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Surge of tourism development, progress in industry and education among business trends to watch in 2026
Tourism sector growth and several major development projects are set to define Dubuque’s business scene in 2026.
Analysis: 2026 is a hinge in history that will define Trump’s second term and legacy
2026 will be a defining year for the political standing and ultimate substance and legacy of President Donald Trump’s second term, at home and overseas.
WBKO Sports’ Top 10 Moments of 2025
As we ring in the new year, we’re taking a look back at the moments that defined Southcentral Kentucky sports in 2025. From breakout seasons and historic team achievements to individual records and career-defining honors, these are the top 10 moments of the year.
AI Labor Is Boring. AI Lust Is Big Business
After years of hype about generative AI increasing productivity and making lives easier, 2025 was the year erotic chatbots defined AI’s narrative.
So much sports: Why 2026 will be a sports year unlike any other
Catch your breath while you still can because 2026 will be defined by an overflowing global sports calendar.
Top 12 Long Beach Sports Moments Of 2025
Long Beach saw it all in 2025—from the 50th anniversary of the Long Beach Grand Prix to high school state championships and NCAA national champions. Take a look at the Top 12 moments that defined Long Beach sports over the past year: No. 12: The Long Beach Grand Prix Turns 50 No. 11: Long Beac
5 themes that defined business and markets in 2025: Morning Squawk
From tariffs to AI to inflation, these were the trends that shaped Wall Street, Main Street and Silicon Valley in 2025.
Trump, DOGE and deep divides: Biggest Michigan politics stories of 2025
It was a monumental political year in Michigan, with the return of a divided state government and the return of President Donald Trump. These are the stories that defined the year, from the Michigan Capitol to the White House.
Behind the Science: Conversations with Spectroscopy Innovators
A recap of a few interviews Spectroscopy editors have conducted with key opinion leaders at the forefront of technique innovation in 2025. These experts share their views on technological breakthroughs, analytical challenges, and the trends poised to redefine how we interrogate matter at every scale.
67 weird phrases that defined British politics in 2025
From “driving the DLR” to “island of strangers,” Westminster was hit by a tidal wave of strange terminology this year.
The events that defined world politics in 2025
From Vance’s shock Munich speech to the release of the Epstein files, Trump’s return to power has defined the year
French Girl Chic or right-wing pin-up? The complicated style legacy of Brigitte Bardot
Bardot’s overarching legacy may not be as easy to define as her personal style. While she was a celebrated cultural icon who has left an indelible mark on fashion history, she was also perhaps an early prototype for the Trump-era pin-up.
Analysis: Trump doubles down on big goal bets in end-of-the-year flurry
President Donald Trump is spending the end of the year trying to cash in huge foreign policy bets on which thousands of lives may depend and that will define his attempt to wield decisive power far beyond American shores.
Panthers shine through ups and downs in 2025 fall sports
Record-breaking performances, thrilling matchups and standout athletes defined Chapman’s season across football, soccer, volleyball, water polo and cross country.
Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton receives biggest fine of the week
The NFL announced Week 16 fines on Saturday.
Penn State 22, Clemson 10: A Fine Finish
Penn State’s tumultuous 2025 football season came to a close Saturday afternoon in Yankee Stadium. Thankfully, it ended with a fourth straight win, a little bit of fun, and some big plays from both familiar faces and some guys who were thrown into the fire. Ethan Grunkemeyer threw two touchdown passes in the final quarter […]
Ten Developments That Defined the Cardinals’ 2025 Rebuild
We are in the baseball dead zone between Christmas and New Year’s, so it’s as good a time as any to reflect on the last calendar year. We are now more than one year into the rebuild, regardless of how the Cardinals front office and ownership have changed the branding. There have been some notable […]
The 5 stories that defined San Francisco’s crazy politics in 2025
An Instagram-savvy mayor. A showdown with the feds. A 200-hour supervisor. In terms of political drama, 2025 was the gift that kept on giving.
The scariest word this year for workers from DC to Silicon Valley
"Efficiency" defined the 2025 job market from the federal government to Silicon Valley.
Here's the top 15 Los Angeles sports moments of 2025
From the Dodgers’ back-to-back World Series titles to LeBron James’ historic streak ending and Luka Dončić’s shocking trade to the Lakers, relive the top 15 moments that defined Los Angeles sports in 2025.
Got a new Google Pixel? Here are the first settings you should change
The Pixel series is one of the best Android devices available. Even though Android’s guided setup process does a fine...
