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Paramount goes hostile in its bid for Warner Bros Discovery
It is the same bid that Warner Brothers rejected in favour of the offer from Netflix last week.
Black Hole Eats Star: NASA Missions Discover Record-Setting Blast
Astronomers have been poring over a flood of data from NASA satellites and other facilities as they try to work out what was responsible for an extraordinary
Top bipartisan lawmakers support releasing video of controversial boat strikes
Top lawmakers who were briefed last week on the September “double-tap” strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean say they would support the release of video from the attack, with Democrats actively calling for it to be made public.
Too busy to meditate? Microdosing mindfulness has big health benefits
Small bursts of mindfulness practices lasting a minute or less can have unexpected benefits for those with busy lives - here’s how
'Leaked' Shenmue 4 trailer has "absolutely no connection" to Ys Net, as studio considers legal action
Ys Net is considering legal action against the perpetrator who uploaded a fake Shenmue 4 trailer last week.
Why a deal isn’t coming together on health care
OPINION: Industry experts have been warning about sticker shock but are routinely ignored by a Congress addicted to last-minute brinkmanship.
Knicks' fervor defending home court is habit they may need when it...
The Knicks outlasted the Magic to go 13-1 in their first 14 MSG starts this year, and avenged the only home loss they’ve suffered so far.
Apple TV previews new F1 streaming deal, confirms driver onboard cams will be included
Today was the last race of the 2025 F1 championship, and that also meant the last time ESPN will broadcast...
PS5 reigns supreme over Black Friday, accounting for a staggering 62% of all console sales
The European Top 20 didn't welcome any new entries last week, but Black Friday week saw a boost in sales nonetheless th…
The ROG Xbox Ally Has Just Received Its First Major Discount
Available until late December or while stocks last
Samsung December 2025 One UI Updates List
We are in December 2025, and Samsung is getting ready for its next major software update, One UI 8.5. Meanwhile, the company continues releasing monthly updates and has now started rolling out the December 2025 security patch for Galaxy devices. Just like last month, Samsung began the latest patch rollout with its mid-range phones instead […]
'No more Mr. Nice guy': Trump bashes Rep. Henry Cuellar for running as a Democrat after pardon
The Texas Democrat said last week that there was no deal made with the White House for his pardon.
Democrats See an Opening to Win the Miami Mayor’s Race in the Latest Test of the US Political Mood
MIAMI (AP) — It has been nearly three decades since a Democrat held the mayor’s office in Miami, a span of futility the party is hoping to reverse during a special runoff election this week in one of the last electoral showdowns before next year’s midterms. While it is a local race, this election ...
Paranovus Entertainment Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ:PAVS) Looks Inexpensive After Falling 94% But Perhaps Not Attractive Enough
The Paranovus Entertainment Technology Ltd. ( NASDAQ:PAVS ) share price has fared very poorly over the last month...
Passenger Jet Suddenly Dropped From Sky for a Wild Reason, Airbus Says
Apologies to our art director, who must depict a plane plunging after being blasted by cosmic rays, which is something that actually happened.
Assessing Goldman Sachs After a 301% Five Year Surge and Business Model Shift
If you are wondering whether Goldman Sachs Group is still a smart buy after its huge run up, or if you are late to the party, you are in the right place to unpack what the current share price actually implies. The stock has climbed 3.5% over the last week, 8.7% over the past month, and is up a striking 48.6% year to date, capping a 45.4% 1 year gain and a 301.0% increase over 5 years that has clearly shifted how the market views its risk and growth profile. Recent headlines have highlighted...
WebGPU is now supported by all major browsers
WebGPU could bring AAA games to browsers in 2027 WebGPU has cleared its last big hurdle. The new GPU API is now enabled in stable releases of Chrome and
Where is the 2025 GameAbove Sports Bowl?
College football bowl season is here! Get ready for the 2025 GameAbove Sports Bowl while supplies last.
Jasmine Crockett scrambles Democrats as she weighs a last-minute Texas Senate run
Jasmine Crockett has two cashier’s checks made out to use on Monday: one to submit if she files for reelection for her US House seat, the other to jump into the already competitive Texas Democratic primary for US Senate.
Judge temporarily blocks Justice Department’s use of evidence in dismissed Comey case
A federal judge on Saturday temporarily locked down the Justice Department’s access to some evidence used in its criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, just as the Trump administration prepares to seek a new indictment after the dismissal of previous charges early last week.
