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Established sports franchises lost ground to newcomers on PC in 2025
Newer franchises like Rematch and Skate are making an impact on PC.
Somali American and Durham resident says 'President Trump’s words were hurtful'
Somali American and Durham resident reacts to President Trump's remarks on the Somali community and country.
In Celebration of New Line Cinema’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’s 25th Anniversary, Extended Editions of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Coming Back to Theatres from Fathom Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures on January 16-18 and 23-25
In Celebration of New Line Cinema’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’s 25th Anniversary, Extended Editions of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Coming Back to Theatres from Fathom Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures on January 16-18 and 23-25 All Three Epic Movies Also Offered in DBOX Technology at … Continued
Science journal retracts study on safety of Monsanto’s Roundup: ‘serious ethical concerns’
Paper published in 2000 found glyphosate was not harmful, while internal emails later revealed company’s influence
Google outlines MIRAS and Titans, a possible path toward continuously learning AI
A year after publishing its Titans paper, Google has formally detailed the architecture on its research blog, pairing it with a new framework called MIRAS. Both projects target a major frontier in AI: models that keep learning during use and maintain a functional long-term memory instead of remaining static after pretraining.
Fed's favored inflation gauge shows consumer prices remained elevated in September
The Commerce Department's delayed September PCE inflation report showed that inflation remained well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target ahead of a central bank decision next week.
WSU wine science students experience Moldovan winemaking traditions, culture
During a recent trip to Moldova, WSU students toured medieval ruins, a monastery, and subterranean caves where monks hid from enemies while protecting wine, a historically symbolic and religious product in the eastern European country.
KFF Health Tracking Poll: Knowledge and Views of Medication Abortion
This KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that many, including women of reproductive age, remain unfamiliar with key facts about mifepristone. Fewer than half of all adults say they believe abortion pills are safe now, compared to over half of all adults two years ago. This poll explores awareness and perception of the recent FDA review of the medication, and support for policies aimed at restricting it.
Whole Hog Politics: What Democrats can learn from Tennessee, Aftyn Behn and Rahm Emanuel
It seems unlikely that former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel could capture the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028. The guy who as Barack Obama’s first White House chief of staff had a gag namep…
Troublemaker — Jessica Mitford, the survivor who made politics fun
Carla Kaplan captures the subversiveness and strength of the woman who rejected fascism and overcame personal tragedy
Temasek-Backed Fullerton Winds Down China Hedge Fund Business as Global Managers Struggle
Fullerton Fund Management Co., controlled by Temasek Holdings Pte, is winding down its China private fund businesses including an eight-year-old hedge fund unit, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Gavin Newsom wants Democrats to be more ‘culturally normal.’ Huh?
OPINION: Gov. Gavin Newsom often brags about California’s diversity. But his latest remarks sound like a slap at the proudly non-normal state he’s led for seven years, Joe Garofoli writes.
Rebecca Heineman, Transgender Video Game Pioneer, Dies at 62
Fleeing an abusive home life, she went on to win a national Space Invaders tournament, taught herself to program and left a trail of popular games in her wake.
‘Samurai space opera’ action RPG SOL Shogunate announced for consoles, PC
Chaos Manufacturing, a studio founded by “veteran developers with decades of experience working on a wide range of acclaimed game franchises,” has announced SOL Shogunate a “samur…
Trump and Mamdani talked again. Did they clash on cost of living?
While the New York mayor-elect said the two discussed addressing cost of living, what remained out of the talk may affect the budding relationship.
Amazon Luna's December lineup includes Hollow Knight, Lego 2K Drive and a few Fallout games
As usual, it's a mix of cloud games and redeemable PC codes.
Report shows California health care jobs pay, but waitlists clog college on-ramp
Community college programs promise mobility — but demand far exceeds capacity, the PPIC finds.
Predicting conference championship game overreactions: Notre Dame gets bounced
Conference championship game weekend should provide plenty of fuel for overreactions
John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball, longtime Apple commentator John Gruber has since reacted to the news with some scathing commentary about Dye.
Haiden Deegan indicates plans remain to race 250s in Supercross
Haiden Deegan posted on social media: "Time to get back on the 2faddy and get ready for SX."
Metroid Prime Actor Confirms Identity of Mysterious Cut Intro Voice
Metroid Prime actor confirms identity of mysterious cut intro voice, and it isn't who you think.
Contest Casts UMW Business Students as ‘Reel’-World Problem-Solvers
Five teams laid out plans to save a cinema giant, but only one could claim top billing. University of Mary Washington seniors Karla Bonilla Lizama and Evelyn Centellas won the Fall 2025 College of Business Case Competition – titled “Reel Choices: The Crossroads of a Movie Studio’s Destiny” – for their ideas, presentation and polish. […]
Yankees still trying hard for Cody Bellinger as stout competition...
Cody Bellinger remains the Yankees’ No. 1 target.