With Trump in Power, Democrats Try to Redefine Themselves as Disrupters
Since President Trump’s rise, Democrats have served as defenders of a political system many Americans believe is broken. Now the party is trying a new approach.
Did 2025 mark the end of British parliamentary democracy as we know it?
The conventions and rituals that define the way we do politics rapidly eroded this year – setting the UK on a course into the unknown, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett
The Year in Entertainment 2025: The TV that was top
The small screen took us everywhere from the shores of Cousins Beach to the emergency room at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center this year. Here's a look at the shows and limited series that defined 2025:It was the medical procedural drama The Pitt that scored the top prize at the Emmys this year. Led by Noah Wyle, who won the best actor in a drama Emmy for his portrayal of Dr. Robby in the new series, The Pitt's first season followed the challenges faced by health care workers on the front lines over the course of a single, 15-hour shift at the hospital. Other big winners at the ceremony included Seth Rogen's new comedy series The Studio, as well as the Netflix limited series Adolescence.Many prestige shows captured the cultural zeitgeist in 2025. Fans traveled to Thailand to check in for season 3 of The White Lotus, while the mystery at Lumon Industries continued to unfold as Severance season 2 rolled out. The Last of Us viewers mourned a fan-favorite character during its sophomore season, while Star Wars fans returned to a galaxy far, far away to bid farewell to Andor as it debuted its second and final season.Nobody could stop talking about The Summer I Turned Pretty. Whether you were team Conrad or team Jeremiah, fans couldn't keep their eyes off the dramatic third season of the teen romance series, which spanned from the U.S.'s East Coast all the way to Paris. While the series ended with Belly finally picking which brother she wanted to be with, the story isn't quite over. A feature film that will end the romantic saga has been greenlit by Prime Video.Finally, the year ended with the release of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. It turned Netflix's streaming records upside down, accumulating 59.6 million views in its first five days and becoming the best-ever premiere week viewing numbers for an English-language series on the streaming platform.Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Kate Winslet says turning 50 changed how she defines success
"I think that women get more interesting as we grow older," Kate Winslet said.
IOI Delays James Bond Video Game ‘007: First Light’ Release Date “To Further Polish And Refine The Experience”
IO Interactive has pushed the release date of the James Bond video game 007: First Light back by two months.
How a Christmas tree defines Ken Welch's first term as St. Petersburg Mayor
The new tree just doesn't have the same spark as before, and neither does Welch.
Popstar! Best of 2025: The Fan-Voted Entertainment Rewind That Defined the Year
/PRNewswire/ -- From blockbuster premieres to viral moments, Popstar! Best of 2025 is a fan-voted celebration of the movies, shows, music, and cultural moments...
The Gear That Defined Tech Editor Josh Ross's 2025: AI, Cameras, WorldTour Bikes, and More
It wasn’t just about the fastest bikes or the lightest parts. This year my favorites included items, both bike related and not, that fostered connection, solved real problems, and brought me joy.
McClellan Excited for Strong Family Bond at K-State - Kansas State University Athletics
Nick McClellan, a first team all-state honoree at Christian Brothers College (Mo.) High School and one of the finest two-way players in the country, had star...
Velo 2025 Road Bike of the Year Winner: The Cannondale Synapse
We could have picked a Tour de France-winning superbike. Instead, we chose the bike that redefines usability for the rest of us.
HARMAN To Acquire ZF’s ADAS Business
Secures HARMAN’s strategic foundations in ADAS and centralized automotive electronics platforms to define the fast-growing SDV market
Vogue Business’s Top 10 Words of the Year
The terms that influenced and defined culture in 2025 across fashion, beauty, sustainability and tech.
These Are The Best TV Shows Of 2025, According To Refinery29
From Kimmel to Kendrick, pop culture moments that defined 2025
With another year of pop culture news is in the books, we're looking back on the stories that defined the year, from Superman to Sydney Sweeney.
Transition, conflict and adversity defined Missouri and Illinois politics in 2025
St. Louis Public Radio’s politics team and editors picked the top stories that defined 2025 for Missouri, Illinois and St. Louis politics.
"Is it okay for video games to be this good?" - developers tell us their favourite games of the year
We ask the developers of some of this year's finest games what their personal favourites were for 2025.
The art of the hook: How Simon Squibb redefines influence
British entrepreneur Simon Squibb made his fortune — then amassed legions of followers by giving away sharp business advice for free.
