Philosophy

Philosophy

The arrangement of galaxies in the cosmic web may look haphazard, but it's ordered in its own way, structured with vast walls and voids between them.

Chiron was not just any centaur; he was the son of Cronus and an Oceanid named Philyra, possessing the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse.

Growing up with emotionally immature or narcissistic parents; enduring neglect, gaslighting, or emotional abuse; or being neurodivergent in a world that misunderstands you can leave deep but unseen wounds.

AI technology is poised to rapidly render existing jobs and industries obsolete, a scenario eagerly championed by its proponents, signaling a shift towards creative destruction.

Nkarta isolates immune cells called natural killer cells from healthy donors and engineers them for therapeutic purposes, but relies on global suppliers for key materials.

The Medical Humanities is not locked into the same disciplinary silos or hierarchies that can limit opportunities in mainstream academic philosophy, creating space for leadership and risk-taking.

The antimonial cup, originating from the late 17th century, was designed for those suffering from ailments, with the belief that purging rebalanced humours.

The origin of 'OK' remained a mystery for much of its existence and even today, some still dispute the most accepted explanation.

In some states like Georgia, laws force women who are brain-dead to remain on life support to deliver their fetus, raising ethical concerns about bodily autonomy.

Epistemic harm prevents, denies, and rejects the ability to give and receive knowledge, leading to humiliation and degradation as a human being.

Where love isn't, a sense of guilt tends to be. Our patients, the perfectionists, to be specific, tend to feel burdened by an inordinate and overwhelming amount of it.

Our everyday experiences suggest that the laws of physics must violate time-reversal invariance, yet every observed interaction appears to obey this symmetry.

Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and three longer narrative poems, with a legacy as the most influential dramatist of all time.

Fragility gives human life its meaning, weight, and capacity for love. We value what can disappear because we, too, are disappearing.

In the Middle Ages, Christians believed in fallen angels, supernatural beings having sex with humans, supported by Church Fathers like Tertullian and Augustine.

Many Trump supporters claimed to believe that COVID-19 was a hoax, that it was no worse than the flu, that it was a Chinese bioweapon, that Trump did a great job with the pandemic and that Trump should get credit for the vaccine. When Bob Woodward released tapes proving that Trump acknowledged the danger of the virus in February, many Trump supporters accepted Trump's claim that he wanted to play down the virus to avoid a panic. His supporters defended him, claiming that great leaders have and should lie to prevent panic in the face of terrible danger.

Often a new road - not an old one - deceives the traveller. So too a new comrade - not an old one - deceives a comrade. Stick with those who've stood the test of time.

"Machiavelli's logic was ruthless but sound - once you start explaining yourself, you lower yourself to the level of your accuser. You legitimize the attack."

In a surprising twist, Zengxi presents a vision of personal joy and community over political ambition. Singing and enjoying nature reflect true human flourishing.

The effort to classify life by Carl Linnaeus not only created the systematic naming of species but also embodied an attempt to dominate nature and people, reflecting colonial impulses.

O'Gieblyn reflects on her journey from a deeply religious upbringing to questioning faith, ultimately finding herself drawn to transhumanism before realizing its limitations.

Legal obligations cannot simply arise from brute social facts, as seen in the analogy of a bully forcing someone to surrender their lunch money. Coercion alone does not create moral responsibilities.

The experience of frequent and ongoing internal conflict is a perfectly normal part of the human condition. No exceptions; every epoch and culture has struggled with this.

Fireplaces have profoundly shaped architectural design, influencing how spaces are organized, experienced, and perceived, extending beyond mere functionality to represent power and comfort.

The novels of Jane Austen offer endless shrewd judgments about how to be a woman of substance, with the vital lesson that failing to secure a man is a woman's worst fate.

Engineers at Morton Thiokol recommended no launch due to uncertainty about the safety of the Challenger shuttle; they grappled with risk, expertise, and role responsibilities.

The radical change in her behavior was due entirely to her learning my age. I had "instantly gone from sexable to invisible.”

The course 'Understanding the Universe: From Atoms to the Big Bang' is designed for non-science majors, focusing on exploring humanity's confrontation with the material world without math.

For six and a half years, I have had the privilege and the pleasure of writing commentaries - right about 50 every year - for NPR on animals, anthropology, human evolution, nature, gender, and higher education.

Human behavior today is influenced by instincts from our ancestors that were crafted to meet survival needs. This wiring can complicate navigating contemporary life.

Falk and Wade believe the correct translation of "elves" is "wolves," due to a scribe's muddling of the letters "y" and "w" in the Humiliamini sermon.

Theodor Adorno remarked that Walter Benjamin's words transformed everything they touched as if they had become radioactive, highlighting his profound impact on language and narrative.

It must be great to be a doctor. What do you do? Oh, I'm a doctor. And what's the point of that? Well, I try to keep people alive.

Deleuze and Guattari prize the creation of concepts as 'doing philosophy.' This process is not solely mental; it is an embodied experience engaging the senses.

"While there are many ways to look at the ending of a relationship, there are two main approaches. One is to consider the relationship a failure... Another approach is to consider the ending more positively: the relationship ended but was completed."

Like many at the time, Austin's doctors, family and friends avoided naming his disease. 'Cancer' was a whispered word, a taboo too terrible to speak.