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See 'Malcolm in the Middle' family reunion on the bathroom set of sitcom revival
The 'Malcolm in the Middle' family reunited on set in a preview of the series revival, with Bryan Cranston, Frankie Muniz, and Jane Kaczmarek joining together in a sneak peek at the family bathroom.
Amazon’s After-Christmas Sale Is Stocked With Outdoor Gear Deals Up to 70% Off—Shop Cotopaxi, Osprey, and More
Amazon's after-Christmas sale is filled with incredible deals on hiking and camping gear from Osprey, Cotopaxi, The North Face, and more top brands up to 70 percent off. Upgrade your outdoor gear with high-quality tents, camping chairs, hiking boots, and more—starting at just $4.
'Heathers' actress looks back at the notorious album cover she did at age 14
'Heather's star Lisanne Falk opens up about appearing on the controversial album cover of Foreigner's 'Head Games' when she was 14: 'I was not super savvy.'
New technology eliminates “forever chemicals” with record-breaking speed and efficiency
A new eco-friendly technology can capture and destroy PFAS, the dangerous “forever chemicals” found worldwide in water. The material works hundreds to thousands of times faster and more efficiently than current filters, even in river water, tap water, and wastewater. After trapping the chemicals, the system safely breaks them down and refreshes itself for reuse. It’s a rare one-two punch against pollution: fast cleanup and sustainable destruction.
President Jeffrey R. Holland hospitalized with 'ongoing health issue'
President Jeffrey R. Holland has been hospitalized to be treated for ongoing health complications, according to a statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
'Weird Science' star makes rare appearance since leaving Hollywood after Steven Seagal divorce
'Weird Science' star Kelly LeBrock made a rare public appearance at 'Real Housewives' alum Lisa Vanderpump's Vanderpump Dog Gala, years after she quit Hollywood following her divorce from Steven Seagal.
2025 Unfiltered: Moments that marked Colorado’s decidedly off-kilter political year
From the flurry of executive orders that ushered in President Donald Trump’s second term to a blizzard of lawsuits filed by the state’s Democratic officials, the state’s political year was marked by near-constant conflict between the GOP-controlled federal government and the Democrats who run Colorado. The year saw the Trump administration step up immigration enforcement […]
Provo's Ford's Locker meat processing business faces uncertain future after devastating fire
A fire at Ford's Locker in Provo has resulted in a complete loss, and owners ask for patience as they figure out next steps for the business.
Alec Baldwin shares health struggles stemming from 'Rust' fallout
Alec Baldwin recently discussed the physical and mental health issues he's struggled with since the 2021 'Rust' shooting.
Death certificates reveal new information about Rob Reiner and wife Michele's deaths
The death certificates for Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner have revealed new information about the timeline of the filmmakers' deaths.
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' reveals casting for Sulu and Bones
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' has revealed the casting for two fan-favorites characters that will appear in season 5's finale episode.
Doctor, 56, Says It Was Finally the 'Right Time' for Plastic Surgery After Health Journey Had Her Body 'Aging in Reverse' (Exclusive)
Dr. Jennifer Ashton turned to her friend Dr. Oren Tepper for an upper blepharoplasty and fat transfer. Here, they both detail the procedure to PEOPLE.
'Big Brother' alum Mickey Lee in 'critical condition' after suffering multiple cardiac arrests
Micky Lee, an alum of 'Big Brother' season 27, is in 'critical condition' after suffering a 'series of cardiac arrests'. Her family is currently fundraising to help cover sudden medical expenses.
Business Owners: 6 Smart Moves to Start the New Year Strong
Strengthen your business for the year ahead by updating your online presence, reviewing vendors, evaluating equipment, and more.
Should You Use the Shiny or Dull Side of Foil? Reynolds Settles the Debate
While it doesn't matter which side of the foil you cook on, there is a reason one side is shiny and the other is dull. Read on to learn more.