AMC Entertainment CEO remains in charge of world's largest theater chain after stroke
AMC Entertainment said Thursday that CEO Adam Aron suffered a minor stroke last month but recovered rapidly and will continue to lead the world's biggest movie theater chain.
AMC Entertainment CEO remains in charge of world's largest theater chain after stroke
AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron suffered a minor stroke last month but is recovering rapidly and will continue to lead the world’s biggest movie theater chain, the company said Thursday. Aron, 71, suffered the stroke while on a business trip in London, where he immediately received emergency medical care, the company said. “Given his mental acuity and physical resilience, Mr. Aron remains in full command at the helm of AMC and continues to perform his duties as chairman, chief executive officer and president,” AMC said in a release.
AMC Entertainment CEO remains in charge of world's largest theater chain after stroke
AMC Entertainment said Thursday that CEO Adam Aron suffered a minor stroke last month but recovered rapidly and will continue to lead the world’s biggest movie theater chain
Sony Interactive Entertainment to produce and publish Bad Robot Games-developed co-op shooter for PS5, PC
Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced a partnership with Bad Robot Games, a division of the film, television, and theater production company Bad Robot founded by JJ Abrams, to produce and pu…
Politics shift the semantics of climate change
A recent UN report says the world is headed toward an escalation of climate damages, while politics muddle climate science in the US.
Why UNC-CH Revived a Plan to Merge Library and Data Science
Many questions remain about UNC-Chapel Hill’s plan to merge the schools of Data Science and Society and Information and Library Science.
Horror game Horses removed from multiple storefronts as censorship scare continues
The horror game Horses has been banned from multiple digital storefronts, like Steam, for vague, ill-defined reasons.
HEROES, HEART & HOPE GALA RAISES OVER $2.4 MILLION TO EXPAND ACCESS TO ADAPTIVE SPORTS, GRANTS AND INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS IN THE NORTHEAST
Evening at Casa Cipriani Celebrates Athletes with Physical Disabilities and Raises Critical Funds for Access to Sport HEROES, HEART & HOPE GALA RAISES OVER $2.4 MILLION TO EXPAND ACCESS TO ADAPTIVE SPORTS, GRANTS AND INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS IN THE NORTHEAST Evening at Casa Cipriani Celebrates Athletes with Physical Disabilities and Raises Critical Funds for Access to Sport Cost and access remain two of the biggest barriers to sport for people with physical disabilities Because of nights like this, mo
Nvidia CEO on leading the largest company in the world: constant anxiety and thousands of emails every morning
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told Joe Rogan how the fear of failure is a "greater drive" than the desire to succeed while running his company.
Japan’s Takaichi is winning fans not with politics but with her style and ‘work, work, work’ mantra
As the nation’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi has won admiration as a new type of role model for women, despite her hard-line conservative policies.
Arsenal's 'beautiful' line-up change
Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy says Arsenal's squad depth is "remarkable" after Brentford struggled to contain the right side of their attack in the 2-0 win on Wednesday: "It's becoming remarkable now how good their squad is because [Jurrien} Timber and [Bukayo] Saka play on the right hand side normally, which is arguably one of the best combinations down the right side in Europe. "Then they bring in [Ben] White and [Noni] Madueke, who looked like they have played together for seasons. It was a beautiful combination.
Montana State secures 82-74 win against St. Thomas-Minnesota
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) Patrick McMahon's 24 points helped Montana State defeat St. Thomas-Minnesota 82-74 on Wednesday.
Streeting orders review into mental health and ADHD diagnosis
The health secretary said the aim was to tackle a rising demand for services and the increased pressure on the NHS.
Streeting orders review into mental health and ADHD diagnosis
The health secretary said the aim was to tackle a rising demand for services and the increased pressure on the NHS.
K-State AD Gene Taylor rips state of college sports after football coach Chris Klieman's retirement
Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor was vocal in his criticism of college sports on Wednesday, blaming it in part for driving football coach Chris Klieman into retirement.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program Celebrates 15 Years of Impact
The program, put on in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, pairs teen girls with top female Hollywood execs.
Jennifer Lopez And Gwyneth Paltrow Honored At THR’s Women In Entertainment Gala
To kick off the program, "I Love LA" creator-star Rachel Sennott hosted and delivered the opening remarks. In addition to Sennott, Dakota Johnson, Goldie Hawn, Regina Hall, Chase Infiniti, and Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney were part of the star-studded lineup for the event. With nearly 600 entertainment industry leaders, actresses, actors, and VIPs, the event was inspiring and served as a safe space for titans in entertainment to convene.
Jeffrey Epstein's estate fights to shield over 250 emails with top Goldman Sachs lawyer
A new court filing indicates Kathryn Ruemmler, now the top Goldman Sachs lawyer, communicated with Jeffrey Epstein about sex assault lawsuits.
Ailing Warriors look to get on track vs. 76ers
The Golden State Warriors will be short-handed for Thursday's road game against the Philadelphia 76ers, but it remains to be determined exactly how undermanned they'll be.
