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Dallas ordered to remove 'political' road markings by end of January
Dallas has until Jan. 31 to choose between keeping its iconic decorative crosswalks or losing millions in state road funding as TxDOT cracks down on "non-standard" street markings.
Rural health care dollars buoy Wyoming hospitals, providers as lawmakers get on board
Legislators took a first crack at a measure that will establish major components of Wyoming’s $205M plans. Representatives of facilities like Riverton's new hospital are encouraged by proposed funding opportunities.
Trump has rolled out many of the Project 2025 policies he once claimed ignorance about
Some of the 2025 policies that have been implemented include cracking down on immigration and dismantling the Department of Education.
When politicians say the quiet part out loud
As Kaja Kallas’ unguarded comments showed, wisecracks and slips of the tongue often reveal far more than a carefully crafted speech.
Somali businesses struggle during the Minneapolis ICE crackdown
Business owners in a Minneapolis Somali mall report devastating losses because of the immigration crackdown.
Somali businesses struggle during the Minneapolis ICE crackdown
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rows of businesses stood shuttered inside a sprawling complex of Somali businesses on a recent afternoon.
Somali businesses struggle during the Minneapolis ICE crackdown
Rows of businesses stood shuttered inside a sprawling complex of Somali businesses on a recent afternoon. Karmel Mall in south Minneapolis contains more than a hundred small businesses in suites offering everything from clothing and food to insurance and accounting services. “It’s been like this for three weeks now,” said Abdi Wahid, who works at his mom’s convenience store in the mall.
Somali businesses struggle during the Minneapolis ICE crackdown
Business owners in a Minneapolis Somali mall are feeling the impact of an immigration crackdown
Trump administration social posts amid Minnesota immigration tensions seen as appealing to far right
As its immigration crackdown in Minneapolis intensifies, the Trump administration is leaning into messaging that borrows from phrases, images and music about national identity that have become popular among right-wing groups.
Your biggest legal questions about ICE and the Minneapolis shooting, answered
In recent days, Minneapolis has seen tense protests against the Trump administration’s deployment of federal agents to the city for an immigration crackdown that has escalated following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Rennee Good
How Republicans criticize Trump without criticizing him: From the Politics Desk
Plus, some cracks in GOP support for Trump's foreign policy agenda.
‘Today’ Hosts Crack Up Over Question John Mellencamp Asked Al Roker
Craig Melvin's jaw dropped at what rocker said.
Small Minneapolis businesses hit hard by ICE crackdown, while corporations stay silent
Up and down Lake Street in the heavily Latino area of south Minneapolis, numerous mom-and-pop restaurants have hung up signs that say "No ICE," referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials who have been conducting frequent raids in the area. The federal actions have also prompted thousands in the streets to protest after ICE agents killed 37-year-old Renee Good in her vehicle last week.
How to main your mental health during ICE crackdown, protests
Articles and videos about How to main your mental health during ICE crackdown, protests on FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul.
The Politics Hour: Local officials deal with immigration crackdown
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich discusses what federal cuts mean for county spending and Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto on demanding answers from MPD about its relationship with ICE.
Madison Sheahan, ICE’s No. 2 Official and a Trump Ally, Leaves to Run for House in Ohio
Madison Sheahan, a top enforcer of President Trump’s immigration crackdown, said she would step down to challenge Representative Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat.
Kalshi and Polymarket race to crack ‘parlays’ as stakes rise in sports betting
Prediction market providers strive to boost liquidity so they can take on gambling giants with multi-leg bets
US suspending immigrant visa processing from 75 countries
The United States is indefinitely suspending immigrant visa processing from 75 countries in another expansion of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
What countries do business with Iran and what could new US tariffs mean?
Donald Trump has announced a 25% tariff on countries trading with Iran after its deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.
Did Loss to Texans Reveal Cracks in Steelers OL’s Foundation?
PITTSBURGH — It was the type of play that deflates a stadium. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’ll be the lasting […] This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Did Loss to Texans Reveal Cracks in Steelers OL’s Foundation?
Trump threatens tariffs on countries doing business with Iran
President Trump threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on countries doing business with Iran on Monday in response to a violence crackdown by Tehran on growing anti-government protests. “Effecti…
Trump administration ‘using ICE as a political football’: Former chief
Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting Director John Sandweg on Friday said the Trump administration is “using ICE a political football” amid its widespread crackdown o…
Dr. Oz touts federal crackdown on healthcare fraud by 'foreign influences' in L.A.
