Culture & Religion — March 2, 2009

Freedom of Expression is No Longer Sufficient for a True Democracy

"There is a strange illusion of freedom in this plutocracy masquerading as a democracy. Yes, we have the freedom to be obscene, wear the latest Halloween costume, and behave rudely. But we remain slaves to a system that will imprison us if we don't pay our taxes, compels us to buy essentials from monopolies, and will seize our house if we fail to make the mortgage. Just because you can say 'f-ck' in public does not change the fact you remain a slave to the dollar bill."

Catman Cohen

Monopolies and Oligopolies undermine true freedom.

a woman with red hair and yellow glasses.

Neuropsych

87 brain scans of people watching Hollywood movies unlock a “brain map” of social perception

A new study from Finland suggests that we all process the behavior of others using the same neural networks.

a painting of a boat floating on a body of water.

The Well

I’m “spiritual but not religious.” Here’s what that means for a physicist

Spiritual experiences can be explained in terms of a highly evolved brain. But they also can be extremely meaningful.

a statue of a human head next to a statue of a human body.

Neuropsych

What Carl Sagan got very wrong about the human brain

You don’t have a “reptile brain.”

How to have better sex

People are having less sex than ever. 3 experts explain the keys to maintaining a passionate relationship.

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11 min

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with

Esther Perel

Hard Science

Could you stand on the surface of Jupiter? Exploring the enigmatic outer planets

The outer planets’ clouds hide the weirdness within.

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