Technology is transforming how patients navigate the healthcare system, and compassion remains the anchor
AI is helping UnitedHealthcare make healthcare navigation more personal, giving members clearer guidance while keeping human support at the center.
Hate, threats force more and more women out of public life
Often labeled as bad mothers, insulted for their looks and threatened with physical violence, female politicians face a particularly high level of hate. Many step down out of fear.
Rachel Sennott Applauds “Community and Support” Women Create “for Everyone” at THR Women in Entertainment Gala
The 'I Love LA' creator-star delivered the opening remarks and hosted The Hollywood Reporter's annual gala on Wednesday that was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Rachel Sennott Applauds “Community and Support” Women Create “for Everyone” at THR Women in Entertainment Gala
The 'I Love LA' creator-star delivered the opening remarks and hosted The Hollywood Reporter's annual gala on Wednesday that was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Bipartisan health care deal remains elusive in the Senate as parties dig in ahead of next week's vote
Kansas State coach Chris Klieman set to retire, Collin Klein tabbed as replacement, per reports
Kansas State is preparing for a coaching transition
Nikon ZR review: A highly capable cinema camera at a reasonable price
Nikon’s ZR offers the best RAW video quality in any consumer camera, including models costing much more.
Bad Bunny Remains the Reigning King of Spotify
The Puerto Rican megastar's latest project Debí Tirar Más Fotos was also named this year's top streamed album on the platform
Rebecca Lowe joining Fox’s World Cup coverage as host: Sources
Lowe’s role with NBC on the Premier League, the Olympics and Kentucky Derby will remain unchanged.
Red Dead Redemption Remaster with 4K and 60fps is now live — and it's completely free for owners of the original Xbox 360 version to upgrade to
Relive one of Rockstar Games' most critically-acclaimed games of all time with next-gen graphics as the Red Dead Redemption Remaster is now available on Xbox Series X|S
What does Finebaum’s move mean for the US Senate race? Here’s what the candidates are saying
One political observer said the field remains open for a late entrant, ideally "another Katie Britt."
Biomedical informatics and data science graduate humanizes scientific research through poetry
College of Health Solutions biomedical informatics and data science student Sanyam Paresh Shah spent most of his life fascinated by science, technology and mathematics. When he began preparing for his thesis with Barrett, The Honors College, he challenged himself to go beyond his comfort zone.
Time running out for Trump, lawmakers to fix soaring health care costs
Millions of Americans will see a big jump in prices after year's end - if a bipartisan agreement remains elusive to keep costs down
Time running out for Trump, lawmakers to fix soaring health care costs
Millions of Americans will see a big jump in prices after year's end - if a bipartisan agreement remains elusive to keep costs down
Egypt Business Gauge Hits Five-Year High After Pound Strengthens
A key gauge of business activity in Egypt expanded for the first time since February, as greater demand and a stronger local currency helped boost the import-reliant economy.
President Trump brushes off health inquiry after reports claim ‘fatigue,’ ‘aging’
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel says President Donald Trump passes a ‘cognitive test’ every day with his demanding schedule and long press conferences on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’
Gut microbiome-mediated transformation of dietary phytonutrients is associated with health outcomes
Nature Microbiology - Systematic analysis and machine learning coupled with in vitro and in vivo validation link gut microbiome-mediated transformation of dietary phytonutrients to health outcomes.
Doctors still unsure about Trump’s heart health after ‘weird’ memo
It is still unclear which imaging services President Donald Trump underwent to evaluate his cardiovascular health. The White House shared a memo Monday as an attempt to put this topic to bed—but questions remain.
Law of 'maximal randomness' explains how broken objects shatter in the most annoying way possible
A new mathematical equation describes the distribution of different fragment sizes when an object breaks. Remarkably, the distribution is the same for everything from bubbles to spaghetti.
What’s at stake for health care reform? Insights from Florida and Massachusetts | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Health care access, costs, and coverage – particularly for lower-income Americans – are expected to undergo dramatic changes in the next few years. Enhanced
Michele Kang launches Kang Institute with U.S. Soccer
Billionaire Michele Kang is launching the Kang Women's Institute to study the needs of female athletes with U.S. Soccer.
Red Dead Redemption Out Now on Netflix, iOS, Android, PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2
Experience John Marston's journey across the sprawling expanses of the American West and Mexico to hunt down the remaining members of the Van der Linde Gang in Red Dead Redemption along with his fight to stop a virulent zombie plague in Undead...
Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid live stream: Where to watch online
It's a huge clash as Barca attempt to remain atop the table in Spain
‘My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman’ Sets Season 6 Premiere; MrBeast, Michael B. Jordan & Jason Bateman Join Show
David Letterman is back with Season 6 of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction on Netflix. The former late-night host recently sat down with Jay Kelly star Adam Sandler for a special episode. That December 1 episode was not part of Season 6, which will premiere on December 16. It comes after Netflix renewed My …
David Letterman to Interview Michael B. Jordan, MrBeast and Jason Bateman on Netflix Show
The three-episode sixth season returns on Dec. 16.