Trump officials announced a sprawling probe into benefits fraud across California on Friday, citing what they called a massive, coordinated effort to fleece government healthcare programs.
Paul Pate pitches stricter laws to crack down on fraudulent businesses
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate wants to make it easier to crack down on fraudulent businesses when the 2026 legislative session begins.
Brownsville police introduce 'impact team' as part of crackdown in entertainment district
Brownsville police have launched an
Amazon flags 'low-time' and 'zero badgers' as it cracks down on RTO
Amazon rolls out an updated dashboard for managers to track office attendance and hours, expanding strict RTO policies.
Venezuela Announces the Release of Political Prisoners
The release, which was expected to happen later on Thursday, offers the first gesture of conciliation under an interim government, even as arrests and crackdowns continue.
Scientists are closing in on the Universe’s biggest mystery
Nearly everything in the universe is made of mysterious dark matter and dark energy, yet we can’t see either of them directly. Scientists are developing detectors so sensitive they can spot particle interactions that might occur once in years or even decades. These experiments aim to uncover what shapes galaxies and fuels cosmic expansion. Cracking this mystery could transform our understanding of the laws of nature.
ICE Shooting Creates New Crack in a Fractured Country
Plus, RFK Jr. says Americans should eat more protein, and Trump has big plans for Venezuelan oil.
Is cracking your knuckles really bad for them?
It doesn't actually cause arthritis.
Jon Martin, Dean Black look to crack down on open pot containers in cars
'This bill makes it crystal clear: driving high is unacceptable.'
‘Fell through the cracks’: Raleigh mayor addresses mental health after NC teacher’s death
California bill increases penalties for fake liens used to harass politicians, businesses
A California lawmaker introduced a bill Monday to crack down on fake liens filed against politicians, court employees and businesses that can force victims to spend thousands of dollars in legal fees to clear their names and repair their credit.
Tariff bills are making business all-but impossible for my Morningside store
Firecracker Fabrics owner Erin Love cuts fabric for a customer on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 at her store in Morningside. (Photo by Alex Jurkuta/Pittsburgh’s Public Source) I opened a fabric storefront because serving my customers brings me joy. But running a small business was never easy — and Trump’s tariffs just made it harder. “Pittsburgh’s […]
This ancient fossil could rewrite the story of human origins
Scientists may have cracked the case of whether a seven-million-year-old fossil could walk upright. A new study found strong anatomical evidence that Sahelanthropus tchadensis was bipedal, including a ligament attachment seen only in human ancestors. Despite its ape-like appearance and small brain, its leg and hip structure suggest it moved confidently on two legs. The finding places bipedalism near the very root of the human family tree.
Best Of: The Science And Stories Of Time Travel : 1A
Have you ever fantasized about going back in time to relive a moment — or change it?Maybe you’re more interested in traveling to the future where cars fly and the code to immortality has been cracked.If the idea of time travel resonates with you, you’re far from alone — particularly during a year of political upheaval.Scientists moved one step closer to understanding time travel, at least hypothetically, this year. Two physicists at the University of Queensland in Australia created a model for studying the phenomenonWe’re not there yet. But when it comes to books, movies and TV shows, that’s a different story. We’ve been thinking about hurtling through history for a very, very long time.Why do we return time and time again to stories about time travel? Will it ever become a reality?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Tariff bills are making business all-but impossible for my Morningside store
Erin Love runs Firecracker Fabrics in Morningside. Tariff bills are making her business of serving Pittsburgh’s maker community all-but impossible.
Something hidden deep underground supercharged this Chile earthquake
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck northern Chile in July 2024—and it wasn’t supposed to be that strong. Unlike Chile’s infamous shallow “megathrust” quakes, this one ruptured deep inside the Earth, where shaking is usually weaker at the surface. Researchers discovered that the quake broke long-held assumptions by tearing through hotter rock layers than expected, fueled by a rare chain reaction that accelerated the rupture.
How China cracked US ‘super code’, health benefits of lard: 7 science highlights
From China building world’s largest smart transformer to health benefits of lard, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.
New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Winter Prospect Awards
As another year is about to end, we take a look at the prospect pool and dish out some mid-season awards. Best Breakout Season — Gustav Hillstrom The breakout star in the Devils pool this season out of the gate has been Gustav Hillstrom, and while difficulties cracking and earning quality minutes in the SHL […]
Minnesota lets voters 'vouch' for up to 8 others as fraud scandals fuel calls for federal crackdown
Controversy grows over Minnesota law letting voters vouch for eight neighbors' residency without ID, as critics question election integrity safeguards.
