Issue_89
17 articles-
The Dark Side of Smart
Intelligence is associated with coming up with more convincing bullshit and with being a better liar, but not associated with a better ability to recognize one’s own bias.Photograph by ArTono / Shutterstock Manipulative communication surrounds us. With misinformation and disinformation about the pandemic, “cheap” and “deep” fakes of elected officials, and targeted ads and emotionally […] -
Believing in Monsters: David Livingstone Smith on the Subhuman
The Nazis called Jews rats and lice. White plantation owners called their Black slaves soulless animals. Pundits in Myanmar call Rohingya Muslims beasts, dogs, and maggots. Dehumanizing talk abounds in racist rhetoric worldwide.What do people believe, typically, when they speak this way? Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . The […] -
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit
The language algorithm GPT-3 continues our descent into a post-truth world. -
The Universe Knows Right from Wrong
A proponent of panpsychism argues moral truth is inherent in consciousness. -
Your Guide to the Many Meanings of Quantum Mechanics
The question “What is real?” is inescapable if you study quantum mechanics.Photo illustration by Nikk / Flickr Quantum mechanics is more than a century old, but physicists still fight over what it means. Most of the hand wringing and knuckle cracking in their debates goes back to an assumption known as “realism.” This is the […]
-
Why Mathematicians Should Stop Naming Things After Each Other
A past generation’s glory can be the next generation’s headache.
-
An Ancient Site with Human Skulls on Display
Where our ancestors began to elevate themselves above nature.
-
How Pseudoscientists Get Away With It
The relentless and often unpredictable coronavirus has, among its many quirky terrors, dredged up once again the issue that will not die, science versus pseudoscience. The scientists, experts who would be the first to admit they are not infallible, are now in danger of being drowned out by the growing chorus of pseudoscientists, conspiracy theorists, […]
-
These Images Expose the Dark Side of the Solar System
Explore the hidden drama of planets, comets, and space geysers. -
Schrödinger’s Cat When Nobody Is Looking
A solution to the measurement problem, black hole paradox, and other quantum puzzles. -
No, Animals Do Not Have Genders
How do we know that gender is not simply a biological fact? What makes it cultural, rather than analogous to sex-differentiated behavior in animals? -
The Bias in the Machine
Why facial recognition has led to false arrests. -
The Universe Has Made Almost All the Stars It Will Ever Make
Black holes are cosmic dimmers.