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Saturday Sports: The NFL Draft; the Chicago Cubs
NPR's Scott Simon and sports reporter Michele Steele discuss the NFL Draft.
Science Meets Stage at Annual SCGP Playwriting Competition
The Simons Center for Geometry and Physics and the C. N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics hosted the Science Playwriting Competition readings on April 15
Fermat's Last Theorem: still a must-read about a 350-year maths secret
Simon Singh's exploration of mathematical proof – in particular Pierre de Fermat's last theorem – remains an absolute treasure, almost three decades after it was first published
Expert Quits US HIV Role, Rebukes Trump Global Health Approach
By Simon Lewis WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - The chief science officer for the U.S. flagship HIV/AIDS program left his role this week and criticized the Trump administration's cuts to foreign assistance and what he said was its use of aid as leverage for U.S. commercial interests. Republican ...
ASU geosciences professor named Guggenheim Fellow
S.-H. Dan Shim, a professor of geosciences at Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration, has been named a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, recognizing his interdisciplinary work bridging earth science and astrophysics.
Tickets Are On Sale For Phil Collins Tribute
The team that produced "The Simon & Garfunkel Story" and "R.E.S.P.E.C.T.–The Aretha Franklin Story" will present "The Phil Collins Story" on Sunday, October 18, at Plymouth Memorial Hall. Start time
Computer science was once a 'golden ticket' — now it's seeing the biggest enrollment drop of any major in 6 years
Nobel Prize–winning economist Simon Johnson said AI has "substantially wiped out" coding as a reliable source of opportunity.
Computer science was once a 'golden ticket' — now it's seeing the biggest enrollment drop of any major in 6 years. What students are choosing instead
Nobel Prize–winning economist Simon Johnson said AI has "substantially wiped out" coding as a reliable source of opportunity.
JD Vance could yet save his political skin. But it will mean turning on Trump
The vice-president has endured his most humiliating – and damaging – week as his boss’s fall guy. How much more can Maga’s great hope take? asks Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall
3 to See Art in Motion in Lake Worth; Norton exhibit; PB Symphony
Cultural Council for Palm Beach County recommends exploring new art exhibitions and a classical concert in Palm Beach County this week.
Arsenal v Sporting: Champions League quarter-final, second leg
Minute-by-minute report: Join Simon Burnton for all the latest news as the Gunners host Sporting with a semi-final place up for grabs
Simon Cherry Receives ESMI Award for Significant, Long-Term Contributions to Imaging Science
The Distinguished Research Professor of biomedical engineering has received the 2026 ESMI Award from the European Society for Molecular Imaging. Among the most prestigious honors in imaging science, the award celebrates a researcher for their outstanding contributions to the interdisciplinary field.
Simon Business School expands pathway to accelerated master’s degree through new college partnerships
Undergraduate students at partner institutions can earn their MS from the Simon Business School in one year.
ON THE JOB: “What is the Best Business Advice You’ve Ever Received?
Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Sound advice can contribute to your success. We recently asked area business leaders, what was their best advice they’d ever received. Here’s what they said: “The best advice I ever received was from my then –boss, Gerry Church, Fulton plant manager at Miller Brewing Co. He told me that whenever I wanted to discuss a business problem or issue with him, I should also be prepared to offer possible solutions. It’s the difference between being proactive or reactive. It’s also the difference between being a leader or follower. That has served me well in any business relationship I have had since then.” — Stephen Chirello, Owner, Steve Chirello Advertising, Fulton “Someone will always do it for less; they will also take the most effort to service or satisfy and leave you for the next lower price.” — John M. Henry, Owner, Speedway Press, Mitchell Printing, Phoenix Press, Oswego “I’m going to answer this question by turning it around and giving my own advice that is, ‘Always treat every customer as if they were your only customer!’ We are celebrating our 50th anniversary in business this year. We started our business on March 25, 1976. My advice works.”” — Nick Chervinsky, President, Brewerton Pharmacy, Brewerton “’You need to toot your own horn, my grandfather, Howard D. Dice, told me.” — Beth Ann Dice, Women’s active aging and cancer recovery coach, Mission Movement Wellness Studio & Breast Cancer Recovery Studio, Fulton “In the micro enterprise class, they taught, ‘Get a good lawyer, accountant and bank.’ That was over 30 years ago and I still have those three today. I chose good people I could grow with.” — Tony Pauldine, Owner, Anthony M. Pauldine General Contractors Inc., Oswego “From my grandfather; ‘Listen to everyone! You never know where you will get the solution you need.’” — Kevin Dean, Executive director, Oswego County Opportunities, Fulton “‘Preparation is the mother of success.’ My dad always drilled that into my head growing up, and it has helped me avoid a lot of snags in both my personal and professional life. Thanks, Dad!” — Bekkah Frisch, Owner and president, iHeart Holdings, Inc., Fulton “If you don’t take a risk and try, you will never know.” — Justin Taber, Owner, Torbitt’s Service Center, Oswego “Be ready to take a loss.” — Cody Seymour, Manager, Damiano’s Eatery, Mexico “I’ve received so much good business advice over the years. When people are giving you advice, always be curious rather than judgmental. Follow your gut. Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.” — Dana Decker, Principal owner/broker, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Oswego ’Do it and figure it out later.’ It hasn’t failed me yet. Too many people take time to think about doing this and this and this and then the opportunity is over with. If it’s somewhat reasonable — if it’s not something outrageous — do it and figure it out later.” — Jeremy Allen, Licensed real estate salesperson, Acropolis Realty Group, Syracuse “’Try to meet the needs of the customer. Treat them like you’d like to be treated.’ It’s like the Golden Rule says.” — Douglas Dickson, Physician and associate at CNY Foot Surgery and Podiatry Care, East Syracuse “The best piece of business advice I’ve ever received applies to life in general: always be honest. Never overstate your capabilities and always be willing to ask questions. The more specific you can be in any given topic will always lead to a better outcome.” — Tom Fernandez, President, Woodbine Hospitality, Syracuse “As a business owner, the advice would be ‘Don’t overextend yourself. Especially in agriculture, expect issues to come up.’ If something is going right, it’s not true agriculture. This last season, we scaled very hard to field another crew. We got more drones, crew and generators based on projections. This last season hit the ag community hard with a very wet spring. We did 15,000 to 20,000 acres for fungicide and the same for cover crop seeding in 2024. We scaled to 25,000 to 30,000 for 2025. We ended up doing 2,000 for fungicide and 3,000 for cover crop seeding. That’s why that advice was good.” — Rick Jordan, Operations manager, CNY Drove Services, Clinton “’Keep your head down, mind your own business and do the best for your clients that you can do.’ It has a lot to do with my success in working for Galloway Century 21.” — Ed Fayette, New York state licensed real estate agent, Century 21 Galloway, Oswego “’Expand in all ways, always.’ It just keeps you going and keeps you growing.” — Stephen Baier, Licensed real estate person, The Real Estate Agency & Bouck Commercial, Auburn “The best advice is, ‘Your biggest asset you won’t see on the books because it comes from your employees.’” — David Flickinger, Owner, Edible Arrangements, Syracuse “Don’t take things personally when you’re working with the public.” — Leeann Desimone, Manager, Annie’s Hallmark Shop, Auburn “‘Follow up.’ The customer knows that you care about what you are doing and that their opinion counts. Sometimes they might be on the fence about whether they want to use your company. If they’re asking your opinion on things, they feel you are concerned about what you’re doing. They like to be kept in the loop if they’re spending money with you.” — Dorothy Casper, Saslesperson, SweetWoods Memorials, Phoenix “The best business advice I received is ‘Never be the smartest person in the room. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.’ That’s how you learn.” — Debbie Bilello, Owner, Virtual Office Solutions, Central Square “’You need to grow your business but you can’t grow too big too fast.’ That’s what we’ve done at Pinnacle Maintenance. We’ve tried to grow but not too fast. Along those same lines, there’s another good piece of advice, ‘Don’t take on more than you can handle because it only leads to a bad name for your business and a bad experience for your customers.’ It goes along the same lines as growing your business slowly and carefully.” — David Wines, Owner, Pinnacle Maintenance, Central Square “Always be on time and do what you say you are going to do.’ I’ve done very well following that advice. Most of my work is referral and I don’t really do any advertising so I have a pretty good customer base. It’s mostly word-of-mouth from satisfied customers.” — Robert J. Fleming, Owner, Bob Fleming Windows & Doors, Brewerton “’Concentrate on your finances, always pay your taxes, and form a team you can depend on. Try to help the community you’re in as much as you can.’ We do all of these all the time here. We give and give and give to the community and the community gives back to us always.” — Susan Bonnet, Co-owner, Bonnet Sales and Service, Central Square “Keep smiling. It brings a positive attitude to the workplace.” — Karin Lindsley, Vice president, DTS Truck Service, Syracuse “‘Customer service above all.’ Following this advice has served us very well.’ — Guy Fox, Owner, Fox’s Discount Parts, West Monroe “The best thing to do is to make sure you’re taking in more money than you’re spending. I wish I could say I’m a good businessman but I have been in business since 1981. I’m not a bean counter but work well with my hands and its’s served me well all these years and I am still in business.” — Matt McGill, Owner, Matt McGill Collision, Brewerton
Blu Cow owner faces final day of business with gratitude, anger
Blu Cow owner Simone Larese is hosting a “black party” on Saturday, in which guests are invited to visit the restaurant dressed in black to mourn the loss of the Vail institution, before it closes...
