How Do I Know I’m Not the Only Conscious Being in the Universe?
The solipsism problem, also called the problem of other minds, lurks at the heart of science, philosophy, religion, the arts and the human condition
Latest Stories
Bricks Can Be Turned into Batteries
Pumping cheap iron-oxide-rich red bricks with specific vapors that form polymers enables the bricks to become electrical-charge-storage devices.
What’s in Wildfire Smoke, and Why Is It So Bad for Your Lungs?
An environmental toxicologist explains the factors involved
‘Slam the Brakes’: Regulator Flags Climate Risk in Markets
The U.S. financial system must better prepare for global warming-related shocks, a first-of-its-kind report warns
Molecular Medicine Keeps Mice Mighty in Microgravity
An experimental gene treatment aboard the International Space Station demonstrates how rodents—and humans—might stay buff beyond Earth
Discoverer of Neural Circuits for Parenting Wins $3-Million Breakthrough Prize
Biologist Catherine Dulac netted one of four big life sciences awards. Also announced were one for mathematics and two for physics
SpaceX’s Dark Satellites Are Still Too Bright for Astronomers
The company’s attempts to dim the spacecraft in its megaconstellation fall short of eliminating disruptions to the world’s ground-based observatories
A Matter of Time
9 essential facts about the coronavirus pandemic
Don’t Feel Guilty about Your Online Security Habits
Most of the finger-wagging advice you hear is based on little or no evidence
Emotional Labor Is a Store Clerk Confronting a Maskless Customer
The preeminent sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild discusses the control over one’s feelings needed to go to work every day during a pandemic