Neon Liberalism #55: Politics As Culture
Has culture stagnated in the 21st century? Do the last twenty-five years feel like a blur? What can politics learn from the inherent dynamics of cultural change? And is Donald Trump the greatest kitsch artist of our time? Join Samantha Hancox-Li and guest W. David Marx, author of the just-released
Crane Kenney Explains Disparity Between Cubs' Revenue, Payroll -
Much has been made about the Cubs having MLB’s third-highest revenue and just the 14th-highest player payroll, a disparity that angered many fans throughout the season. Then there’s that oft-cited BrooksGate graphic showing that the Cubs ranked 26th in terms of the percentage of their reported gross revenue dedicated to payroll last season (36.4%). They …
41 People Who Almost Died Are Sharing How They Barely Survived, And It's Terrifying
"That night, I knew I was going to die. I called my mother to have a last conversation with her and then called the hospital."
The Jets believe they're a different team — it's time to prove that...
The last place that Glenn and the Jets want to be is last place, and a season sweep by the Dolphins, on a three-game heater, would all but doom them to the AFC East basement.
Pelicans Get Surprise Spot in Latest CBS Sports Power Rankings
Despite having the worst record in the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans aren't last in the latest power rankings.
Undocumented immigrants deserve health care — they’ve already paid for it
Last month, one of the kindergarten students I counsel as a social work intern was absent from class for most of the week. This student missed school Tuesday through Friday. On Friday, her teacher …
WTOP’s Bob Immler retires after 40 years in the traffic business
After more than 30 years of guiding Washingtonians through traffic’s twists and turns, legendary evening anchor Bob Immler is signing off for the last time at WTOP.
Engadget review recap: Dell 16 Premium, Nikon ZR, Ooni Volt 2 and more
A roundup of all the reviews published by Engadget over the last few weeks.
BOOKMARKS: Blast off for the final frontier with science fiction reading suggestions
Science fiction, like most other genres, contains multitudes. Any story that incorporates futuristic science or technology can fall under this umbrella, so there’s plenty for any reader to enjoy.
West Midlands people urged to 'shop local' and back small firms
Small Business Saturday celebrates local, independent traders amid hopes of a "lasting impact".
Jax State falls to Kennesaw State on last-minute play of Conference USA title game
Jax State (8-5) will await its bowl destination, expected to be announced on Sunday after the conclusion of all of the conference title games.
Last Man Standing Reunion: Watch Kaitlyn Dever Surprise Tim Allen On The Set Of Shifting Gears
Here's one Baxter family reunion you won't see on Tim Allen's current sitcom - a surprise encounter with his former TV daughter Kaitlyn Dever.
‘Choosing Pennsylvania’: Officials offer details on plan for agri-business in Muncy
New Jersey-based agri-business manufacturer has purchased a Muncy facility and anticipates 69 new full-time jobs with possible expansion of its staff to eventually create hundreds of jobs once the plant begins operation in a year. Officials with Farmplast LLC of Parsippany, Wednesday joined state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, Brent Vernon, senior Project, and Account Management […]
Frostburg State set to face Kutztown in quarterfinals
KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Frostburg State is one of eight teams remaining in the Division II playoffs. If the Bobcats (11-2) want to reach the Final Four, they’ll have to conquer one of the top teams in the nation. Kutztown University has reached at least the second round in five of the last six seasons, including a semifinal berth in 2023. The Golden Bears (13-0) were ranked in every coaches poll this ...
Huge deal over $2,000 off Samsung’s 85-inch ‘The Frame’ 4K TV has shoppers racing to Walmart while they last
The best deal you can find is on the largest display size, which is the massive Samsung The Frame 85-inch model at over $2,000 off of the usual price.
Nets seek better fourth quarter vs. last-place Pelicans
While a fourth-quarter collapse leading to a loss may improve draft lottery odds, it did not cure the immediate sting and disappointment Brooklyn Nets coach Jordi Fernandez and his players felt Thursday night.
Sardine-inspired washing machine filter removes 99% of microplastics
The home appliance can easily generate as much as 500 grams of microplastics each year.
Pallone Welcomes Health Board Move To Defer Decision That Would Close Long Branch’s Hospital
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-6) today welcomed the decision by the State Health Planning Board last night to defer their decision to issue a recommendation on the closure of Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) hospital in Long Branch. The decision by the Board to postpone issuing their final recommendation comes after the State’s final hearing[...]
Are you a swing voter? We want to hear how you're feeling about politics
Do you think the country is going in the right or wrong direction? Are you happy with your vote last year or do you have any regrets? Or maybe you sat the election out? NPR wants to speak with swing voters across the political spectrum.