'The Office' star shares 'disappointment' of 'Back to the Future' firing after Michael J. Fox hiring
Melora Hardin is reflecting on her casting in 'Back to the Future' — and being let go after Michael J. Fox swapped in for Eric Stoltz: 'I was 17, you know. I burst into tears.'
Springville woman given probation for hitting employee with car after stealing sports cards
A Springville woman pleaded guilty to hitting an employee with her car after stealing sports cards from an antiques store.
James Ransone, star of 'The Wire' and 'Sinister,' dies at 46
James Ransone, the prolific star of such series as 'The Wire' and films like 'Sinister' and 'The Black Phone,' has died by suicide at the age of 46.
Did Jim Carrey really work with a CIA trainer to play the Grinch? How the actor endured the hellish role
While filming 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas,' Jim Carrey worked with a CIA trainer versed in torture endurance. Here's the full story, including the tactics he used to survive his long hours in the makeup chair.
'SNL' reveals first host and musical guest of 2026, including 'Stranger Things' star
'Saturday Night Live' season 51 resumes on Jan. 17 with a 'Stranger Things' star as the year's first host.
Dave Chappelle reacts to white Charlie Kirk fans calling him 'this generation's Martin Luther King' in new special
Dave Chappelle reacts to white Charlie Kirk fans calling the assassinated conservative media personality 'this generation's Martin Luther King' in his new Netflix special, 'The Unstoppable.'
WCNY's David Lombardo recaps 2025 New York politics
With the calendar year wrapping up and Governor Kathy Hochul filtering through hundreds of bills, let’s take a look back at some of the biggest issues that New York State politics faced this year.
10 Foods To Eat for a Stronger Immune System
Optimizing immunity requires a holistic approach. A well-balanced diet that includes the best foods for immune system health can help.
5 Things That Happen to Your Body When You Do Cardio Every Day
Daily cardio leads to a number of health benefits, especially for your heart, lungs, and overall fitness level. Just be careful not to overdo it, experts caution.
‘Forever Chemicals’ Linked to Another Health Condition, Study Says
Researchers have found a new link between exposure to ‘forever chemicals’ and one lifelong health condition. A Sweden-based study found that people exposed to two major environmental toxins are more likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2025, From Medical Breakthroughs to an Interstellar Visitor
All year long, these moments captivated the public, demonstrated dangerous trends, and pushed research and innovation forward
'The Vampire Lestat' boss reveals Louis' 'heartbreaking' expanded role (exclusive)
'The Vampire Lestat' showrunner reveals what fans can expect from Louis' 'heartbreaking' expanded role in season 3, as well as the introduction of Lestat's mother. Plus, check out EW's exclusive first look at bloody Louis and more.
Full-length Replay: Best of Wake Up Barstool
Highlights from Wake Up Barstool, a daily dose of unfiltered takes on the biggest stories in sports, featuring Dave Portnoy and the Barstool crew.
Chris Evans' 'Avengers: Doomsday' return confirmed after leaks
Cap is back! Chris Evans' 'Avengers: Doomsday' return is official, days after Marvel's in-theater teasers leaked online.
A business jet crashed while landing at an airport in North Carolina, erupting in a large fire
Authorities say a business jet crashed while landing at a regional airport in Statesville, North Carolina, erupting in a large fire.
Kristin Cabot breaks her silence after Coldplay kiss cam debacle: 'My kids were afraid that I was going to die'
Kristin Cabot, the former head of HR for Astronomer who got caught with her boss in the viral Coldplay kiss cam moment, speaks out for the first time several months after the event.
Jessica Jones first look in 'Daredevil: Born Again' previews war for New York (exclusive)
'Daredevil: Born Again' season 2 first look reveals Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones, Matthew Lillard's Mr. Charles, and more players in the war for New York City.
