economist envisions a world run by digital “emulations” of humans
Psychology's Credibility Crisis: the Bad, the Good and the Ugly
As more studies are called into question and researchers bicker over methodology, the field is showing a healthy willingness to face its problems
Orlando Massacre Exposes Need for More Gun Control, Not More Counterterrorism
The easy availability of guns poses a much greater threat to Americans than terrorism does
Do Voters Adore Trump Because They Dread Death?
“Terror Management” Theorist Sheldon Solomon Explains How Subliminal Fear of Death Can Affect Us on a Personal and Political Level.
Has a Bogus Theory of War Kept Obama from Being a Peace President?
Once again, Barack Obama, the world’s most powerful military leader, has propagated an erroneous claim about the origins of war