“Stranger Things” series finale runtime confirmed, sets over 500 locations for theatrical release
The series capper will be released in theaters as "Stranger Things: The Finale," running just over two hours. Here's how to find a cinema near you.
Amazon Extends This Mini PC (16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) Deal One More Day, Only a Few Units Left at Its Lowest Price
Save nearly 30% on the ACEMAGIC V1, which comes loaded with 1TB of storage, Wi-Fi 6, and a supercharged Intel processor for its lowest price.
New Nonprofit Addresses National Health Crisis Empowering People Nationwide to Heal from Trauma and Build Resilience
A new national nonprofit is taking a grassroots approach to one of America's most urgent health challenges: Trauma. Remarkably Resilient, Inc., founded by sisters Kathleen Harnish McKune and Karen Dickson, today announces the official national launch of its Remarkably Resilient Together (RRT) campaign – a neuroscience-informed movement that comprises accessible, easy-to-use tools to help vulnerable individuals, families and professionals heal from trauma, manage stress and build resilience.
Who's running for California governor? Here’s a look at the current field of candidates
After recent shakeups, 10 candidates remain in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom next year, including Eric Swalwell and Katie Porter.
Peter Kay’s binge eating struggle and weight loss: What his health journey teaches us | - The Times of India
Peter Kay bravely shared his personal journey of overcoming binge eating and achieving remarkable weight loss, focusing on health rather than temporar
Ubisoft's Splinter Cell remake gets another new game director, but it's the original director returning
Ubisoft's Splinter Cell remake has landed itself a new game director, and it's a name you may recognise.
Ole Miss, eyeing 6-0 home start, meets improved Miami
Ole Miss will try to remain unbeaten at home when it hosts Miami, which is playing its first true road game of the season, in Oxford, Miss., on Tuesday night.
Pete Carroll searches for answers as Raiders' dismal season continues
Pete Carroll remains optimistic about the Raiders' chances despite their 2-10 record
Lawmakers demand audio and video of boat attack as follow-up strike raises concern on Capitol Hill
The Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Monday said Secretary Pete Hegseth had confirmed to him there was a second US strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean in September — an attack that has drawn bipartisan scrutiny on Capitol Hill.
The Colts’ remaining schedule is a gauntlet
The Indianapolis Colts’ road to rediscovery will be a tall task.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyers send cease-and-desist to Netflix, claim docuseries produced by 50 Cent uses ‘stolen’ footage
On the eve of Netflix releasing a highly anticipated docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs — produced by his longtime foe Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson — the embattled mogul’s lawyers have sent a cease-and-desist letter to the streaming giant, demanding it not release “Sean Combs: The Reckoning.”
Small Business Saturday rescheduled after snow disrupts shopping event
MADISON, Wis. -- Small Business Saturday faced significant disruption due to snow, but local businesses and advocates remain optimistic about a rescheduled event planned for this upcoming weekend.
DualSense Wireless Controller – Genshin Impact Limited Edition announced
Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced the DualSense Wireless Controller – Genshin Impact Limited Edition. It will launch on January 21, 2026 for $84.99 / €84.99 / £74.99 / ¥12,480 in s…
Read Instagram chief Adam Mosseri's memo ordering staff to the office five days a week in 2026
Instagram back-to-office policy: Adam Mosseri demands full-time in-person work in 2026, fewer meetings, and faster product prototypes.
Schumer says three of his New York offices were targeted with bomb threats
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says three of his New York offices were targeted with emailed bomb threats from an email address alleging the “2020 election was rigged.”
Opinion: Chicago's fiscal crisis demands a pro-growth strategy
Solving Chicago's $1.2 billion budget gap calls for pro-growth policies and real cost reforms to restore stability, writes the Chicagoland Chamber's president.
White House reveals new details on Donald Trump's MRI
President Trump’s MRI showed perfectly normal cardiovascular and abdominal results, with the White House saying he remains in excellent health.
Indiana lawmakers convene with redistricting top of mind
Republicans who control the House chamber have said there's no doubt that redistricting will pass that chamber. But the fate of any proposal to emerge remains uncertain in the Senate.
$3.5 Million Mindpath Health Data Breach Settlement Gets First Nod
A California Superior Court judge has given preliminary approval to a settlement to resolve litigation against Community Psychiatry Management, LLC, Mindpath Health has agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit stemming from a 2022 breach of its Microsoft Office email environment that exposed the protected health information of almost 194,000 individuals.
DOGE is done. What did the agency accomplish?
As DOGE dissolves, questions remain about how close the agency came to fulfilling President Donald Trump's mandate.
CFP Traffic Report: Examining the paths for remaining Power Four contenders
How are the remaining College Football Playoff contenders from the Power Four navigating the traffic?
The New Art of the Peace Deal
The Trump administration’s business-first approach is rewriting the rules of peacemaking, for better or for worse.
