Thinking
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Blaming “evil”: a philosophical paradox, unpacked
A philosopher unpacks the paradox in using the word "evil."
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.
Why changing your mind is a feature of evolution, not a bug
If argumentation led to nothing, it would soon be thrown into the evolutionary dustbin.
“Just asking questions”: How healthy skepticism morphed into toxic denialism
Media provocateurs and conspiracy theorists insist that they're "just asking questions." No, they aren’t.
You are probably a naive realist. Try not to be
We tend to assume our view of the world is objective and accurate rather than subjective and biased — which is what it really is.
5 philosophy jokes that will actually teach you something
Jokes so cheesy even French philosophers will love them.
Read this book if you want to understand what drives inventors, engineers, and scientists
"The Soul of a New Machine" provides a rare level of insight into the minds and decisions of humanity's greatest thinkers.
Golden Balls: How one man broke a UK game show using game theory
Game theory is a unique combination of math and psychology. Its applications turn up everywhere, from nuclear war to Tinder to game shows.
Can Bionic Reading make you a speed reader? Not so fast
In the age of distraction, don't we all want to read faster and more efficiently?
Instead of the death penalty, let’s put dangerous criminals in a coma
Prison is an unreliable method of punishment. Let's do better.
Thinking fast and slow about ethics: When is it okay to cut in line?
Sometimes breaking a rule is the ethical thing to do.
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.
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?
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?
Can you spot pseudo-profound financial bullshit? There’s a test for that
"A cheap loan is beyond all new destiny." Does that mean anything to you?
The study of nonhuman intelligence could be missing major insights
From machines to animals, there are many kinds of possible minds.
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.
Why it’s time to confess your darkest secrets
If secrets are a kind of poison, confession is the antidote.
Is college worth it? 3 reasons it is (and 3 reasons it isn’t)
Is college worth it? This question may seem a no-brainer, but there are many reasons why it is worthy of serious deliberation. Here are three.
What lies beneath our irrational decisions
In a new book, an MIT scholar examines how game-theory logic underpins many of our seemingly odd and irrational decisions.
The Four Enemies to a happy life and how to defeat them
There is a lot of truth in the ancient wisdom found in almost all religions. Love really is the answer to most problems.
Improve your problem-solving with elastic thinking
Elastic thinking can reveal the assumptions that hamstring our ability to solve seemingly intractable problems.
What responsibility does Twitter have to free speech?
What responsibility do social media companies like Twitter have to free speech? It depends on whether they are "landlords" or "publishers."
Gen. Stanley McChrystal: Assess risk like a 4-star general
You can’t control external threats, but you can manage how you prepare and respond to the risk.
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Micro-credentials may be the future of education
Volunteering at a food bank, doing a coding workshop, or taking an online course might earn you micro-credentials.
Am I the asshole? Everyday moral dilemmas from Reddit
Moral dilemmas reveal the limitations of ethical principles. Oddly, the most principled belief system might not have any principles at all.
Solitude is not loneliness. Here’s the key philosophical difference.
When was the last time you spent some quality time with yourself?
Why the future of the world’s largest religion is female
Catholic sisters outnumber priests and religious on every continent.