philosophy
The simulation hypothesis is a dangerous illusion
It is little more than a fancy excuse for escapist fantasizing.
Why the paradoxes of infinity still puzzle us today
Since at least 600 BC, people have been mesmerized by the concept of the infinite.
How to be happy: Aristotle’s 11 guidelines for a good life
People often ask "What should I do?" when faced with an ethical problem. Aristotle urges us to ask "What kind of person should I be?"
Alan Watts’ 7 best books on philosophy and life
The English writer left behind a mind-expanding collection of books.
Blaming “evil”: a philosophical paradox, unpacked
A philosopher unpacks the paradox in using the word "evil."
Why a meaningful life is impossible without suffering
Pain makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. What's puzzling is why so many of us choose to seek out painful experiences.
Other than Doctor Strange, is the Multiverse good for anything?
Quite a lot, actually, even though it has no identifiable value as a scientific concept.
Greek has at least 4 words for love. Arabic has 11. Here’s what they have in common
You can love a romantic partner, but also a pet, a book, God, or the sound of someone’s voice. We need many more words for love.
The dream of transhumanism: Are we merely human — or are we something more?
Humans are already so integrated with technology that the dream of transhumanism is a reality. Can we handle what comes next?
5 philosophy jokes that will actually teach you something
Jokes so cheesy even French philosophers will love them.
What Greek epics taught me about the special relationship between fathers and sons
What Odysseus needed from his father was something more important: the comfort of being a son.
Why Einstein is a “peerless genius” and Hawking is an “ordinary genius”
You've heard of Stephen Hawking. Ever heard of Renata Kallosh? Didn't think so.
Google has not created sentient AI — yet
AI systems can carry on convincing conversations, but they have no understanding of what they're saying. Humans are easily fooled.
How to be a techno-optimist
Technology will not save the world, and it is inherently neither good nor bad. But, when tech is coupled to human virtue, good will prevail.
Google engineer claims his AI is sentient. It definitely is not
The engineer working on Google's AI, called LaMDA, suffers from what we could call Michelangelo Syndrome. Scientists must beware hubris.
Utopias: Does living in a perfect society mean you must give up your freedom?
The answer to this question depends on how you define "freedom."
Instead of the death penalty, let’s put dangerous criminals in a coma
Prison is an unreliable method of punishment. Let's do better.
Is your mind just a parasite on your physical body?
What if intelligence can thrive without consciousness?
The 43:57 talking-listening ratio that makes for brilliant conversations
It's time to put on your listening hat.
What does “pro-life” even mean anymore?
Regardless of political ideology, one of the few things that many people seem to have in common is a moral hypocrisy that arises from a fundamental lack of self-reflection.
What makes someone an “asshole”?
We all know assholes. Perhaps, you are one. Now, psychologists are trying to answer one of life's biggest mysteries: What, exactly, makes someone an asshole?
4 categories of pseudoscience — and how to talk to people who believe in them
Pseudoscience is science’s shadow.
Is China’s communism a new ideology or traditional philosophy rebranded?
Did traditional Chinese thought pave the way for the philosophy of Maoism?
Are you a spectator to reality? Or are you its creator?
Signals from the environment, such as those detected by your sense organs, have no inherent psychological meaning. Your brain creates the meaning.
Too much choice: The strange phenomenon of “analysis paralysis”
When faced with too many choices, many of us freeze — a phenomenon known as "analysis paralysis." Why? Isn't choice a good thing?
Did ancient Greek philosophers believe in aliens?
Speculation about the existence of aliens goes all the way back at least to the Greek philosophers. Their arguments will sound familiar.
What Nietzsche can teach us about embracing risk and failure in an age of technological comforts
Safety through technology is no bad thing—Nietzsche himself sought doctors and medicines throughout his life—but it can become pathological.
Can near-death experiences prove the afterlife?
Millions of people have had a near-death experience, and it often leads them to believe in an afterlife. Does this count as good proof?
Why it’s time to confess your darkest secrets
If secrets are a kind of poison, confession is the antidote.