Microsoft Abruptly Terminates VeraCrypt Account, Halting Windows Updates
Updates to VeraCrypt, a popular and long-running piece of encryption, are now thrown into doubt because of a seemingly unexplained Microsoft decision.
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp Strengthens Entertainment Transactions Practice with Addition of New York Media & Entertainment Partner
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (MSK) announced today that it has expanded its national Entertainment Transactions group with the addition of Amy Stein Simon...
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp Strengthens Entertainment Transactions Practice with Addition of New York Media & Entertainment Partner
NEW YORK, April 06, 2026--Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (MSK) announced today that it has expanded its national Entertainment Transactions group with the addition of Amy Stein Simonds as a partner in its New York office. With more than a decade of experience, Stein Simonds joins from Pryor Cashman LLP, where she was a partner in the Media + Entertainment group.
‘Run it back;’ UD forward to return next season
Dayton forward Jauin Simon posted a graphic social media saying, "Run it back."
Eve-of-election hearing set for lawsuit to delay Surfside runoff due to Passover
Judge Lourdes Simon will weigh religious liberty claims against risks of disrupting an election already in motion.
Quilty Launches as the Entertainment's Intelligence Platform
Today, Quilty launches as the first unified intelligence platform for the entertainment industry, a new tool set that consolidates creative analysis, writer development, packaging, market forecasting, production planning, industry introductions and legal intelligence. Founded by Simon Horsman, a technology and entertainment lawyer and film, television, and theatre producer, alongside technology entrepreneur and film producer, Daniel Wood, Quilty was created to address the global entertainment in
Winners of Science Playwriting Competition Showcased April 15 at Simons Center
The Stony Brook University Science Playwriting Competition brings the sciences and humanities closer together, providing an outlet for scientists and playwrights to venture beyond their normal modes of thinking, spark their imaginations and create new experiences. Rooted in artistic expression, the best science plays can be exceptional works of art that convey scientific concepts aesthetically, potentially
Peace of mind was Mikaela Shiffrin's biggest victory in 2026 Winter Olympics
Olympic legends Mikaela Shiffrin and Simone Biles are fierce advocates for athletes prioritizing their mental health.
Pfeiffer, Pulley Join The Core Entertainment Leadership Team.
The Core Entertainment has added Sarah Pfeiffer as Head of Marketing and Gabriella Pulley as Chief of Staff. Both will report to Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Simon Tikhman and Chief Zaruk
Simona Martin: Colorado’s data center boom needs public health guardrails
As AI infrastructure expands across the state, lawmakers face a choice about who bears the costs and risks.
