In this article of the Atlantic, neuroscientist and author, David Eagleman, examines our criminal-justice system and the brain and advocates for a more “biologically-informed jurisprudence.” Why? “Acts cannot be understood separately from the biology of the actors, says Engelman, ” and this recognition has legal implications.” This (among other obvious…
“Ever since I was a teenager,” says Max Tegmark, “I felt that the two greatest mysteries of science were the mystery out there, our universe, and the mystery in here, in our heads, the mind.” In this interview, Ariel Conn (of Future of Life Institute), talks with Tegmark — MIT…
Anger is an emotion that has (sadly) seemed to imbue our politics and culture. Thankfully, claims Martha Nussbaum — Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago — philosophy can help guide us out of this “dark vortex.” In this timely article, Nussbaum considers…
In a time where on-line distractions are at an all-time high, is there room for technology in the classroom? More precisely, can technology if used correctly help facilitate student engagement & enhance learning? Recipient of the Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer and Chemistry Lecturer and Ohio State…
Being wrong is not often glorified. But there is great value in being wrong. According to Daniel Dennett — American philosopher & cognitive scientist known for his research on philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and philosophy of biology — “the history of philosophy is in large measure the history…
Metaphor is a powerful tool. Philosophers, poets, scientists, artists, authors, and thinkers across the ages have turned to metaphor to help clarify ideas, make connections, enlarge perspectives and scope, and cross intellectual & emotional terrains. In this wonderful On Being interview conducted on December 22nd of 2016, Krista Tippett and…
Frustration is not a foreign concept. We have all experienced it — some more than others and for a variety of reasons. But does this mean that frustration is an inevitability? According to Albert Ellis — founder of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy — the answer is no. While…
Existentialism is a term that was explicitly adopted by Jean-Paul Sartre to refer to his philosophical work, but became identified with a larger cultural & philosophical movement that flourished in Europe in mid-20th century. As an interesting sidebar, there are also some 19th philosophers who are referred to as existentialists,…