Vance refuses to set red lines over bigotry at Turning Point USA's convention
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the controversies that dominated the Turning Point conference, but he did not define any boundaries for the conservative movement besides patriotism.
The Science Behind Holiday Feasting—and Why It’s Totally Fine
Modern diet culture frames holiday eating as failure, but biology, history, and psychology tell a different story—one where feasting is not a lapse in discipline, but a deeply human ritual tied to survival, memory, and connection.
NFL fines Rams' Puka Nacua $25,000 for comments about officiating
The NFL fined Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua $25,000 for his comments about the officiating.
Lauryn Massic defines her future in public health science
UNR Med Ph.D. candidate, Lauryn Massic M.S., is engaged in work around antimicrobial resistance, genetics and infectious disease. She's also a student-athlete.
7 moments that defined UCLA sports in 2025
Read about the standout performances, major transitions and alumni who made headlines on the biggest stages in sports.
OSHA fines Universal after employee gets electrical shock at Epic Universe ride
A Universal employee was hospitalized with a dislocated shoulder, broken ribs and a fractured arm.
Thanks for asking after my health, but actually I’m doing just fine
Friends, family and assorted strangers have been sending thoughts and prayers about my ‘cancer journey’. It is, in the nicest possible way, a lot
My husband's stress around saving for retirement is exhausting. I know we'll be fine — how do I get through to him?
"For Love & Money" answers your relationship and money questions. This week, a reader struggles with her husband's stress about saving for retirement.
Review of 2025: another fine mess?
John Harris, Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey look back at the biggest political moments of 2025, and discuss what 2026 might bring
Judge fines Goodlettsville ‘adult entertainment’ venue
Back in September, the Back Stage Venue was cited by the City of Goodlettsville, which claimed it was an adult entertainment business operating in a commercial services limited zone and not an indu…
'Long term, Brighton are in a great place'
Former Brighton midfielder Dale Stephens believes the current group of players reflects a model the Seagulls have refined over a number of seasons, but stressed that potential alone is no longer enough once players step into the first team environment. Speaking on BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast, Stephens believes Brighton's continued reliance on youth has once again put the spotlight on the balance between development and results. Long term, Brighton are in a great place.
How business leaders can adapt and thrive when uncertainty is a certainty
In an economic landscape defined by uncertainty, resilience is now an imperative for business success. Here's what organizations must do to foster that.
"MicroProse and Geoff Crammond Reunite to Revive a Racing Legend"
MicroProse is excited to announce its renewed partnership with legendary game developer Geoff Crammond, creator of some of the most influential racing simulation games of the 1990s and early 2000s. Together, we are bringing back his groundbreaking racing game engine in a re-release of the original game technology, enhanced with updates, new tools, and Steam Workshop support, through the upcoming Geoff Crammond Racing series: GCR1, GCR2, GCR3, and GCR4, scheduled to release in 2026. These titles are being reintroduced under new names to reflect our independent direction and to ensure full separation from any official motorsport licensing. While the names are new, the core simulation engine, physics systems, and pioneering gameplay features developed by Geoff Crammond remain at the heart of each release. Geoff Crammond’s original work helped define the foundations of modern racing games, introducing innovations such as advanced real-time physics, highly configurable driving assists (including the ideal racing line, steering help and auto braking), realistic AI driver behaviour, deep telemetry analysis, comprehensive car setup systems, extensive wet weather system, and the list goes on. The GCR series proudly carries this legacy forward. Steam Workshop support will enable the community to create and share custom tracks, cars, liveries, teams, drivers and more. This reunion marks the beginning of a long-term partnership between MicroProse and Geoff Crammond, with further announcements in the series to come. MicroProse is officially back on the track at full speed. GCR1 Steam Page GCR2 Steam Page GCR3 Steam Page GCR4 Steam Page -- MicroProse, founded in 1982, is a world-famous simulation software company known for developing groundbreaking classics and new blockbuster titles such as Falcon, HighFleet, B-17 The Mighty Eighth, Ground Branch, Gunship and many more! Today, MicroProse is not only remaking select classics from its past but also paving the road to next-generation, state of the art games that will create the memories and experiences of new generations of gamers.
FTX insider Caroline Ellison has been quietly moved out of prison
Former cryptocurrency executive Caroline Ellison was transferred from a Connecticut prison to community confinement after serving 11 months.