Michael Returns In New GTA Online Mansions Update
The next GTA Online update, A Safehouse in the Hills, has finally gotten its release date confirmed by Rockstar Games. The company fully revealed on Friday that they'd be releasing yet another winter DLC as expected next week. The new update was first teased by Rockstar last week but details aside from the fact we'll be able to buy mansions have been fairly limited. Now we know Michael is back and more.
Where the hell is Samsung's Ballie robot?
Ballie has been promised to us multiple times over the last few years, but we're still waiting to see if it becomes a real product.
Last chance to get Cyber Week deals from Samsung US
Here are special discounts and trade-in offers for Galaxy phones, the new Galaxy XR headset, plus watches, laptops and more.
My dad died unexpectedly. Picking up one of his hobbies has helped me feel more connected to him.
My dad died last year, and it still makes no sense to me. I've picked up his painting hobby, and it's created a tiny tether to feel connected to him.
A slew of businesses opened or announced plans to last month
The holiday season is a busy one meaning there may have been news you missed. Don't worry, we have you covered.
Eagles-Chargers Preview
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) The Los Angeles Chargers had to adjust on the fly after Justin Herbert broke a bone in his non-throwing hand last Sunday.
Bengals-Bills Preview
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Impressed as Sean McDermott was regarding Buffalo’s dominance against Pittsburgh, the Bills coach knows last weekend’s win means little if Buffalo follows it up with a dud in hosting the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Rams-Cardinals Preview
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) The Los Angeles Rams suffered through a rare dud last weekend, falling to the Carolina Panthers in a turnover-filled 31-28 loss that ended a six-game winning streak.
Millennium suffered big losses in one of the $81 billion hedge fund's favorite strategies last month
Teams run by big-name portfolio managers such as Glen Scheinberg and Pratik Madhvani suffered significant losses in November.
To counter climate denial, UN scientists must be 'clear' about human role: IPCC chief
With US President Donald Trump and other sceptics calling climate change a hoax, the UN's climate science body must tell the world in a "very clear way" that humans are heating the planet, its chairman told AFP. Jim Skea, a Scottish professor, chairs the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which held a five-day meeting in a skyscraper outside Paris this week to begin drafting the next major UN climate assessment.I mean, we concluded in our last report, very simple conclusion: It is
A Navy warship mistook US fighter jets for enemy missiles and opened fire. The targeted pilot saw his life flash before his eyes.
New documents reveal how the USS Gettysburg shot down an F/A-18 and nearly hit a second one above the Red Sea last year.
Public Trust in Government: 1958-2025
While trust in government has been low for decades, the current measure is one of the lowest in the nearly seven decades since the question was first asked by the National Election Study, and it is lower than it was last year (22%).
Senate Democrats set up last-ditch vote to extend Obamacare subsidies
The measure would keep Affordable Care Act subsidies in place for three years. But it’s not expected to get enough Republican support to pass.
'Not the time to lose our heads'
Burnley forward Lyle Foster says the team must draw confidence from their performance against Crystal Palace, despite slipping to a fifth consecutive Premier League defeat. Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, Foster stressed the importance of staying calm and maintaining belief during a difficult run. "After last night, we can take a lot of confidence and strength from the performance we have given," Foster said.
EBay's New Sports Card Price Guide Could Change The Game for Collectors
EBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) is rolling out a comprehensive pricing tool designed to revolutionize how trading card collectors navigate the marketplace. New Pricing Tool Targets Trading Card Collectors The online marketplace giant is introducing a price guide for trading cards that draws on actual marketplace data from completed and paid transactions, collectible news site CLLCT reported last week. The feature offers "a clearer view of everything from rarity to real market value," eBay Vice President
How to watch every Investec Champions Cup match on TV this weekend
Rugby union’s premier club competition gets underway with Bordeaux Begles as the defending champions after beating Northampton Saints in last year’s final
AMC Entertainment CEO remains in charge of world's largest theater chain after stroke
AMC Entertainment said Thursday that CEO Adam Aron suffered a minor stroke last month but recovered rapidly and will continue to lead the world's biggest movie theater chain.
AMC Entertainment CEO remains in charge of world's largest theater chain after stroke
AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron suffered a minor stroke last month but is recovering rapidly and will continue to lead the world’s biggest movie theater chain, the company said Thursday. Aron, 71, suffered the stroke while on a business trip in London, where he immediately received emergency medical care, the company said. “Given his mental acuity and physical resilience, Mr. Aron remains in full command at the helm of AMC and continues to perform his duties as chairman, chief executive officer and president,” AMC said in a release.
