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Judge orders Google to rebid for default search deals every year in a major antitrust blow
A federal judge orders Google to limit default search deals to one year, in an antitrust effort to open doors for rivals in search and generative AI.
Beloved LaGrange Park antique shop reopening after garbage truck plows through business
Former Warner Bros VP Kirk Stambler Joins Sacker Entertainment Law; Firm Opens Big Apple Office
Ex-Warner Bros VP Joins Sacker Entertainment Law; Opens NYC Office
Chamberlain blocks smart home integrations with its garage door openers
More cause for RATGDO
OpenAI's Code Red: Protect the loop, delay the loot
In the tech business, nothing matters more than users. ChatGPT ads can wait, but not forever.
Miley Cyrus Tells Jimmy Kimmel Her Most Gag-Worthy Aversion — Then Realizes It's Sitting On His Desk
The singer opened up about a surprising fear that makes the holiday season especially uncomfortable for her.
A Hospital Was Slated To Open in 2025. Amid a Legal Battle, It’s Still a Field of Dirt.
By Andrew Jones | KFF Health News Madison County, tucked in the mountains of western North Carolina, has no hospital and just three ambulances serving its roughly 22,000 people. The ambulances frequently travel back and forth to Mission Hospital in Asheville, the largest and most central hospital in ...
New businesses rise in Fountain Inn and Asheville
A Fountain Inn coffee house, a Greenville outdoor-gear shop and an Asheville fitness studio open new locations, boosting local businesses and community spirit.
Hannah Lundstrom joins Essentia Health-45th Street Clinic to practice walk-in care
The Essentia Health-45th Street Clinic is proud to welcome Hannah Lundstrom, a certified physician assistant who will practice walk-in care.
Riverside Health Celebrates Ribbon-Cutting for Riverside Smithfield Hospital Ahead of Opening in Early January 2026
Riverside Smithfield Hospital will join the Riverside network of four additional acute care facilities in early January 2026
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.
FIU helps small business owners to harness the potential of AI
The Florida Small Business Development Center at FIU partnered with OpenAI Academy to train entrepreneurs to adopt tools that boost efficiency and growth.
'Godfather of AI' Geoffrey Hinton says Google is 'beginning to overtake' OpenAI: 'My guess is Google will win'
Geoffrey Hinton, an AI pioneer who previously worked at Google Brain, said it was "surprising than it's taken this long" for Google to catch OpenAI.
Bullock has 15 as Hawaii downs UC Davis 75-69
HONOLULU (AP) Dre Bullock had 15 points in Hawaii's 75-69 win over UC Davis on Thursday night in a Big West Conference opener.
22 photos of The Argo, the new music and entertainment venue in the old Fox Bay Theater
The Milwaukee area’s newest music and entertainment venue, The Argo, opens to the public this weekend.
Holocaust survivors call on Nigel Farage to apologise over alleged antisemitic comments
Exclusive: Group’s open letter says Reform UK leader must take responsibility for behaviour as a schoolboy
Cal State Northridge defeats Cal State Bakersfield 87-66
LOS ANGELES (AP) Larry Hughes Jr. scored 27 points as Cal State Northridge beat Cal State Bakersfield 87-66 on Thursday in a Big West Conference opener.
Nominations Open for 2026 Michigan Hometown Health Hero Awards
The Michigan Public Health Week Partnership, a coalition of 13 statewide organizations that include the MHA, is seeking nominations by Friday, Dec. 19, for individuals and organizations that have contributed to improving the health and well-being of their communities.
FDA chief says Biden administration withheld data on heart risk from Covid vaccines
Myocarditis is a known — but small — side effect of the mRNA Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, information that federal agencies have discussed openly since 2021.
Why won’t Steam Machine support HDMI 2.1? Digging in on the display standard drama.
Valve tells Ars its “trying to unblock” limits caused by open source driver issues.
‘OPB Politics Now’: Homelessness in Portland and taxes in Oregon take center stage
Gov. Tina Kotek is running for reelection and is saying the state is “open for business.”
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.
British Digital Studio Wall Of Entertainment Signs With WME After Opening L.A. Arm
EXCLUSIVE: Wall Of Entertainment, the UK-based digital studio, social agency and talent management firm, is stepping up its ambitions in the U.S. The company, which was founded by Percelle Ascot and Joivan Wade, has signed with WME for representation after opening its first L.A. office. WME will work with the firm across digital, brand partnerships …
Erika Kirk to open up about life, loss and politics in town hall airing on CBS
Three months after her husband, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated, Erika Kirk will open up about life, loss, the state of political discourse and more in a one-hour town hall event moderated by Bari Weiss, CBS News' editor-in-chief.