Scott Evans' 'House Guest' redefines the interview show by putting the vibe first, cameras second
Scott Evans House Guest Q&A
Some Republican lawmakers call for mass expulsion of American Muslims
Comments from Rep. Randy Fine (R-Florida) and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) reflect a brazen Islamophobic sentiment being voiced by some in the party.
Gonzaga Inches Closer to Top 5 in AP Poll
Another productive week of action for the Zags helps them move up in the rankings.
Banking and Finance Quarterly: BMO Cementing its role - Los Angeles Business Journal
As we prepare to bid adieu to 2025 – a year defined by economic uncertainty, high interest rates and fear of a possible recession – mark your calendars
I write about ultraprocessed foods, yet I still can’t tell you how to avoid them. Here’s why
“Ultraprocessed” has become a bad word in our food supply, but regulators are struggling with how to define the term to help consumers. Here’s why that’s so hard to do.
Commentary: What the Dodgers are doing isn't normal in pro sports. Be sure to appreciate it
The Dodgers are perfectly fine with spending more money than anyone else to win championships, and fans should appreciate it considering what's happening in Anaheim.
Mosquitos use it to suck blood. Researchers used it to 3-D print
A mosquito proboscis repurposed as a 3-D printing nozzle can print filaments around 20 micrometers wide, half the width of a fine human hair.
Business school grad 'rebuilt' himself throughout ASU journey
W. P. Carey School of Business graduate David De Sousa wants future students to know that his ASU journey is proof that your past does not define your future.
‘Bit by the Research Bug’ Defense Health Employee Recognized for Contributions to Science, Love for Supporting the Warfighter
From her first steps into the world of research as an intern to her current role as a principal investigator, Danielle Zimmerman has built a career defined by curiosity, dedication, and commitment to protecting those who serve.
Which blockbuster movies defined 2025's year in film?
A year of daring originals and audience-favorite franchises top the list of 2025's most memorable films of the year.
Mount Healthy Schools considers levy to avoid sports, arts cuts
Athletics and fine arts are facing possible elimination as Mount Healthy City Schools deals with what's described as a 'fiscal emergency' by its superintendent.
Lawmakers move to phase out health-specific retirement benefit
Lawmakers may instead bulk up Hoosier START, the state's defined benefit plans. They say that would offer retirees and current staff greater flexibility.
From classroom to community: Student’s journey exemplifies ‘public health in action’
When Waveney Brooks transferred to the University of Kentucky as a sophomore, she never imagined that a classroom experience would open the door to real-world public heath practice across Kentucky. What started as a broad introduction to the many disciplines of well-being soon grew into a purposeful public health career path defined by mentorship, community engagement and purpose.
What defines a league-leading management team? Win today AND tomorrow: MoneyCall
Read the cheat sheet of all of the biggest sports-business stories in The Athletic's free newsletter, MoneyCall
What does Apollo CEO Marc Rowan want for Christmas? To define private credit
Apollo CEO Marc Rowan is planning to gift the definitive book on private credit to clarify risks and myths.
Don't Wait for the iPhone 18, It's Fine to Buy the iPhone 17
Commentary: If you want a new iPhone within the next year, go ahead and buy the iPhone 17. Current iPhone 18 rumors don't provide enough compelling reasons to wait.
Finland Needs More Reforms to Pay for Health Care, Report Says
Finland needs to fine tune how it provides basic health-care services in the midst of deeper budget deficits, according to a report assessing an overhaul carried out two years ago.
7 Media Trends That Will Redefine Entertainment In 2026
Learn how AI-driven video, synthetic talent, immersive experiences, and new IP protection technologies will transform the industry and influence global audiences.
Health Care Workforce: A System Under Pressure, Poised for Reinvention
AHA's 2026 Workforce Scan highlights six pressures that will define workforce strategy in the coming years: financial stress that limits flexibility; demographic shifts that increase demand; rapid technological transformation; changing worker expectations; the urgent need for new pipelines; and geographic disparities that threaten access.
Fingernail-sized fish species discovered has an organ that is new to science
Scientists reveal Priocharax rex, a tiny Amazonian fish with a strange skin “wing” that redefines evolution in miniature.
Big 12 fines 2 schools $500,000 each for opting out of bowl games
Pair of 5-7 teams will now play in bowl games
What was the loudest sound ever recorded?
Determining the "loudest recorded sound" depends on how you define sound and on which measurements you choose to include.
