Influential philosopher Daniel C. Dennett died earlier this year. Reading his works, one gets the impression of a mind jammed to the rafters with ideas. As Richard Dawkins put it …
Tidal and wave energy may be the largest untapped resources of renewable energy on the planet. But will they work? There is no question that the planet’s oceans contain enormous …
A new declaration, signed by dozens of biologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers, points to a “realistic possibility” of consciousness in reptiles, amphibians, fishes, certain mollusks, crustaceans, and insects. The New York Declaration …
Bus and train schedules can disappoint, but eclipses always happen right on time. They offer a glimpse into the great celestial clockwork that ticks away day by day, century by …
Since the dawn of humanity, solar eclipses have sparked awe and wonder — and sometimes fear. “Imagine you’re a farmer—you’re out there, and all of a sudden sky goes dark,” …
Astronomers are excited about the Habitable Worlds Observatory — a new telescope that may finally reveal whether life exists on worlds beyond our solar system. The Habitable Worlds Observatory won’t …
In the February issue of Sky & Telescope, I have a feature story on DESI, an ambitious project that’s mapping the universe in three dimensions and producing our clearest picture …
Cosmic strings are thinner than a proton and yet stretch across the universe, while zipping through space at close to the speed of light — if they exist, that is. …
Robert Sapolsky has just written a book arguing that free will is an illusion. Kevin Mitchell has just written a book arguing that free will is absolutely real. In this …