'We're adding possibilities' MUSC Health Opens Phase 3 of West Ashley Medical Pavilion
WCIV ABC News 4, Charleston, South Carolina provides coverage of local and national news, sports, weather and community events in the region, including North Charleston, Mt Pleasant, Summerville, Hanahan, Goose Creek, Rantowles, Cottageville, St George, Moncks Corner, Jacksonboro, Ravenel, Cottageville, Walterboro, Sullivans Island, Dewees Island and Folly Beach.
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 …
Global Fishing Watch and Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory launch Deep-Sea Mining Watch
The new global transparency tool will empower governments, researchers and civil society to monitor vessels involved in deep-sea mineral explorationWashington, D.C., United States, Dec. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Fishing Watch, an international nonprofit organization advancing ocean governance through transparency of human activity at sea, and the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have unveiled an upgraded open-access portal designed to br
New workforce development labs at Mote SEA open doors for aspiring marine scientists
As Mote continues to grow, it is setting the stage for the next generation of marine science professionals with new STEM Workforce Development Labs.
Small Business Saturday Redo
Small, locally owned shops can be found throughout the Kenosha Area. Some have been here for generations, while new ones continue to open. Since Mother Nature snowed all over our special day (on November 29) to support small businesses, let's try again! See the Facebook link of what businesses to visit in person on Saturday, December 6 during normal business hours for great deals and more!
Girls 'taught how to get a job but not about women's health'
Young women say they were taught how to open a bank account in school, but not about their own health.
Full-length Replay: Indiana at Minnesota
The No. 22 Hoosiers vie for their 10th straight victory over the Golden Gophers in a Big Ten opener.
David Yohai Named a 2025 Media & Entertainment MVP by Law360 - Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
David Yohai, senior partner in Weil’s nationwide Complex Commercial Litigation practice, has been featured as a Law360 Media & Entertainment MVP for 2025, one of just three attorneys in the U.S. to receive the honor. This is the second time David has been selected for this accolade.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei drags OpenAI and Google: 'We don't have to do any code reds'
Anthropic's CEO said his company is avoiding the kind of battles OpenAI and Google are fighting by targeting AI for enterprise instead of consumers.
Red Wings open six-game excursion against Blue Jackets
The Detroit Red Wings are starting a lengthy road trip and coach Todd McLellan looks forward to the journey.
Admins and defenders gird themselves against maximum-severity server vulnerability
Open source React executes malicious code with malformed HTML—no authentication needed.
Inova Health Center in Woodbridge, Virginia, opens next week
Inova is expanding its health care operations in eastern Prince William County, Virginia, with a new outpatient health center near Potomac Mills.
Jennifer Lopez And Gwyneth Paltrow Honored At THR’s Women In Entertainment Gala
To kick off the program, "I Love LA" creator-star Rachel Sennott hosted and delivered the opening remarks. In addition to Sennott, Dakota Johnson, Goldie Hawn, Regina Hall, Chase Infiniti, and Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney were part of the star-studded lineup for the event. With nearly 600 entertainment industry leaders, actresses, actors, and VIPs, the event was inspiring and served as a safe space for titans in entertainment to convene.
Why are Browns opening Deshaun Watson's practice window? Answering complex question
Though he'll be on the field during the week, the three-time Pro Bowler seems unlikely to play again for Cleveland. Let's break down team's thinking.
Nominate a Small Business for the Crowns of Enterprise Awards
2026 marks the 15th year that the Crowns of Enterprise Awards will recognize the hard work of small businesses and the economic impact they have on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. The winners will be named during an awards ceremony in May 2026.
Don't wait for the Galaxy Z TriFold, buy this other Samsung foldable right now instead
Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold might be the most interesting launch of 2026, but I think you should get the Galaxy Z Fold 7 instead.