State Variations in the Role of the Reproductive Health Safety Net for Contraceptive Care Among Medicaid Enrollees
This KFF analysis uses 2023 T-MSIS Research Identifiable Files to look at where reproductive-age female Medicaid enrollees received their last contraceptive visit by state. Overall, more than four in 10 (43%) female Medicaid enrollees received their last contraceptive visit of 2023 at a safety net provider, which includes Planned Parenthood clinics, community health centers, state and local health departments, and Indian health services, but there is wide variation by state.
Exploring Denmark’s Tardigrade Fauna through Citizen Science
In a groundbreaking study that intertwines the realms of citizen science and systematic biology, researchers have successfully unveiled an intricate tapestry of tardigrade fauna residing in Danish cryptogams. Tardigrades, or “water bears,” are microscopic, water-dwelling ani
FEMA workers reinstated after suspension and investigation over letter criticizing Trump’s overhaul of agency
A group of FEMA workers has been reinstated after three months of forced leave and an investigation into alleged misconduct for signing an open letter to Congress that criticized the Trump administration’s overhaul of the disaster relief agency and warned it could put American lives in danger.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is another mighty brawler from Dotemu
Marvel Cosmic Invasion is the latest beat 'em up from Tribute Games and Dotemu, and it packs a punch thanks to a superpowered tag system.
Science must move from materialism to mystery
Theoretical physicist and neuroscientist Àlex Gómez-Marín argues that modern science has become trapped in a framework that mistakes matter for the whole of reality. In this wide-ranging interview, Gómez-Marín challenges the foundations of materialism, defends the scientific study of near-death experiences, and calls for a new type of science grounded in mystery and a renewed sense of the sacred. He suggests that abandoning materialism could open the door to a deeper understanding of consciousness, death, and the purpose of human existence. Simon Custer: You are both a theoretical physicist and a neuroscientist, and you have also been fiercely critical of materialist theories of mind and consciousness. What do you think the ultimate nature of reality is?Àlex Gómez-Marín: I don't know what the ultimate nature of reality is, but what I try to first assess is whether the stories that they [mainstream science] have told us about it are right, or maybe whether there are other alternatives. That's why I've been a fierce critic of materialism. As a scientist, I realized that they had sold us this idea that to be a good scientist you also had to subscribe to many other -isms, like materialism, reductionism, and even secularism. And so first I think one needs to unmount these -isms, and then, as is happening today in consciousness studies, we have a huge landscape where there isn't only one game in town, the idea that matter is the only thing that really exists. But because we are studying the hard problem of consciousness, it may be the case that other views of reality, like idealism, or even dualism, or other theories like dual aspect monism... these are philosophical ideas that now, I think, have room in science to be taken seriously. How does something like materialism relate to dualism or idealism? What is materialism in the first place?Well, materialism is the philosophical position that matter is the only really ‘real’ thing in the universe. And I think that worked kind of well because science started 400 years ago and Galileo made that split, I call it the foundational wound. It was a great business move.He said, let's start doing science on that portion of reality that lends itself more easily to mathematization and measurement. So, for some reason, the solidity of this table or the movement of planets lend themselves very well to this foundational idea of science. But as time went on, 400 years later, we realized that we had forgotten the other side, which is what really matters.What really matters is pain, is love, is feelings, sensation, consciousness, which is very hard to define, but very intimate. We all know what it is. It's that thing that disappears when we go into deep sleep and comes back in the morning. SUGGESTED VIEWING On the edges of knowledge With Michael Shermer, Rupert Sheldrake, Güneş Taylor It's what it is like to be, as Nagel said. It's the feeling of being alive. So, materialism is good to study certain things, but then when it ossifies into this ideology and then is dressed like science, now it's preventing us from understanding these key questions that are really that everybody wants to know.Why are we here? Why do we feel reality? Where do we go when we die? And so we need other ways. We need pluralism. I'm only asking for having more options on the table and taking them seriously. Why does materialism fail to explain consciousness? For example, if you were to lobotomize me, I would not be a functional human being. What do you say to someone who might think that materialism adequately explains the mind?Well, here we could speak about different things. We could talk about physics or about neuroscience. I happen to have training with both.For instance, for neuroscientists, 99% of them, I'm not included in that portion, believe that the brain can only be a productive organ. It's an organ that somehow, somewhere, consciousness emerges. It's like a lamp. And then something happens, magic happens, and then consciousness emerges.That's the position you need to be if you're a materialist because if the only really ‘real’ thing is matter, then you need to say, just give us some more time and money and we'll figure out how mind emerges or is produced from matter. There are many philosophically sophisticated ways of criticizing this.Now there's another option, which is the brain as a permissive organ. This was said by William James more than 100 years ago.Now then the brain wouldn't be like this machine, like for instance, a heat engine whose smoke is consciousness, which is what we would have in the first big model, the productive model. But in the permissive model, the brain would be a kind of a filter. And so the brain would still have a very important role in consciousness, but it wouldn't be a productive role.It would be permissive, much like a filter or much like a prism which would receive light. And - I'm speaking metaphorically - it would receive the light of the mind and then it could reflect it and refract it.Now, with these two big options on the table, I think we can make progress into what I call the edges of consciousness, which