Corey Feldman says Corey Haim 'molested' him while working on 'The Lost Boys'
Corey Feldman alleges in new documentary 'Corey Feldman vs the World' that his late costar Corey Haim 'molested' him while the two costarred in vampire film 'The Lost Boys.'
'Survivor' to hide immunity idols in all 50 states for 'Survivor 50'
'Survivor' to hide immunity idols in all 50 states for 'Survivor 50', with the nationwide scavenger hunt leading to one grand prize. Full details here.
Hugh Jackman says his time playing Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't over
Hugh Jackman says his time playing Wolverine within the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't over just yet: 'That's what my gut says.'
Nick Reiner reportedly stormed off after Bill Hader shut him down at Conan O'Brien's party before murders
In the aftermath of Nick Reiner’s arrest for the murders of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, details of the holiday party the trio attended the night before keep coming out.
Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland are a family divided in new 'The Odyssey' images (exclusive)
New exclusive images of Christopher Nolan's next movie, The Odyssey, show stars Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and Himesh Patel, in adaptation of Homer's epic.
Hugh Jackman transforms into a rugged Robin Hood in first look at new A24 film (exclusive)
Hugh Jackman looks grizzled and intense with wild hair and a long bear in first look at 'The Death of Robin Hood,' the new project from writer-director Michael Sarnsoki and A24.
2 businesses burn in Provo fire
Fire crews responded to a report of flames at two businesses at 500 West and 800 North in Provo on Monday night.
Nantucket High School Students Dive into Real-World Science at Marine…
Nantucket Current is the island's leading online news source. We deliver the news, stories, and people of Nantucket, unbiased and unfiltered.
Kevin Bacon tears up in emotional tribute to 'A Few Good Men' director Rob Reiner: 'I'm not sure how to do this'
Kevin Bacon has happy memories of his time making the 1992 movie 'A Few Good Men," especially of late director Rob Reiner.
Cox and former Govs. Herbert, Leavitt speak on need for a 'higher standard' in politics
Gov. Spencer Cox spoke alongside former Utah Govs. Gary Herbert and Mike Leavitt about the need to move away from divisive politics on Monday.
'Boots' canceled after 1 season at Netflix
'Boots' won't be lacing up for more at Netflix. The Miles Heizer- and Vera Farmiga-starring show has been canceled after 1 season on the streamer.
Jack Black has priceless reaction to Elle Fanning calling him the 'hottest man' she's ever seen
Here's what Jack Black has to say about Elle Fanning calling him "sex on legs" and "the hottest man."
Rob Reiner's daughter found parents dead in their home 5 hours before her brother was arrested for murder
Five hours before her brother, Nick, was arrested in connection with their deaths, Romy Reiner found her parents — Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner — dead in their home.
Kast wins Chile's presidency, deepening regional shift to law-and-order politics
Jose Antonio Kast won Chile's presidential election on Sunday, leveraging voter fears over rising crime and migration to steer the country in its sharpest rightward shift since the end of the military dictatorship in 1990.
Trattles named 2025 Michigan 4-H Animal Science Adult Sportsperson of the Year - 4-H Animal Science
St. Joseph County 4-H leader Steve Trattles wins prestigious sportsmanship award for his leadership in 4-H animal science projects.
Billy Bob Thornton's Tommy slams 'The View' on 'Landman': 'Pissed off millionaires bitching'
On the latest episode of 'Landman,' Billy Bob Thornton's gruff oil exec Tommy Norris described 'The View' to Sam Elliott's T.L. Norris as 'a bunch of pissed off millionaires bitching' about 'Trump.'
Ryan Reynolds and Matthew Lillard respond to Quentin Tarantino controversy
Ryan Reynolds and Matthew Lillard teamed up for a tongue-in-cheek response to Quentin Tarantino's controversial remarks.
'Knives Out 4'? Director Rian Johnson shares update on his next Benoit Blanc mystery
'Knives Out' filmmaker Rian Johnson has already thought about another Benoit Blanc mystery after 'Wake Up Dead Man': 'I have some basic, elemental, conceptual ideas.'