Elon Musk, Trump admin go scorched Earth on EU after X hit with $140M fine
Elon Musk and the Trump administration slammed the European Union after X was hit with a $140 million fine for Digital Services Act "non-compliance."
Tommy Dreamer Says WWE NXT Pairing Is 'Sports Entertainment At Its Finest'
ECW legend Tommy Dreamer credits a popular "WWE NXT" duo for their natural ability to entertain an audience.
4 ChatGPT Prompts To Turn Your Business Idea Into Reality In 2026
Learn how four practical ChatGPT prompts can help anyone refine a business or side hustle idea, avoid common mistakes, and gain traction in 2026.
EU hits Elon Musk's X with $140 million fine over business practices
The fines were due to the platform's misleading use of blue check marks to identify verified users and a lack of transparency over ads and data access for researchers.
We The People: Sphere celebrates second anniversary with continued innovation in Las Vegas entertainment
The Sphere marked its second anniversary by continuing to redefine entertainment through immersive experiences that transport audiences beyond traditional viewing.
Winter Meetings could define the Tigers’ future with Tarik Skubal
Detroit must decide whether to build around Skubal or risk losing its window.
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.
Year in Search MENA 2025: AI, education & sports
With the year drawing to an end, we explore the moments, people, and trends that sparked curiosity across the Middle East and North Africa. The year 2025 was defined by …
Arkansas parents voice concerns over voucher changes affecting homeschool sports funding
Educators and parents are reacting to proposed changes to Arkansas' school voucher program, known as the Educational Freedom Accounts, as lawmakers look to fine
LiaFi Introduces TOR Score Dashboard for Small Business Cash Flow Management
ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky., December 03, 2025--LiaFi, a Fintech platform built for small businesses, today announced enhancements to its TOR Score dashboard, a proprietary cash flow variability metric designed to give sole proprietors and small business owners clarity on their financial health. The TOR Score, short for Track, Optimize, Refine, translates complex transaction data into a single score that reveals cash flow stability, identifies surplus opportunities, and flags potential risk periods. With
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."
Hims & Hers to Acquire YourBio Health, Pioneer Behind Advanced, Pain-Free Blood Sampling Technology
Acquisition Combines Hims Hers’ Leading Wellness Platform with YourBio’s Patented, Virtually Painless Micro-Needle Technology to Redefine the Future of Blood Sampling Hims Hers Health, Inc. (NYSE: HIMS), the leading health and wellness platform, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire YourBio Health, Inc., a Boston-based pioneer in capillary whole blood sampling technology. Powered by YourBio’s advanced blood sampling devices, the acquisition will help accelerate efforts to redefine and modernize the overall blood collection experience, making pain-free blood sampling the new standard. YourBio Health develops technologies designed to simplify the process and expand when, where, and how blood samples can be collected—including beyond traditional clinic settings. Its TAP® device, built on HALO™ technology, uses bladeless microneedles thinner than an eyelash to produce high-quality capillary blood samples in seconds, without the pain or
What scientists are learning from the strangest spider webs on Earth
Webs can be decorated with decoys, fine-tuned like guitars—and hold secrets about evolution.
Samsung Unveils Its Exynos 2600, Puts Out An Initial Trailer That Says ‘In Silence, We Listened’ And ‘Refined At The Core’
The Exynos 2600 has been announced by Samsung, with the company uploading a trailer that talks about many of the chipset’s advanced attributes
How Data Science Will Change the World
Newly appointed Dean Rajesh Gupta shares his thoughts on data science, AI and how UC San Diego’s newest school is poised to redefine academia.
AMPS Achieves HITRUST e1 Certification, Solidifying Commitment to Data Security in Healthcare
PHOENIX, Dec. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMPS, a healthcare technology solutions company serving self-insured employer groups, payors, healthcare brokers and consultants, and third-party administrators, announced today that its enterprise systems have earned HITRUST e1 Assessment Certification for cybersecurity and information protection. The HITRUST e1 Certification demonstrates that AMPS has met requirements defined by leading cybersecurity and regulatory frameworks, confirming that foundati
Mistral closes in on Big AI rivals with new open-weight frontier and small models
Mistral unveils its Mistral 3 lineup, including a frontier model and efficient small models designed for offline, customizable enterprise use—aiming to prove small, fine-tuned AI can beat closed-source giants.
Go behind the scenes at a successful Marin County estate sale business
From modest items to billionaires’ collections, this nearly 29-year-old San Rafael company has evolved from auctions to consignment with a model that seeks to help families find new homes for…
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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