Oscar-Winning Alumnus Returns to Pasadena’s ArtCenter for Entertainment Design Expo
One week after winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, KPop Demon Hunters co-director Chris Appelhans returns today to ArtCenter College of Design, the Pasadena campus where he studied illustration, for the college’s third annual Entertainment Design Expo. The expo, known as ENTX, opens the Hillside Campus to the public for a full day of gallery exhibitions, game playtesting, animation screenings and interactive experiences featuring work from more than 200 ArtCenter students and alumni. General admission is free with advance registration. Two industry panels — including Appelhans’s talk — require $15 tickets. Appelhans, who graduated from ArtCenter with a bachelor of fine arts in 2002, co-directed KPop Demon Hunters with Maggie Kang. The animated film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released on Netflix, became the streaming platform’s most-watched film in history, according to Netflix, and swept awards season with wins at the Golden Globes, the Annie Awards and the Grammys before taking the Oscar on March 15. His talk and audience Q&A is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. in the Ahmanson Auditorium. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The film’s ArtCenter ties extend beyond its co-director. Art director Angela Sung, cinematographer Gary H. Lee, visual development artist Celine Kim and painter Simon Baek are all ArtCenter graduates who worked on the production, according to the college. The free portions of ENTX include a concept design showcase, a production design gallery, a model gallery, a stop motion studio preview, an alumni gallery and a KPop Demon Hunters fan art gallery. Visitors can also playtest games designed by ArtCenter students. An Animation Shorts Showcase runs from 2 to 3 p.m. and includes “Boy, I’m Scared,” a capstone short by ArtCenter graduate Lindsey Tenaglia that was named a semifinalist for the 2025 Student Academy Awards in the animation category. Also screening
An Iranian-American political science expert talks about Iran's nuclear program
NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Ariane Tabatabai, the Public Service Fellow at Lawfare, about the nature of Iran's nuclear program, and whether it, as President Trump has said, posed an "imminent threat."
Chadwick Boseman's widow shares details of his cancer journey and death: 'A betrayal of faith'
'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman died in August 2020 following a private battle with colon cancer. His widow is sharing new details of the actor's cancer journey and death.
How Israeli domestic politics affect the Iran war
NPR's Scott Simon asks former Israeli deputy national security adviser Chuck Freilich, now at Columbia University, about Israeli domestic politics and their effect on the Iran war.
'One of Us' is a British political drama based on the Boris Johnson era
In today’s episode, Elizabeth Day describes the protagonist in her new novel One of Us as the “quintessential outsider.” Martin Gilmour came from a difficult background, but won a scholarship to an elite boarding school in England. There, he befriends an aristocratic boy named Ben who will later ask Martin to keep an important secret. One of Us follows the implosion of their friendship – and Martin’s discretion – as Ben strives for political power. In today’s episode, Day and NPR’s Scott Simon discuss the novel’s central rivalry and Day’s interest in the Boris Johnson era of British politics.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
Labour minister Josh Simons resigns after falsely linking journalists to ‘pro-Kremlin’ network
Makerfield MP has been under pressure over thinktank’s commissioning of PR firm to investigate reporters
Scientists confirm a mysterious “cosmic barcode” hidden near black holes - Futura-Sciences
It is hard to believe, but it has already been ten years since the first detection of a gravitational wave source. Named GW150914, after the date of its observation on 14 September 2015, the signal reached Earth and opened an entirely new chapter in astronomy. It marked the first direct...
Dirty Business, The Lady, Mandelson’s arrest – are they truth, ‘faction’ or just more drama?
The latest rush of docudramas seems to suggest that anyone in the public eye must expect a degree of intrusion. But where does that end, asks Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins
Made at the Library: Claiming Space in the Capital City of Science
Learn about the emergence of Washington, D.C. as a scientific city, the pioneering anthropology of Anita Newcomb McGee, and the scientific advocacy of astronomer Simon Newcomb in a conversation with historian and author Vincent Femia on his recent scholarship and research in the Manuscript Division.
SIU hosts spring events focused on public service, politics and philanthropy
The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute will host speakers in its spring program focusing on public service, politics and philanthropy.
Which full-body MRI scan should I get? Compare major companies like Preunvo.
Full-body MRIs are all the rage. We take a look at three major companies offering such testing.
Nantwich sports photographer calls job 'ridiculous at times'
Photographer Simon Stacpoole has been capturing key moments in sport for 20 years.
Video: Venezuela Releases Political Prisoners, With Conditions
Since Nicolás Maduro’s capture by the United States, Venezuela has released hundreds of political prisoners and approved a new amnesty law, although the restrictions on those freed have raised questions about whether this signals real change. Our international correspondent Simon Romero describes what’s happening.
'I think that massively plays into Leeds' hands'
On the latest episode of Don't Go To Bed Just Yet, Jonny Buchan, Adam Pope and Simon Rix discussed the recent managerial changes at Nottingham Forest and Tottenham and how that could affect Leeds United in the battle for survival. "I think that massively plays into Leeds' hands and everybody else down the bottom, because suddenly I think Forest seem the most vulnerable."
Aurora to Participate in the TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference
Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB), the Canadian-based leading global medical cannabis company, will participate in TD Cowen's 46th Annual Health Care Conference in Boston, MA. Simona King, Chief Financial Officer at Aurora, will take part in a fireside chat and one-on-one meetings with investors on March 2, 2026.