The 25 best Christmas movies of all time, from 'Elf' to 'It's a Wonderful Life'
Our ranking of the greatest Christmas-themed films, from animated classics to modern favorites.
'Heated Rivalry' actors respond to 'I Love LA' star dissing show's sex scenes: 'It's not how gay people f---'
'Heated Rivalry' actors François Arnaud and Hudson Williams have responded to 'I Love LA' star Jordan Firstman dissing the hockey romance's sex scenes, saying, 'It's not how gay people f---.'
KSL.com Sports' Pro Football Pick'em Week 15 preview
With four weeks left in the NFL regular season, the playoff picture is starting to look clearer but many teams still control their path and the seeding is still up for grabs.
Utah youth survey reveals decline in depression, substance use
Utah students report fewer symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts, and fewer say they have used alcohol or drugs compared with two years ago, a new statewide survey finds.
Josh O'Connor felt 'punked' filming 'Knives Out': Always 'raining on me, never on Daniel Craig'
Josh O'Connor says he felt 'punked' while filming 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' totally soaked and covered in mud for most of production: 'Always seemed to be raining on me and never on Daniel Craig.'
Broadcom's AI Business Is Growing Fast. Here's Why the Stock Is Tanking Anyway.
Broadcom on Thursday said its AI revenue will double in the current quarter, but shares slumped as investors focused on narrowing margins after a major run-up in the stock price.
Bad Bunny slips and falls onstage mid-concert, but his fans keep the show going
The show must go on, even if you slip and fall. Just ask Bad Bunny, who did exactly that onstage during his recent concert in Mexico.
Full-length Replay: Best of Wake Up Barstool
A daily dose of unfiltered takes on the biggest stories in sports, featuring Dave Portnoy and the Barstool crew.
Sharon Osbourne says Ozzy's infidelity didn't faze her until he brought another woman into their home
Sharon Osbourne was both aware of and largely unbothered by the indiscretions of her late husband, Ozzy Osbourne — with one notable exception.
Disney CEO Bob Iger Says OpenAI Deal Gives Entertainment Giant 'A Way In' to AI
The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI announced a deal Thursday that will make Disney characters available through the ChatGPT maker's image and video generation tools, and see Disney invest $1 billion in OpenAI.
'Supergirl' trailer reveals Jason Momoa's Lobo, Milly Alcock taking flight
Supergirl and Jason Momoa's Lobo take flight in the first trailer for next year's Milly Alcock-fronted DC Studios movie, based on the 'Woman of Tomorrow' comic.
'Heated Rivalry' stars talk overnight success, butt tweets, and viral moments
'Heated Rivalry's Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams are still processing those fans tweeting about their butts. The actors get into the spicy drama's runaway success and go behind the scenes of viral moments.
Former 'DWTS' pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy explains why he wouldn't return to the ballroom
Former 'DWTS' champion and 17-season pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy doesn't think he would go back to the series if asked, saying, 'I think the boat has sailed.'
Full-length Replay: Outkick the Show with Clay Travis
OutKick the Show, hosted by Clay Travis, is a no-holds-barred program where Travis delivers his unfiltered take on the most talked-about headlines in sports and more.
Bargy named 2025 Michigan 4-H Animal Science Youth Sportsperson of the Year - 4-H Animal Science
Antrim County 4-H member Wyatt Bargy wins prestigious sportsmanship award for his involvement in 4-H animal science projects.
McDonald's AI Christmas ad controversy explained: How the fast food chain has responded to the backlash
McDonald's is under fire for releasing an AI-generated Christmas ad. Here's everything to know about the controversy, and how the fast food chain responded to the criticism.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson recalls blunder to Nathan Lane after the death of Robin Williams
Jesse Tyler Ferguson is recalling a slight blunder he made to Nathan Lane after the death of Robin Williams, his costar in the beloved queer comedy 'The Birdcage': 'I'm such an idiot.'
