Commentary On Science And Society

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The Void Is A Busy Place

October 22, 2014 • Is there such a thing as complete emptiness or nothingness? Not according to modern physics, where empty space gets more active all the time, says commentator Marcelo Gleiser.

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Does Being 'Spiritual But Not Religious' Really Mean Anything?

by Adam Frank

October 21, 2014 • The self-defined "unaffiliated" are apt not to reject science's promise of knowledge based on evidence but, rather, to embrace it, says commentator Adam Frank.

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Are Factual And Religious Belief The Same?

by Tania Lombrozo

October 20, 2014 • Commentator Tania Lombrozo considers a new paper that may help make sense of the coexistence of seemingly contradictory religious and scientific beliefs.

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What Art, And The Game Telephone, Teach Us About Copying

by Alva Noë

October 17, 2014 • The basic phenomenon of speaking, expressing meaning in words — and also that of copying or recording what we hear — is laid bare before our eyes by artist Alvin Lucier, says commentator Alva Noë.

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When Is It OK For Scientists To Become Political?

by Adam Frank

October 16, 2014 • The power of science and pervasiveness of technology puts scientists in a position of unique responsibility that can make political activism very slippery, says commentator Adam Frank.

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The Never-Ending Climb Of Mount Science

by Marcelo Gleiser

October 15, 2014 • Commentator Marcelo Gleiser says the mystery that surrounds us will always be here; there is no complete or final knowledge, and this fact gives science a unique character.

Female sprinters in the starting blocks.

Dragan Trifunovic/iStockphoto

Why Can't Dutee Run?

by Alva Noë

October 10, 2014 • Commentator Alva Noë says the decision to ban the Indian sprinter from competition suggests her fault is that she isn't "deficient" enough to count as female.

Due to fears of Ebola, Excalibur, the pet of a nurse assistant infected with the virus in Madrid, was euthanized as a precautionary measure. AP hide caption

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Ebola, Outrage And The Killing Of A Dog

by Barbara J. King

October 9, 2014 • Excalibur, a dog whose owner was diagnosed this week with Ebola, has been euthanized in Spain. Anthropologist Barbara J. King takes a look at the global response, urging compassion for all creatures.

Pete Coppolillo/ Working Dogs For Conservation

When Dogs, Cats And Rats Come To The Rescue

by Barbara J. King

October 9, 2014 • Humans haven't cornered the market on heroism. As anthropologist Barbara J. King notes, other animals ranging from dogs and cats to elephant seals and African pouched rats can win our hearts, too.

Superintelligence: Triumph Or Threat?

by Marcelo Gleiser

October 8, 2014 • If we are able to create intelligent machines, how can we guarantee they will keep us alive and well, as opposed to wiping us out? Nick Bostrom explores the question in Superintelligence.

Tony Zhou's essay on the dilemma directors face integrating new technologies references this scene from the BBC TV series Sherlock, in which text messages are depicted on screen. YouTube/A Brief Look at Texting and the Internet in Film hide caption

itoggle caption YouTube/A Brief Look at Texting and the Internet in Film

Culture

How Do U Film Txts? Here's How Technology And Cinema Evolve Together.

by Adam Frank

October 7, 2014 • Commentator Adam Frank takes a look at a video essay exploring the dilemma of integrating new technologies, already ingrained in our lives, into movies about those lives.

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Science

Putting A Critical Eye On Brain Imaging Studies

by Tania Lombrozo

October 6, 2014 • Studies based on fMRI scans are released frequently. But how do you know what's for real? Commentator Tania Lombrozo points to MIT's Nancy Kanwisher for tips on how to become a discerning consumer.

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Culture

Is A Picture Always Worth A Thousand Words?

by Alva Noë

October 4, 2014 • Pictures fascinate us in ways it is not easy to understand. But when crimes are made for pictures, it's time to refuse to look at them, says commentator Alva Noë.

Andrew Ostrovsky/iStockphoto

Culture

Can Psychedelics Expand Our Consciousness?

by Barbara J. King

October 2, 2014 • In his new book, Sam Harris wonders if his daughters will miss something if they don't try mushrooms or LSD as adults. Anthropologist Barbara J. King offers thoughts on this, drugs and enlightenment.

Cell phones and social media may be changing the way we live our lives.

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Culture

Should We Live Life, Or Capture It?

by Marcelo Gleiser

October 1, 2014 • Cellphones and social media may be changing the way we engage in — and experience — life. We need to be concerned if they have come to define how we live, says commentator Marcelo Gleiser.

Cosmic microwave background seen by Planck. ESA/Planck hide caption

itoggle caption ESA/Planck

Science

When Science Gets Ahead Of Itself

by Adam Frank

September 30, 2014 • Scientists have found that a March discovery, touted as one of the most important scientific discoveries ever, may not be one at all. Astrophysicist Adam Frank weighs in on the scientific process.

These little robots, called BlabDroids, ask people questions and video record their replies. The footage will be used to create a documentary. Courtesy of Alexander Reben hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Alexander Reben

Science

Domesticated Robots And The Art Of Being Human

by Tania Lombrozo

September 29, 2014 • Commentator Tania Lombrozo interviews Alexander Reben, an MIT-trained roboticist and artist whose work, she says, forces us to confront our expectations when it comes to ourselves and our creations.

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Culture

Embracing 'Deep Time' Thinking

by Vincent F. Ialenti

September 28, 2014 • We must have the courage to accept our responsibility as our planet's — and our descendants' — caretakers without cowering before the magnitude of our challenge, says anthropologist Vincent Ialenti.

Receiving a random act of kindness feels like being inducted into a secret group of kind people.

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Philosophy

A Reflection On Random Acts of Kindness

by Alva Noë

September 27, 2014 • Commentator Alva Noë considers a surprise payment a stranger made for him. He says the best part was that his gift was free: If he had incurred a debt, it wasn't to anyone — it was to everyone.

A view of Seattle from the Bullitt Center. Brad Kahn/Flickr hide caption

itoggle caption Brad Kahn/Flickr

Policy

Is Civilization Natural?

by Adam Frank

September 26, 2014 • Commentator Adam Frank says if we're building cities that affect the entire planet, maybe it's time to start thinking about how nature and cities can evolve together.

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Culture

A View Of The Arctic

by Barbara J. King

September 25, 2014 • Massive sea ice, swimming walruses, a hunting polar bear — this video tour of the high Arctic will refresh your eyes, and your spirit, amid climate policymaking, says anthropologist Barbara J. King.

A detailed, enhanced-color image from ESO's Very Large Telescope showing the dramatic effects of very young stars on the dust and gas from which they were born.

ESO/Sergey Stepanenko

Culture

A Liberal Arts Curriculum In 2 Minutes

by Marcelo Gleiser

September 24, 2014 • This short video tells the story of humanity, from beginning to end. Commentator Marcelo Gleiser says it invites us to reflect on who we are, where we came from and how we will chart our future.

Choosing these lemon cupcakes because they're vegan doesn't mean you have to give up your other causes. John Raoux/AP hide caption

itoggle caption John Raoux/AP

Culture

Being Good Isn't Zero Sum

by Tania Lombrozo

September 22, 2014 • Sometimes our values conflict. But sometimes they don't and the implications are liberating. Commentator Tania Lombrozo takes a look at the case for veganism.

Scientists who work for nuclear waste disposal projects in Finland, Canada and Sweden study an ice sheet in western Greenland. Courtesy of Vincent F. Ialenti hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Vincent F. Ialenti