Rachel Sennott Applauds “Community and Support” Women Create “for Everyone” at THR Women in Entertainment Gala
The 'I Love LA' creator-star delivered the opening remarks and hosted The Hollywood Reporter's annual gala on Wednesday that was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Rachel Sennott Applauds “Community and Support” Women Create “for Everyone” at THR Women in Entertainment Gala
The 'I Love LA' creator-star delivered the opening remarks and hosted The Hollywood Reporter's annual gala on Wednesday that was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
OpenAI's chief researcher says Mark Zuckerberg 'hand-delivered soup' to an employee in a recruiting effort
OpenAI's research chief, Mark Chen, told author Ashlee Vance that the company is "always under attack" by rivals trying to poach its talent.
Registration Opening For Town Winter Sports Program
Oyster Bay Town Councilman Lou Imbroto invites residents to participate in the Town of Oyster Bay’s Winter Athletic Programs for basketball, badminton, and volleyball, which kickoff in the new year. All athletic programs run for 10 weeks, are co-ed, and are open to individuals 18 and over. Online registration begins Monday, December 8, 2025 beginning…
Why science lost its way
Author Matt Ridley examines how science became centralized and dogmatic, and how open dissent is essential to restoring credibility.
Browns open 21-day practice window for Deshaun Watson
In recent weeks, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has said he has no update when asked about whether or not quarterback Deshaun Watson's practice window would be opened.
Amy Schumer dropped 50 pounds to battle disease that 'can kill you' if untreated
Comedian Amy Schumer opens up about her health journey, Cushing syndrome recovery, and using Mounjaro medication after losing 50 pounds for her wellbeing.
The OpenAI-Google fight is the next critical juncture in the AI wars
OpenAI may have sparked the AI wars more than three years ago with the launch of ChatGPT, but it's still a long way from finishing them.
Valve have been funding FEX to get x86 games on Arm Linux
It turns out that not only are Valve using the open source FEX for the Steam Frame but they have been funding FEX since the beginning of it.
What does Finebaum’s move mean for the US Senate race? Here’s what the candidates are saying
One political observer said the field remains open for a late entrant, ideally "another Katie Britt."
Holland & Knight Health Dose: December 3, 2025 | Insights
The Trump Administration finalized a trade agreement with the UK that exempts British-origin pharmaceuticals, ingredients and medical technology from Section 232 tariffs.
Athens area voters to decide new state representative in special election
With a state House seat in Athens open, Republicans are looking to preserve the seat while Democrats are hoping to flip it.
Full-length Replay: Big Ten Men's: USC at Oregon
Oregon (4-3, 0-0) welcomes rival USC (7-0, 0-0) to Matthew Knight Arena for a Big Ten opener.
OPENING ARGUMENTS: Republicans tout politics, critics say racial gerrymandering
By Colleen Steffen TheStatehouseFile.com December 2, 2025 Over and over, critics of Indiana House Republicans’ proposed new congressional map were met with the same phrase from Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn, at Tuesday’s hours-long hearing of the House Elections and Apportionment Committee. “We have drawn these maps to create a Republican political advantage.” Smaltz authored House Bill
Eric Dane opens up about emotional battle of living with ALS: 'I have no reason to be in a good spirit'
Actor Eric Dane, 53, says he has 'no reason to be in a good spirit' amid his struggle with ALS.
Grupo Vidanta courts advisors as VidantaWorld grows
Vidanta is set to launch commissionable booking access, new hotels and entertainment elements at VidantaWorld, starting next month. Highlights include the BON Hotel and Jungala Hotel opening, Cirque du Soleil's "Ludo" debut and the BON Luxury Theme Park.
Full-length Replay: Big Ten Men's: Purdue at Rutgers
The Boilermakers (7-0, 0-0) take on the Scarlet Knights (5-3, 0-0) in this Big Ten opener.
Tanvi Sharma in action at BWF Guwahati Open: Indian Sports LIVE, December 3
Follow all the updates from Indian sports on December 2, 2025.
PENN Entertainment opens second hotel tower at Las Vegas’ M Resort
Public opening ceremony set for Dec.3
Popular PS4 Open-World RPG Gets Huge Free Update Today
A popular ongoing PS4 open-world RPG is getting a huge free update today, and includes an appearance from a fan-favorite character.
A longtime Amazon exec is jumping ship for OpenAI
A 17-year veteran of Amazon, Torben Severson announced on LinkedIn that he had left the mega-retailer to join OpenAI.