Pamela Anderson wants to change her name
Pamela Anderson is considering a name change as a way to reconnect with her roots.
Jason Bateman makes rare comment explaining why he and sister Justine don't see each other 'a ton'
While Jason Bateman usually doesn't talk about his family, the 'Zootopia 2' star shared rare insight into his relationship with his sister, Justine. 'We respect one another as individuals.'
Take Vitamin D at the Right Time, Try Ginger Tea for Blood Pressure—and 3 More Health Tips
This week, learn when to take Vitamin D, the difference between collagen and gelatin, and the best supplements for yourage.
CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins reacts to Donald Trump calling her 'stupid and nasty'
CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins had a few words for President Trump after his lengthy social media rant in which he called her 'stupid and nasty.'
University of Utah Health research funding reaches record $531M in 2025
University of Utah Health this year achieved record research funding totals, surpassing the half-billion mark for 2025, reaching $531 million.
Trump calls CNN's Kaitlan Collins 'stupid and nasty' after she reports on White House ballroom plans
President Trump called CNN host Kaitlan Collins 'stupid and nasty' in a lengthy tirade after she reported on his White House ballroom project.
Game Center: No. 11 BYU vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
Follow along as the No. 11 BYU Cougars take on the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with KSL.com's live Game Center.
Sardine-inspired washing machine filter removes 99% of microplastics
The home appliance can easily generate as much as 500 grams of microplastics each year.
Margot Robbie addresses audience concerns about 'Wuthering Heights' casting: 'Trust me, you’ll be happy'
Margot Robbie wants audiences to know she hears their concerns about her and Jacob Elordi's casting in the upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë's gothic romance, 'Wuthering Heights': "I get it."
Full-length Replay: Best of Wake Up Barstool
Highlights from Wake Up Barstool, a daily dose of unfiltered takes on the biggest stories in sports, featuring Dave Portnoy and the crew.
Full-length Replay: Best of Wake Up Barstool
Highlights from Wake Up Barstool, a daily dose of unfiltered takes on the biggest stories in sports, featuring Dave Portnoy and the crew.
Here’s What the World Health Organization Had to Say About GLP-1s in its First-Ever Guideline on the Drugs
The health agency supports the long-term use of the medications in combination with a healthy diet and exercise, and calls for equitable access to the drugs
Explore youth leadership opportunities in the Michigan 4-H Shooting Sports program - 4-H Shooting Sports
Learn about the teen leader program in 4-H shooting sports and how youth can become involved, have an impact on the program and develop leadership and life skills.
Eric Dane opens up about emotional battle of living with ALS: 'I have no reason to be in a good spirit'
Actor Eric Dane, 53, says he has 'no reason to be in a good spirit' amid his struggle with ALS.
Quentin Tarantino trashes 'weak sauce' 'There Will Be Blood' star: 'The weakest male actor in SAG'
Quentin Tarantino opined that one 'weak sauce' actor holds 'There Will Be Blood' back from further greatness: 'The weakest male actor in SAG.'
Why 'Home Alone' star Daniel Stern won't be celebrating the movie's 35th anniversary in person
Actor Daniel Stern still appreciates his 1990 holiday favorite, 'Home Alone,' but says he won't be celebrating the movie at in-person events.
BD Wong apologizes for racist joke: 'No excuses'
BD Wong is apologizing for a racist joke he made in a now-deleted social media post.
Aerosmith permanently removed from Disney World's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster preshow
Disney World has permanently removed the Steven Tyler-starring Aerosmith preshow video from Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (also featuring Ken Marino) as the ride transforms into a Muppets attraction.
The Ten Best Science Books of 2025
From “experimental archaeology” to the mysterious appeal of exploration, the wide-ranging subjects detailed in these titles captivated Smithsonian magazine’s science contributors this year
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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