are all these experiences, weird experiences that many people have, but we don't talk about enough, like near-death experiences, precognitive dreams, synchronicities. These experiences are very important for humans and they have a place in the permissive hypothesis and they are literally impossible in the productive hypothesis. So that's yet one more reason to explore alternatives to materialism. There may be anecdotal evidence for near-death experiences, but is there robust evidence that would be accepted by the majority of scientists who subscribe to the scientific method?Sure. And the plural of anecdotes, someone said, is data.And there's a lot of data. Actually, this year is the 50th anniversary, half a century, since Dr. Raymond Moody realized that we have two ears and one mouth and started listening to what his patients had to say about their experiences while they were clinically dead.The heart had stopped, breathing had stopped in these patients. These patients would come back and tell him these amazing stories that some people may say are hallucinations, but for the patients were hyper-real, like seeing light at the end of the tunnels, seeing deceased family members waiting for them, feeling bliss.___I would say the evidence suggests that the mind can survive the death of activity of the brain.___And so he and others started taking them seriously and writing their accounts down. And then you can do a science based on that material of experience that people have. Now, on the more objective side, more recently people have started to measure what's going on in the brain when people are clinically dead and brought back. This has opened a proper field of study, which is near-death studies.Evidence is a difficult word, because sometimes people think that when you say evidence, this is just the final proof. Evidence is like in a jury. You bring testimony, you bring pieces of data that point in one direction or another.I would say the evidence suggests that the mind can survive the death of activity of the brain. When brains are broken or shut off, there can still be mind going on. And that's revolutionary.That would entail that when we die, it's not game over, which, by the way, is the thesis of materialism. If consciousness survives, materialism dies. It's game over for materialism if something of us continues after we die. Do you think that there is mental continuity after death?Well, I think so, and I believe so, and I could also say I may have experienced it myself, because four years ago I had a near-death experience. I was in the hospital, I lost a lot of blood, and I saw those beings at the end of the tunnel, three beings, and there was yellow light. I was in a well, I was looking upwards, and I hadn't read about NDEs by then, but when I came back from this experience, I decided I would try to integrate this also in my professional life. Not just my personal life, of course, but my professional life as a physicist and as a neuroscientist. So I may have had the experience of glimpses of what an afterlife would be, and I'm not ashamed to say it in this way, and then one can do science of it, and then one can do philosophy of it.One can think about what -isms we were discussing, what views on reality would allow those experiences to be really ‘real,’ as opposed to, well, poor guy, the brain was kind of broken, it must have been a hallucination. Do you have a view about whether individuality or “the ego” persists after death, or whether we sort of merge into some sort of cosmic consciousness instead?I don't know, but my view would be along those lines you're suggesting. I think we could speak about a kind of universal mind, and then the problem is not how we emerge from matter, but how we fragment from a more holistic consciousness into these individual eddies and then when we die, this kind of dissipates.But I'm not sure. For instance, idealism would promote that view, but then what would survive of us after these eddies just vanish and become again the big Consciousness, I'm not sure what that would be. I don't know for sure, but I would tell you I believe something of us survives.And there are other lines of research, not just near-death experience, that can address this really hard question of survival. For instance, there are children who remember previous lives. This was studied by Ian Stevenson at the University of Virginia for more than 50 years.___Research takes place within a selection mechanism that also sometimes reinforces things that are not very scientific.___It's amazing research. He went all over the world, especially in the East, and collected all these case studies, all these stories. In plural, these were data of kids, very young age, who would describe up to 40 items that then he could go and verify.There was no internet. There was really no way the kid could know. Why would the kid say that when I was living in this other body and I was a woman and that's how my house would look like or that's how I would die, right? Again, there is evidence, not proof, but there's evidence not only that something weird and interesting is happening as we cross the threshold, but also when we come back to this life.Scientists should not be afraid of studying this, but they are because there's stigma. There's usually stigma upon the enigma, and this is so unfortunate. And one of the reasons is because of the ideology of materialism, because those things cannot be possible. What is wrong with the politics of science such that they have generated this stigma?So many things. Science is a human activity to begin with.So it falls prey to all our passions and ego and greed. That's one thing. Science is a job for the good and for the bad.You need to get a salary. You need to get grants. Research takes place within a selection mechanism that also sometimes reinforces things that are not very scientific.And then, we didn't have time to unpack this, but science for many years become entangled, as I was suggesting before, to other -isms, materialism, secularism. So anything that smells like the afterlife, people may think has to do with God, and then they freak out.Anything that suggests that there's something about the mind that may not need a physical material substrate to exist, it smells like non-materialism. So, all these -isms are ideologically blocking that kind of research, and then there are all these sociopolitical constraints as to what should be studied and what shouldn't be studied.I call it the backstage of science. Sometimes we scientists or science communicators seem to speak as if the data is the only thing that matters. We say, well, data and theory.But then there's a third leg of this stool, which is all the