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 […]
Meredith Whitney Sees Affordability as Top Political Issue
Meredith Whitney Advisory Group CEO Meredith Whitney warns about the debt of the "avocado toast" generation and sees affordability being the top political issue in 2026. She speaks on "Bloomberg Open Interest." (Source: Bloomberg)
Mistral closes in on Big AI rivals with new open-weight frontier and small models
Mistral unveils its Mistral 3 lineup, including a frontier model and efficient small models designed for offline, customizable enterprise use—aiming to prove small, fine-tuned AI can beat closed-source giants.
Chris Eubank Jr hints at scary health issue
Chris Eubank Jr has opened up about the worrying health problems that he had previously hinted at.
Inova Health Center in Woodbridge opens next week
Inova is expanding its health care operations in eastern Prince William County with a new outpatient health center near Potomac Mills.
“It kind of feels like we’ve opened Pandora’s box”: Jenna Ortega spoke about AI in the entertainment industry
"It's unacceptable, and many famous people are being victimized."
Replay Sports Cards Awards First-Ever Franchise to Business Partners Josh Stigdon and Jason Buckel
Replay Sports Cards ("Replay") – America's first national franchise dedicated exclusively to the hobby – has signed its first-ever franchise agreement with business partners Josh Stigdon and Jason Buckel, marking a pivotal moment in the company's growth and franchise expansion. The duo will open a new Replay shop in Seymour, Indiana, bringing the brand's modern, community-first take on the local card shop to collectors and families in the region.
Police raid mail-order drugs business in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester Police said the mail-order drugs business has opened up significantly.
Forbes Daily: Gen Z Leaders Now Dominate The Forbes 30 Under 30
Today’s Forbes Daily newsletter covers the new 30 Under 30 list, Sam Altman’s OpenAI memo, NYC casino proposals move forward, Eli Lilly slashes Zepbound costs and more.
Luma AI Opens for International Business With Former WPP Executive Jason Day Leading New London Office
PALO ALTO, Calif. & LONDON, December 02, 2025--LUMA AI OPENS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS WITH FORMER WPP EXECUTIVE JASON DAY LEADING NEW LONDON OFFICE
Penn Entertainment Opens Second Hotel Tower at M Resort Las Vegas
Penn Entertainment has opened a second hotel tower at M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas, nearly doubling its capacity.
Curiosity Cracked Open a Rock on Mars And Revealed a Big Surprise
A first on the red planet!
Summer Ellingson joins Essentia Health-32nd Avenue Clinic to practice obstetrics and gynecology
Essentia, new provider, obstetrics, gynecology, Fargo, North Dakota, women's health
Opinion | Democrats won an opening on health care. Here’s how they can use it.
Five reforms can cut costs across the system.
On World AIDS Day, New Jersey Reaffirms Commitment to Ending HIV Epidemic
On World AIDS Day, New Jersey Reaffirms Commitment to Ending HIV Epidemic
Grady Health System opens Decatur outpatient center
Grady Health System is opening its Flat Shoals Parkway Outpatient Health Center this week.
The AirPods Pro 3 Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds Drops to $149.99 for Cyber Monday
Certified open box (new) from an eBay vendor with 400,000 feedback and a 99.7% rating.
In 19th century Tombstone, the Bird Cage Theater had entertainment for everyone
Tombstone’s Bird Cage opened in 1881 in what was then a young, remote boomtown. Today, the historic variety theater is revered among locals and tourists alike.
SmartTube YouTube app for Android TV breached to push malicious update
The popular open-source SmartTube YouTube client for Android TV was compromised after an attacker gained access to the developer's signing keys, leading to a malicious update being pushed to users.
Oleksandr Usyk expresses desire to fight Deontay Wilder who would be open to world title clash in 2026
Oleksandr Usyk wants to defend his world heavyweight titles against Deontay Wilder, who has welcomed a fight against the unified world champion.
Accenture and OpenAI are teaming up as AI upends the consulting industry
Accenture said in September that it has been "exiting" staff it cannot reskill for an AI-driven corporate future.
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.
Trump willing to release MRI results, but ‘no idea’ which part of body it examined
President Donald Trump appeared open to releasing the results of a recent MRI, although he said he was unaware which part of his body was examined in the scan.
KC sportsbooks open as betting begins in Missouri
Missourians can now place bets on games, both on mobile devices and at physical sportsbooks.
FEMA workers reinstated after suspension and investigation over letter criticizing Trump’s overhaul of agency
A group of FEMA workers has been reinstated after three months of forced leave and an investigation into alleged misconduct for signing an open letter to Congress that criticized the Trump administration’s overhaul of the disaster relief agency and warned it could put American lives in danger.