AMC Entertainment CEO remains in charge of world's largest theater chain after stroke
AMC Entertainment said Thursday that CEO Adam Aron suffered a minor stroke last month but recovered rapidly and will continue to lead the world’s biggest movie theater chain
Eurovision organisers debate whether Israel should be barred from contest
Jury may vote along with the public if EBU cannot prevent bids that sway the public, as Israel allegedly did last year.
'Nine points from top but a million miles away'
Ross: If we have stooped so low that we need a dodgy last minute penalty to beat a team like Dundee United then the squad have a problem that can't be fixed with the current players. If Jack Butland and Nico Raskin weren't there this year, we could've been relegated by now. Also, James Tavernier had a poor day, we should maybe consider a long term replacement for him in January.
Zeroday Brewing Co. to shut down flagship Taproom, adding to business closures in Harrisburg
Zeroday Brewing Co. plans to shutter its flagship taproom and restaurant, dealing another blow to Harrisburg’s once-vibrant dining and nightlife scene. On Wednesday evening, co-founder Theo Armstrong said that he and his partners made “the difficult decision” to close the location at 925 N. 3rd St. The last day will be Sunday, Dec. 28. “Closing […]
Meta poaches Apple design exec Alan Dye
Dye led Apple's user interface team for the last decade.
Meta poaches Apple design exec Alan Dye to lead new creative studio in Reality Labs
Dye led Apple's user interface team for the last decade.
Is There Now an Opportunity in PENN Entertainment After Steep 5 Year Share Price Decline?
Wondering if PENN Entertainment’s beaten down share price is a hidden bargain or a value trap? This article will walk through the numbers with you, step by step. Despite some big swings over the last few years, PENN now trades around $14.69, with returns of -0.3% over 7 days, -11.6% over 30 days, -23.6% year to date, and a steep -33.0% over the last year that has clearly shifted market sentiment. Those declines sit on top of an even tougher long term picture, with shares down -55.9% over 3...
The four best science documentaries of 2025
From animal rivals to Jane Goodall's last thoughts, enjoy 2025's best science documentaries, says our TV columnist Bethan Ackerley
Trump says he will pardon Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar
Cuellar was charged last year with bribery, money laundering and conspiracy. His wife, Imelda, also will receive a pardon, according to Trump.
Trump calls Somalians 'garbage,' which Minnesota officials call racism
Trump blasted Somali immigrants as 'garbage' he doesn't want in the country. But Minnesota officials called the criticism 'racism' and 'un-American.'
Republicans ask the Supreme Court to gut one of the last limits on money in politics
The Court already killed most US campaign finance law. NRSC v. FEC is likely to give big donors even more influence.
Scientists Uncover New Evidence of Ancient Airbursts That Ravaged Earth Without Leaving Craters
Scientists are uncovering signs that Earth has been hit by powerful cosmic blasts that leave little trace on the surface yet unleash extraordinary heat and pressure.
Trump rails against Somali migrants: ‘I don’t want them in our country’
The president blasted Minnesota’s Somali community as “garbage” in a rant also attacking Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar.
Trump announces more restrictions on legal immigration after DC shooting : The NPR Politics Podcast
The Trump administration has announced more restrictions on the country’s refugee and asylum programs after a shooting of two National Guard members last week in Washington, D.C., allegedly by an Afghan immigrant. How do these changes advance Trump’s immigration policy agenda and his vision of what it means to be an American?This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, immigration policy correspondent Ximena Bustillo, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.
Epic Games Store decides "at the last minute" not to distribute Horses
Epic Games Store is the latest online storefront to withdraw support for the provocative indie game, Horses.
Colts’ Stock Up/Down: Week 13 vs. Texans
Stock Up Alec Pierce No player in the NFL has earned himself more money than Pierce has this season. He has elevated his game to a whole different level and is right now the Colts’ best wide receiver on the roster, not just a deep threat specialist like last year with AR. He gets open […]
Avahi Named to Inc.’s 2025 Best in Business List in Best AI Implementation
The annual list recognizes industry-leading companies for exceptional achievement and impactSan Francisco, CA, Dec. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avahi is proud to announce its inclusion on the Inc. Best in Business list in the Best AI Implementation category. Inc.’s annual Best in Business Awards celebrate companies that have made a profound and lasting impact on their industries. Jack Singh, CEO of Avahi This recognition reinforces Avahi’s commitment to accelerating digital transformation by de
I found the best Cyber Monday laptop deals still live — 47+ last-minute sales I'd recommend to friends and family
Don't miss out on these last-minute sales
Prep talk: Carson's Xavier Allen delivers City titles in football and baseball
Top athlete Xavler Allen has helped Carson win City titles in football last week and baseball last spring.