politics that goes behind the scenes. And we often don't speak about this, and it's quite vicious and petty, and it's very real. Why is materialism so attractive to most scientists?Well, an easy answer is because we've grown up with it.It's what the educational system promotes, and that's what you hear when you go to university. So it's like growing in a culture. It feels like the air in which you breathe.So it's very hard to begin with to detect, well, maybe there's another alternative. Maybe there are other ways of doing science, other environments in which one could do science. That's one reason.And other reasons maybe are more profound, and I'm not qualified to explain them, but I could say, looking at this 400-year history of science, since it started around 1623 with Galileo's book The Assayer, that science went and coupled with all what's going on in the West.And so the fall of religion, you could say, and science presented us this new alternative that then could be coupled very well with other -isms, and this idea of growth, and then science losing its good twin brother, which was philosophy. There's a whole natural history of science starting as philosophy, kind of emancipating or breaking out from philosophy, and then marrying technology, and then marrying other social systems.From that point of view, materialism is a very convenient idea to propose. There were attempts, like the German idealists tried to do a more romantic science. But no, the idea prevailed, like Francis Bacon said: You should pursue nature through all her corners, he said, and make her spill her secrets.Our attitude towards nature in the science that dominates is very much reflecting how we treat nature in our society, in our culture, like a resource to extract secrets by force and then dominate it. How is materialism related to the notions of growth and progress? What's wrong with having a productive citizenry?This is another very interesting and very difficult question to answer.But there's this recent book coming out by Paul Kingsnorth. In it, he explains this idea of the machine and this idea of progress. And this, again, this conflation of more is better, of we need to go forward always, and convincing us that the way to do that is to continually extract more from nature. But because we don't have the religious context anymore, because God is dead, then what do we have? We have what we can do as humans with our own gadgets.It's kind of the story of the Promethean fire. We will just build anything to make ourselves God.A good example today is transhumanism. Transhumanism is this pseudo-religion dressed in technoscientific language whose goal is very religious. They promise immortality, they promise redemption, they promise transformation of the entire natural world, but it's done by human means through technology. Are you suggesting that we can't have ethics without religion?Well, we should have ethics with or without religion. That's another pruning that has happened in science. We say, forget about aesthetics, although some physicists still think that beautiful means probably true, and forget about politics. We pretend there's no backstage of science, and even let's forget about ethics.___Science needs to be in the service of mankind.___Scientists, when they become more like engineers, they're just thinking how to make things work so that they can go to the moon, go to Mars, make machines that think, but they don't think whether that's a good idea.And also consider metaphysics. Many scientists for a long time pretended, and maybe that comes from the stream of positivisms, that really one doesn't need metaphysics at all, except that materialism is always the metaphysics running the system.You see, it's not just ethics. It's the pruning of all of these, you could say, five main legs of philosophy that just makes a kind of unconscious science, a science that doesn't really know what it's doing. It's doing it very well locally, but it just doesn't know what it's doing globally. Do you think science has to have an ultimate vision and purpose behind it for it to be effective or for it to be meaningful and transformative?Yes, a way I would say that is that science needs to be in the service of mankind. And it hasn't been that. And we can see it through, you know, when we discovered the secrets of the atom, and all of a sudden, the Manhattan Project, and then we create nuclear weapons.And now we're trying to crack how machines may think, and now we're creating this mess, right? So science needs to be in service of mankind, not in service of a few ideas that maybe want to make more money or just dominate upon nature. What about planes, trains, automobiles, and modern medicine? Hasn't science served mankind by helping us develop those technologies?Yes and no. I see where you're going, and it's fair.I came here by plane, and it's a blessing. When I almost died, the surgeons did their job, and they saved my life. But these two forced choices between Luddites and Silicon Valley types, I think, of course, it's a false dichotomy.Progress, in a way, it's good, but we often don't speak about the dark side of the moon. We say the great things that progress has brought, and we don't speak about the disasters, the side effects that it has come with, and the same when we promise new technologies. We tend to think that any technology is great, that email is going to save us so much time because we don't need to write letters and send them anymore.Is that true? I spend so many hours a week writing emails. Let's just say there are great things about it and bad things about it. People like Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, for example, argue that we've made moral progress over time because of the Enlightenment. Do you think that's totally wrong-headed?I think he's emphasizing a side of the moon, and he does that very well, and you can find tons of plots where there's a slope going up and say it's great. But I think he should also tell the not-so-friendly story.But if your ideology is just to resist and continue to explain that the Enlightenment is the best thing ever and reason is the best thing ever… this feels to me like you're worshipping these abstractions.I'm very critical of it and also of these, again, science communicators and scientists that say, Oh, science says, in the name of science, experts say. It's like, come on, let's be careful because we can shoot ourselves in the foot by putting forth to the people an image of science that we know is not really true. Recently there's been a resurgence of spirituality and of people who say that they're spiritual but not religious, especially in the United States. If materialism is going away, what is