Scientists found a dangerous feedback loop accelerating Arctic warming
The Arctic is changing rapidly, and scientists have uncovered a powerful mix of natural and human-driven processes fueling that change. Cracks in sea ice release heat and pollutants that form clouds and speed up melting, while emissions from nearby oil fields alter the chemistry of the air. These interactions trigger feedback loops that let in more sunlight, generate smog, and push warming even further. Together, they paint a troubling picture of how fragile the Arctic system has become.
Key matchups for Panthers vs. Seahawks in Week 17
Will the Panthers offense be able to crack through the Seahawks' stout run defense in Week 17?
Week in Politics: 2025 politics overview; a look ahead at midterms
President Trump began the year with huge plans and a GOP in lockstep, but heading into 2026 there are cracks in his support that could affect how much his administration gets done.
The year human evolution’s greatest mystery got a face
A mystery that started with the discovery of a pinkie finger bone in Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia may finally have been cracked.
Science history: James Webb Space Telescope launches — and promptly cracks our view of the universe
The James Webb Space Telescope blasted off from a launchpad in French Guiana in 2021, before reaching a spot in orbit a million miles away. It soon began breaking cosmology.
'60 Minutes' segment on Trump immigration policy accidentally airs online
The segment featured interviews with migrants sent to a notorious Salvadoran prison under President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. The segment was removed from Canada's Global Television Network but still appeared on its app.
ICE crackdown chills sales at immigrant-owned businesses
Owners believe many customers are avoiding the businesses for fear of drawing unwanted scrutiny.
Cracker jokes and custard chemistry: ways to smuggle science into Christmas
Researchers share the easy ways to uncover moments of festive discovery, proving you don’t need a lab coat to experiment this Christmas
Miami-Dade Tax Collector cracks down on businesses with suspected ties to Cuba
Miami-Dade Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez announced Monday that he revoked the licenses of 20 businesses suspected of engaging in trade with the Cuban regime.
Disney on Ice, GREAT Salt City Blues, ‘The Nutcracker:’ 10 things to do this week in CNY
There are several chances to get out of the house during Christmas week in Central New York.
Up in smoke: Inside New York City's chaotic crackdown on unlicensed weed shops
America's largest city wanted to get rid of illegal weed shops. Then came the SWAT teams.
Colorado’s business competitiveness shows cracks as investment drifts out of state
Business experts say 2025 was a mixed bag for Colorado's business climate.
US pursuing another tanker ship near Venezuela amid Trump blockade
The US is pursuing a vessel in international waters near Venezuela on Sunday after attempting to intercept it, a US official said, as President Donald Trump’s administration tightens its crackdown on the country’s oil industry.
Hidden seismic signals hint at a tsunami threat in Alaska
Researchers studying a massive landslide in Alaska have detected strange seasonal seismic pulses caused by water freezing and thawing in rock cracks. These faint signals could become an important early clue to changes that might someday trigger a dangerous landslide-driven tsunami.
How Costco's membership fees are key to keeping the wholesale club profitable
The wholesale club's crackdown on non-members has drawn comparisons to the streaming giant, but the similarities between the two businesses run deep.
Colorado’s business competitiveness shows cracks as investment drifts out of state
Business experts say 2025 was a mixed bag for Colorado’s business climate. Rankings from business leader surveys, state and federal organizations and news sites paint a murky picture for the region’s competitiveness as economic factors...
Nutcracker entertainment
The Hilltop Montessori Singers entertained the crowd gathered for the unveiling of the five new nutcrackers that were added to the Nutcracker Village on Nov. 25. The 11 children performed a selection of Christmas songs, receiving a round of applause after each holiday favorite. — Julie Stenger
Entertainment: 6 Ways To Have Last-Minute Holiday Fun
Haunted Holidays at The Rave, city lights tours, The Nutcracker and multiple charity events fill the days leading up to Christmas in Milwaukee.
Trump declares he is 'fixing' the nation in prime-time speech
Trump touted the state of the economy, his crackdown on crime and immigration at home, and some of his actions globally
A black swan event: Keir actually cracked a good joke at PMQs
MPs from most corners of Commons laughed at the festive gag – but stony-faced Farage failed to see the funny side
Holiday stage shows in New Orleans: Mannheim Steamroller, 'Nutcrackers' and more
Discover a sleigh-full of festive shows and performances keeping the holiday spirit alive in New Orleans.
