Thinking
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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.
Urban-rural divide: Are city slickers or countryfolk better at navigation?
A large study concludes that people who grew up in rural areas are superior at navigation, likely because cities tend to be less complex.
How the brain’s left hemisphere “mesmerizes” us into misunderstanding reality
If we are wreaking havoc on ourselves and the world, it is because we have become mesmerized by a mechanistic, reductionist way of thinking.
Whose ethics should be programmed into the robots of tomorrow?
Will all robots think like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg?
People trust AI fake faces more than real ones, study finds
Not only that, but AI learns what type of faces we like.
I no longer grade my students’ work – and I wish I had stopped sooner
I hate grading. I love teaching, though, and giving students feedback is teaching.
Kama Sutra isn’t just about sex. It’s a guidebook for pleasure
There is much more to the Kama Sutra than just sex. It's a guide to anyone wanting more pleasure in life, however they take it.
How much progress has philosophy actually made?
It's possible to measure philosophy's progress in two ways. But is that really the point?
Is violence always wrong? A hands-on ethics lesson from Will Smith slapping Chris Rock
The attitude we take to Will Smith's slap will mirror our attitudes to violence, masculinity, and protecting others more generally.
Modern Stoicism: From Christians to atheists, everyone can learn from these ancient Greeks
Modern applications of Stoicism show up in unexpected places, from the latest techniques in psychotherapy to texts on Christian theology.
Objection: No one can understand what you’re saying
“It’s not a secret that legal language is very hard to understand. It's borderline incomprehensible a lot of the time.”
Outrage! Our minds and morals did not evolve to cope with social media
Outrage is a useful emotion that helped our ancient ancestors survive. Today, it leaves us feeling angry, tired, powerless, and miserable.
These are the most international universities in the world in 2022
The ranking is encouragingly diverse, with the top 10 featuring representation from five regions.