going to fill that gap? Are we going to return to traditional religion? Do you see that being connected with the rise of the political right?I'm not a fortune teller, so I don't know what's going to happen. But, yeah, we could say we're in this post-materialist age and even post-secular age. One cannot come back to the past, but maybe just to contact with the roots is a good idea.What do I mean by that? I think we need to do a science 2.0, a science that says thank you to Galileo and thank you to materialism, but we need to reinvent even a new kind of scientific method. We need to do so in a culture where we realize humans cannot thrive in a vacuum where there's this idea that the sacred has to be removed.Now, how do we do that without bringing in back all the vices of religion? I don't know. I'm from a Catholic country.Here we are in England, so there are differences and interreligious dialogue has always been a challenge. But I think maybe a way of putting it is: after all these conflicts and branchings I was quickly alluding to, science from philosophy and then also from religion, now there's a time of reconciliation perhaps and maybe debates in the proper sense, like exchange of ideas in service of learning and getting into something higher than both poles. We need science to talk to religious people and it's interesting when people say they're spiritual and not religious.I think this is just a way of saying, no, I don't want to go back, I want to go forward. But at the end of the day, religions have offered us practices and grounding that we now desperately need. Everybody can and should just meditate or pray or do whatever they want, but we're in a crisis and it's time for reconciliation. What do you say to critics that say you are merely projecting our need for meaning onto a fundamentally indifferent universe?Yeah, I know that the typical science communicator says something like this. But we're not projecting. Human beings feed on meaning.It's the other way around. If you're a materialist, because the only thing that there is is matter, all that comes next, free will, consciousness, meaning, this is a kind of illusion that we need to explain.They're just craving for meaning, but there isn't really for them. I would also like to remind my materialist friends that for decades, if not centuries, they've said in the name of science, we know that this and this and this doesn't really exist. I think now they sense they're forced to say, well, actually, we don't know. We've been saying, for instance, that there's nothing after you die, and now probably they need to admit that they don't know the answer.___We need to do a science 2.0, a science that says thank you to Galileo and thank you to materialism, but we need to reinvent even a new kind of scientific method.___So it's a moment to open up possibilities and also to gently but fiercely critique these claims that I think harm society. If you say in the name of science, get on with it, when your father dies, you'll never see him again. Well, what the F do you know about it? You haven't studied the literature, you haven't had any of those experiences, and basically what you're doing is you're just doing marketing on ideology. This needs to stop. Do you think that it's scarier for some people to entertain the thought that there might be life after death, compared to a materialist worldview where you just die, given that there might be consequences for unsavory behaviour?Well, death and dying is scary. It's maybe the ultimate ending. It's a limit on life, and when we're in this conquest mode, we don't like limits.And it also has, there's a shockwave backwards, so I think if you change your notion of what death is or may be, you live differently. It also has consequences, as you're saying, for the future because this is not our only goal here and we come back in whatever form. And again, different religions would say different things. I the East, they are more happy with the idea of reincarnation, and here in the West, there are other preferences. But in any case, it changes how we live, and that's really what matters.It's not about just projecting or imagining what we'll be after, but how we live now and also how we treat those who are dying. So it goes from the individual to the families, to the hospitals.Now in the near-death research I do, this has ramifications at all these levels, all the way to society.But our society is thanatophobic. It has a phobia of death. We don't want to hear about death, and this is another thing we need to put on the table and be willing to talk about it. Do you think that we might get closer to answering ultimate questions like why is there anything at all if we jettison materialism?That’s an excellent question, Simon. Two things: we should stop treating reality, I believe, as a great sudoku, as an enigma, as something that with intelligence, money, and time that we will crack and instead treat reality more like a mystery. And what you do for in front of a mystery is not to be the clever guy in a class and say “I’ll solve you” but more like “I will bow and you will transform me.”I know this sounds a bit like a scientist speaking like a mystic. But I think this reorientation is needed. In the end, we won’t crack the big questions, but they will transform us. If we free ourselves from this prison of materialism, the way we will explore these questions will be freer, more creative, and in service of mankind. Do you think exploring mystery is the reason why we are here?I think we are here because, and this pseudo-theological argument I’m making off the cuff, But the One, the Absolute, if there is such a thing, had everything except limitation. We are that absolute experiencing that contingency. It’s like an act of divine proprioception. It’s a wonderful adventure, it’s just incredible to be alive. Perhaps we have forgotten why we are here and the whole point is to experience the flesh.Let me end by saying this. I criticize materialism harshly. I bang on this dead horse, because I think it’s dead. But matter is a great mystery. So maybe my invitation is as follows: hey materialist friends, come here, let’s work on materialism 2.0! Consciousness is a mystery, but matter is also a mystery. The fact that we can have an intersubjective experience consensus, the fact that we can apply mathematics, that we can measure things... the physical world we take for granted, but it is a great mystery too.Maybe that’s related to your last question: why are we here? Why did spirit decide to incarnate? Being in the flesh may be a great thing if spirit decided to do so.Àlex Gómez-Marín, thank you very much.My pleasure.
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