NJDOH Observes National Influenza Vaccination Week, Reminds Residents to Stay Up to Date on Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines
NJDOH Observes National Influenza Vaccination Week, Reminds Residents to Stay Up to Date on Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines
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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When three European cities launch an initiative next year to boost scientific excellence and collaboration, much of the action is likely to take place in public spaces rather than in the laboratory.That is welcome news for Ana Marušić. A medical doctor and professor at the University of Split Medical School in Croatia, Marušić champions close connections between “town and gown” to encourage citizen involvement in research, raise public health awareness and ignite young people’s interest in science. “Responsible research and innovation cannot be done in an ivory tower, answering only the questions that are relevant for scientists,” explains Marušić, who chairs the Department of Research in Biomedicine and Health and leads the Centre for Evidence-based Medicine. “The role of the university is to be a medium for transferring new discoveries in science to society, but also to listen to society about what is important and what is needed.”Three cities united by scienceMarušić’s efforts stand to gain traction through Science Comes to Town (SCTT), a new European project to highlight science’s role in society and strengthen cross-border collaboration in research, innovation and sustainability. With funding from the European Commission, three cities—Split, Brest (in France) and Kiel (in Germany)—plan more than 1,000 public events, workshops and competitions for citizens of all ages, researchers, businesses and policymakers. The year-long project kicks off in Spilt on 20 January with a conference involving partner institutions, community representatives and European policymakers. The three cities may be geographically far apart, but they share much in common. All are located on coasts and are home to top regional research institutions that are part of SCTT. Among the project's partners, the University of Western Brittany in Brest, Kiel University and the University of Split belong to the SEA-EU university alliance, uniting nine European coastal academic institutions to advance research, student exchanges and sustainable development. “These universities have a very strong connection between gown and town,” explains Marušić, who is one of Split’s SCTT ambassadors. “It's very important that these universities are there for the community so that we can learn from each other and grow together.”Tackling Europe’s STEM shortagesSCTT will also reinforce efforts to address Europe’s widening gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Studies show that nearly eight out of ten small- and medium-sized businesses cannot find enough workers with the skills required in advanced computing and artificial intelligence (AI)—hindering initiatives to boost European innovation and competitiveness. In healthcare, the European Commission has estimated a shortfall in medical professionals of 1.2 million, due to fewer young people joining the field and an ageing population that needs more care.Strengthening knowledge and dialogue can also help build trust between scientists and the public at time when disruptive technologies are reshaping research and clinical practice, but are also sparking questions about ethics and accuracy. With experience in the classroom and in clinical epidemiology—a discipline involving monitoring and controlling public health problems—Marušić sees the potential risks of over-reliance on AI and chatbot answers for both research and learning. “AI is a very good tool, but one has to be very critical about it,” she adds. “Delegating brain activities will definitely diminish your neural capacities because you are not developing the circuitry that is important for higher-level cognitive engagement.” She stresses the importance of critical thinking and encourages students to use AI as a researcher’s tool to reinforce rather than supplant human discretion and brainpower.The power of outreachSplit’s experience in bringing scientists and the public together has provided a platform for discussing research ethics and explaining science in simple terms. Local efforts to expand health literacy and awareness have helped reduce cardiovascular disease among women, according to Marušić’s research. The city’s university also hosts events to introduce schoolchildren to science, using hands-on experiments to spark curiosity.Marušić’s own love of science began with an interest in studying molecular biology. “But my parents told me, why don't you study medicine?” she recalls. “I said, OK, why not? And that was the best decision that I made.” Marušić is not a practicing physician, but teaches anatomy and public health. She also co-edits ST-OPEN, an overlay university journal that works on capacity building for research publishing among students and their supervisors. Balancing teaching, research and editorial work, she is a strong advocate for medical studies, urging high school students to consider medicine “because later on it gives you a really wide perspective about human life and about society” as well as many career opportunities.As SCTT prepares to bring science into daily life in 2026, Marušić hopes that it will build permanent bridges between scientists and citizens across Europe. “We can be a showcase for making collaboration with the community stronger to share knowledge, attract young talent and integrate critical and scientific thinking into everyday life,” she explains, adding that "collaborating with businesses to improve cities and communities is also an important aspect of this project."Science|Business, which connects policymakers, academics and industry through its news reporting, analysis and events, is an SCTT partner.