Flagg, Mavericks to host Jaquez and the Heat
The Heat average 8.2 more points per game (124.3) than the Mavericks give up (116.1). The two teams square off for the second time this season. The Heat defeated the Mavericks 106-102 in their last matchup on Nov. 25.
Week 13 Panic Meter: LAST PANIC METER of the season + Final Coping Corner REVEALED
Shopify experienced instability for hours on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Last year, it handled $11.5 billion between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Last year, between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the platform handled $11.5 billion in sales, according to a Shopify press release.
Last Call for 12.1.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida
A digest of the day's politics and policy while the bartender refreshes your drink.
'There’s a lot of harassment' | Madisonville business owner looking for solutions after safety issues
Liz Field of The Cheesecakery told us the harassment and issues have gotten worse within the last year, and now she’s at her wits' end and doesn’t know what to do.
BREAKING: New historic entertainment district designated in Downtown Madison
🚂 GREEN CUP DISTRICT IN MADISON: Check out the newest entertainment district in North Alabama.
Does Recent Business Model Shift Make DocuSign a Better Value for Investors in 2025?
Curious if DocuSign is trading at a bargain or if recent changes have made it less appealing? Let’s break down what has been happening and what it could mean for anyone eyeing the stock. DocuSign’s stock has experienced some volatility recently, climbing 5.2% in the last week, but still down 23.2% year-to-date and 13.6% over the past 12 months. Analyst discussion has focused on DocuSign’s evolving business model and strategic partnerships, both of which have been making headlines and...
From Barton to Breakthrough Science
Dr. Taylor Medlock-Lanier, Class of 2020, has spent the last five years in her lab at the University of Georgia surrounded by containers of planarians—tiny flatworms with an extraordinary superpower. Cut one in half, and within a week, it will regrow its missing parts, including its entire brain. She’s been asking these tiny creatures a
Congress begins final session of 2025 with healthcare (and a dash of AI policy) on the docket
At the top of lawmakers' economic agenda is a promised vote on healthcare left over from the 43-day shutdown fight. Also being debated are two limited AI measures that have a last chance for action in 2025.
Science Power-up: Where Biomanufacturing Can Take Us This Century
Explore how fundamental science is shaping the future of everyday items we all rely on, from food to plastics – and how artificial intelligence and data will power the technologies of tomorrow in biomanufacturing.
Who was the best girls athlete on the Northshore for the week of Nov. 23-29? Vote now!
Vote for who you think was the best girls athlete on the Northshore last week.
Ad giant Omnicom says its mega merger with IPG will lead to 4,000 layoffs
The $9 billion advertising agency mega-merger was completed last week. Now come the synergies, including thousands of layoffs.
We've rounded up the best Cyber Monday iPad deals, including a new all-time low on the iPad Mini
Apple's iPads are on sale for Cyber Monday with discounts across the entire tablet lineup. Some prices are even lower than last week.
NC State to open 2026 football season in Brazil vs. ACC opponent
The game will be the first Football Bowl Subdivision game played in Brazil. The NFL has played games in the country the last two seasons.
Go (North) West, College Basketball
Lamenting the death of the truly-enjoyable MTE. I hadn’t planned on much basketball coverage here for a couple reasons: for one, the internet is a dying place, and, for two, that’s exacerbating the steady death of Off Tackle Empire dot blogspot dot biz. BUT! Looking over the (limited) options for basketball on this last snowy […]
Arts & Entertainment fall 2025 semester in review
Students surprise film professor with trip to Criterion Closet At the end of last semester, film students at Grand Valley State University thanked their professor with a trip to the Criterion Closet. Students surprised Associate Professor Joel Potrykus with a trip to the Closet, located in New York. The Criterion Closet is a physical collection of films, contained...
State Variations in the Role of the Reproductive Health Safety Net for Contraceptive Care Among Medicaid Enrollees
This KFF analysis uses 2023 T-MSIS Research Identifiable Files to look at where reproductive-age female Medicaid enrollees received their last contraceptive visit by state. Overall, more than four in 10 (43%) female Medicaid enrollees received their last contraceptive visit of 2023 at a safety net provider, which includes Planned Parenthood clinics, community health centers, state and local health departments, and Indian health services, but there is wide variation by state.
As a PS5 Gamer, I’d Hate to Miss These PlayStation Cyber Monday Deals, and Time’s Almost Up
Here's what's up for grabs now that PlayStation's official Cyber Monday 2025 sale is now live across all major retailers. This could be your last chance to save on consoles, games, accessories, and more.
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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