April B & Shenelle Simone give the latest in entertainment headlines
Cynthia Erivo speaks out about she and Ariana Grande's friendship, and Brooklyn Beckham writes a note to wife Nicola Peltz.
A Cosmic “Barcode” Has Indeed Been Detected Around Black Holes - Futura-Sciences
It is hard to believe, but it has already been ten years since the first gravitational wave source was discovered. Named GW150914, for gravitational wave and the date of its observation, September 14, 2015, the signal reached Earth on that day and opened a new era in astronomy. GW150914 marked...
The physics of the Winter Olympics : Short Wave
Watching a ski jumper fly through the air might get you wondering, “How do they do that?” The answer is – physics!That’s why this episode, we have two physicists – Amy Pope, a physicist from Clemson University and host Regina G. Barber – break down the science at play across some of the sports at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Because what’s a sport without a little friction, lift and conservation of energy? They also get into the new sport this year, ski mountaineering - or “skimo” as many call it - and the recent scandal involving the men’s ski jump suits. Interested in more science behind Olympic sports? Check out our episodes on how extreme G-forces affect Olympic bobsledders, the physics of figure skating and the science behind Simone Biles' Olympic gold. Also, we’d love to know what science questions have you stumped. Email us your questions at shortwave@npr.org – we may solve it for you on a future episode!Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
I Love This Dart Counter for Local and Online Matches
Step up to the oche and hit the bull’s-eye with this automatic darts scoring system for online play.
SEGG Media Expands Executive Team With Appointment of Simon Lewis to Lead Concerts.com and Company’s Entertainment Portfolio Strategy
Lewis, Former President of Live Nation Europe and a Senior Vice President at MTV Networks Europe, Named EVP of Entertainment and CEO of DotCom VenturesFORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sports Entertainment Gaming Global Corporation (“SEGG Media” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: SEGG, LTRYW), a global sports, entertainment, and gaming group, today announced that Simon Lewis has been appointed Executive Vice President of Entertainment for SEGG Media and Chief Executive Officer of DotC
Pieter Mulier to Design Versace, Prada Group Confirms
The outgoing Alaïa designer and long-time lieutenant of Prada co-creative director Raf Simons will be tasked with revitalising Prada Group’s new acquisition, following the ouster of Dario Vitale in December.
World record speed skier Simon Billy describes ‘crazy feeling’ of traveling over 158 mph downhill
When he squeezes into his bright red ski suit and puts on his Darth Vader-esque helmet, speed skier Simon Billy hears nothing and sees very little.
Anfernee Simons trade grades: Celtics earn 'B' for landing Bulls' Nikola Vučević
The Celtics take a step toward ducking the luxury tax while adding a big man
Bulls reportedly sending Nikola Vučević to Celtics for Anfernee Simons
The teams will also exchange second-round picks in the deal, per ESPN's report.
Palat scores, assists in Islanders' 5-2 win over Rangers
Ondrej Palat scored the opening goal and added an assist in his debut with the New York Islanders, who defeated their cross-town rival New York Rangers 5-2 on Wednesday night. Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists, David Rittich made 14 saves, and the Islanders won their second straight game. Mathew Barzal, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Emil Heineman also scored.
Radiology practice SimonMed Imaging launches new ‘longevity screening’ division
The elective exams have previously been delivered under the SimonONE brand and will be folded into the rest of the radiology practice for greater service integration.
Prep Sports Report: Basketball game between highly ranked teams will likely be rescheduled this week
By Terry Boehmker NKyTribune sports reporter If severe winter weather continues to force local school closings on Tuesday, a game between Northern Kentucky’s highest ranked girls basketball teams will likely be cancelled that night. Simon Kenton (21-1) has a game scheduled at Cooper (15-3) on Tuesday. Both schools were closed on Monday and after-school activities...
Meet Laurent Simons: He completed PhD in quantum physics at 15 and now pursuing second PhD to extend human life | - The Times of India
Science News: Laurent Simons is one of the most talked-about young minds in science today. At just 15, the Belgian prodigy defended a PhD in quantum physics at the .
Ahead of the storm, business as usual at Charlottesville's Waffle Shop
The "Waffle House Index" is frequently used to gauge the severity of weather conditions in the South.