Scene Calendar: Holiday and Christmas fun rule week in entertainment
A comprehensive list of Gainesville-area entertainment events.
RiverStone Health announces crackdown on kratom sales in Yellowstone County
RiverStone Health announced Monday it will begin enforcement against the sales of kratom in Yellowstone County.
Meta's AI restructuring and policy changes spark employee departures and morale concerns in 2025
Meta's AI overhaul, culture shifts, layoffs, and performance crackdowns have sparked internal clashes, employee exits, and morale concerns in 2025.
The year the Big Tech job market cracked
"It feels like recruiters are looking for Superman," said one job seeker who's struggled during the tech job market's brutal year.
Russia's wartime consumer boom is cracking as shoppers tighten their wallets
Russia saw a surge in consumer spending after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, even as sweeping sanctions hit the economy.
Health insurers ask GOP to fix their fraud problem — and extend Obamacare subsidies
In a last-minute plea, insurers are urging Republicans to crack down on fraud in their industry.
Cracker Barrel diners are sounding the alarm – here’s what reportedly has them furious
Cracker Barrel customers slam restaurant chain for poor food quality as company works to regain customer confidence in the wake of its failed rebrand.
Trump Administration Rules Threaten Nobel Prizes Won by Immigrants
As three immigrants claim Nobel Prizes in science for the United States this year, experts warn that immigration crackdowns could undo American innovation.
Scene Calendar: 'Nutcracker,' Alachua Christmas Parade, music from Bryan Bielanski
A comprehensive list of Gainesville-area entertainment events.
Did Jerry Jones, Mark Cuban crack the list of the 125 most influential sports biz leaders?
Sports Business Journal's list of the top 125 most influential sports business figures over the past 25 years includes several D-FW individuals, including...
Interfaith Leaders Rally To Bring Business Back To 26th Street After Federal Immigration Crackdown
The city's second busiest economic corridor saw 60-80 percent declines in business during the Trump administration's Operation Midway Blitz, local leaders said.
Opinion: Our responsibility to science communication
When we think of global threats, we don’t think of poor science communication. We think of climate change, of pandemics or perhaps of terrorism. I would be shocked if science communication cracked your top 10. And yet, we all lived through the COVID-19 pandemic. Think of how 20 years ago, vaccines were largely apolitical, but...
Analysis: The cracks in Trump’s base
No politician in modern history has held as much sway over his base as President Donald Trump. And perhaps nothing has mattered more to his political career than that.
Shops empty in a Hispanic neighborhood as immigration crackdown comes to Louisiana
Federal border agents have descended on a Hispanic enclave just outside New Orleans and local business owners are suffering
Arts and Entertainment Agenda, Dec. 5-12
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet ‘The Nutcracker,’ Dec. 5 Aspen Santa Fe Ballet returns in its 35th anniversary year to perform “The Nutcracker” between Dec. 5-7 at Aspen District Theater. The highly-anticipated performances will take place...
2026 FIFA World Cup draw storylines: USMNT's path, Yamal's first crack and more
The Americans will hope to avoid the Group of Death and receive a clear path to the knockout stages
Dog Parents, Rejoice: Science Says Your Pup Might Actually Help Your Teen’s Well-Being (Including Their Gut)
Like most parents of teens, you’re probably constantly trying to decode what actually supports your kids’ emotional well-being. Some days it feels like a moving target: school pressure, friendship drama, big emotions, changing hormones—it’s a lot. But one constant in your house could be… your dog. Your family pup can somehow manage to crack open …
Modelo and Corona are unexpected casualties of Trump’s immigration crackdown
Constellation Brands, the US owner of Modelo Especial and Corona, bet big on Latino customers for growth. But that strategy is unraveling under the Trump administration’s mass deportation push.
Gutfeld: Democrats only care about victims for ‘politics’
‘The Five’ co-hosts discuss the Trump administration’s drug crackdown and alleged ‘double tap’ of suspected drug boats in Venezuela.
Politician Ayachi Hammami latest arrest in Tunisia opposition crackdown
Tunisia opposition says charges are fabricated, as police enforce a five-year prison sentence.
Curiosity Cracked Open a Rock on Mars And Revealed a Big Surprise
A first on the red planet!
CA migrant workers delay medical care during Trump’s immigration crackdown
Fewer immigrant farmworkers in California are showing up at pop-up medical clinics since Trump’s immigration crackdown.
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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