It sounds like something out of a science fiction series, but it's real: at just 15 years old, Laurent Simons has already completed a PhD and is now researching how to defeat aging with artificial intelligence
At 15, most teenagers are worrying about exams or learning to drive. Belgian researcher Laurent Simons has already defended a PhD in quantum physics at the
Blu Cow announces final day of business in Vail Village
The Blu Cow restaurant has been given until April 15 to be completely out of the building, says owner Simone Larese, making April 10 a tentative last day for the restaurant. The restaurant is located...
Samsung Electronics Europe CEO explains its AI strategy
Simon Sung, the CEO of Samsung Electronics Europe, said its AI strategy is "about AI that is genuinely useful and unobtrusive."
‘A labor of love’: A Triangle restaurant serves up deals to help save other businesses
Downtown Raleigh is taking a hit with many longtime restaurants saying goodbye to the area. Simon Says Dip This, a local dessert eatery, is stepping up to offer deals and incentives to help save other local restaurants.
STX Entertainment Relaunching With New Investor, Robert Simonds And Noah Fogelson To Exit
Beleaguered STX Entertainment is attempting another reset with a deep-pocketed investor. Chair Robert Simonds and CEO Noah Fogelson are exiting.
NBA trade deadline: Breaking down the teams and players that could be involved in tax-ducking moves
Fourteen teams are currently slated to pay the luxury tax -- here's how some of them can save some money
U.S. occupation not good for Venezuela, America or Chicago, says UChicago expert Robert Pape
Pape, an international security affairs and political violence expert, shared four key takeaways in conversation with WBEZ's Sasha-Ann Simons on 'In the Loop' Monday.
April B and Shenelle Simone talk entertainment
April B and Shenelle Simone of the Flew Here, Grew Here podcast join Good Day Atlanta to talk about the latest entertainment headlines.
Simon Cowell looks back on Kelly Clarkson's 'American Idol' win: 'It was like a movie'
Simon Cowell says witnessing Kelly Clarkson's 'American Idol' win felt like something out of a movie: 'You couldn't have asked for a more perfect winner.'
An open science resource for accelerating scalable digital health research in autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions
Nature Neuroscience - This paper describes the Simons Sleep Project, an open resource designed to accelerate research into the sleep and daily behaviors of autistic children using synchronized...
Starmer v Starmer: why is the former human rights lawyer so cautious about defending human rights? – from The Audio Long Read
Many of his supporters hoped the prime minister would restore the UK’s commitment to international law. Yet Labour’s record over the past year has been curiously mixedBy Daniel Trilling. Read by Simon Darwen
Saturday Sports: the rise of sports gambling; looking back at this year's games
NPR's Scott Simon and sportswriter Howard Bryant look back on the year in sports, from the the rise of sports gambling to the most momentous games of 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.
This health policy expert assesses the current state of the U.S. health care system
NPR's Scott Simon talks with Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation about the state of the U.S. health system as we close out 2025 with no deal in Congress to extend Obamacare. subsidies.
Saturday Sports: College football; Philip Rivers' NFL return; Chicago Bears' likely move
NPR's Scott Simon and sports reporter Michele Steele discuss the first round of the College Football Playoffs, Philip Rivers' return to the NFL and a potential move for the Chicago Bears.
Best DFS picks for Rams at Seahawks in Week 16
Nick Simon brings you his favorite picks for FanDuel’s Thursday night single-game DFS contests.
You Can Turn Your Raspberry Pi Into A Local AI Agent - Here's How
Transform your Raspberry Pi into a local AI agent and desktoy through a view simple hacks presented by GitHub user Simone Marzulli.
Simon Cowell says he and Ryan Seacrest 'rarely talk now'
The two worked together for years on "American Idol."
Simon Cowell Reveals Where He Stands with Ryan Seacrest: 'We Rarely Talk Now'
During an appearance on The New York Times' The Interview podcast, the British TV personality reflected on his years as a judge on American Idol, and threw a subtle dig at the show's longtime host.
SIU’s Simon Institute hosts Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar on nation’s political contradictions
Paul Starr, a Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar at Princton University and the founding co-editor of The American Prospect magazine, will join Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute for a virtual conversation on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
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.
The best new science fiction books of December 2025
From a new collection of shorter fiction by Brandon Sanderson to Simon Stålenhag’s new work, via a Stranger Things novel, December’s new sci-fi features some compelling and intriguing offerings