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Covington lands $750K from Kentucky to mitigate impact of bridge work
Two bridge projects will impact Covington business. The city will use state funds to help them.
Predicting conference championship game overreactions: Notre Dame gets bounced
Conference championship game weekend should provide plenty of fuel for overreactions
Weekend Entertainment | ‘Brier Hill’ Film Hits the Mark
It has been a long time since a locally made movie attracted audiences as powerfully as “Brier Hill,” directed by Jimmy Taaffe of Struthers.
Advancing the America First Global Health Strategy Through Landmark Bilateral Agreements on Global Health Cooperation - United States Department of State
In September, I outlined the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy, which aims to strengthen U.S. leadership and excellence in global health while eliminating dependency, ideology, inefficiency, and waste from our foreign assistance architecture. Today, I welcomed Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to Washington to sign the first […]
US signs pact with Kenya under 'America First' global health plan
The U.S. will provide more than $1.6 billion to Kenya's health system under a new five-year agreement signed on Thursday, the first such agreement reached under the Trump administration's overhaul of foreign aid.
US and Kenya sign first of what are expected to be dozens of ‘America First’ global health deals
The Trump administration has signed the first in what are expected to be dozens of “America First” global health agreements that prioritize combating infectious diseases in countries deemed to be aligned with the president’s broader foreign policy goals.
How to watch every Investec Champions Cup match on TV this weekend
Rugby union’s premier club competition gets underway with Bordeaux Begles as the defending champions after beating Northampton Saints in last year’s final
Biltmore Village transforms into a Charles Dickens wonderland with music, entertainment
Biltmore Village invites the public to step back in time this holiday season during its Dickens Christmas in the Village event.
This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition - Jax Hub drives fintech innovation, global partnerships
L Marks CEO Daniel Saunders joins Kent Justice to discuss the launch of Jax Hub, a new corporate innovation initiative based in Jacksonville. Learn how this global program aims to accelerate fintech growth, foster collaboration among local businesses, universities, and international partners, and position Northeast Florida as a leading innovation hub.
NFL Week 14 picks straight up and against spread: Cowboys or Lions in must-win matchup?
This should be quite a weekend, featuring three games with first place in a division on the line.
Dodgers notes: Dave Roberts, Rob Manfred, Miguel Rojas
Dodgers manager was a guest Wednesday night on ‘Good Sports with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson’ on Amazon Prime, and was asked if Major League Baseball should have a salary cap. “I’m alright with that,” Roberts said. “I think the NBA’s done a nice job of kind of revenue sharing with the players and the […]
Under Kennedy, America’s Health Department Is in the Business of Promoting Kennedy
Under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Department of Health and Human Services increasingly uses its social media channels to promote Kennedy himself and his agenda. Interviews with over 20 former and current employees provide a look inside an agency where personality and politics steer communications with the public.
U.S. health care is broken. Here are 3 ways it's getting worse
One year after UnitedHealthcare's CEO was shot and killed, the crisis in U.S. health care is intensifying — even for the companies and investors who make money from it.
Elden Ring Nightreign Undertaker build, Relics, and passives
The best Relics and passive effects for Undertaker in Nightreign.
Trump has ‘shaken the hell’ out of the 80-year research pact between the government and universities. What now?
Trump has "shaken the hell" out of the 80-year research pact between the government and universities. What now?
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!
New marathon course showcases San Antonio’s unique communities, driving business to local storefronts
San Antonio’s inaugural marathon is now just days away. Across the weekend are three races: a 5K, a half-marathon and a full marathon. In total, 18,000 people are expected to run.
I dropped $7K to complete a JetBlue contest to win status and points
Steven Carroll and his son spend weekends flying JetBlue for a challenge that once sent them from New York to DC to Florida and back all in one day.
Incredible close-up of spider silk wins science photo prize
Duelling prairie chickens, a snake-mimicking moth and a once-a-year sunrise at the South Pole feature in the best images from the Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition 2025
Wolfe Mountain Entertainment presents holiday radio play in Pomeroy
Wolfe Mountain Entertainment will present “It’s a Wonderful Life, a live radio play” next weekend at New Beginnings United Methodist Church.
Why American Health Care Is Still a Mess
Jonathan Gruber on the broken American health-care system, Obamacare, the Trump administration’s war on vaccines and science, and being on the wrong end of Republican outrage. Plus: David on Donald Trump’s Ukraine “peace plan,” recent scandals, and They Thought They Were Free, by Milton Mayer.
Things to do this weekend in Metro Detroit
Stage shows, holiday shopping events, concerts and more are on deck around town this weekend, Dec. 5-7.
Cajun Con and all its magic awaits you this weekend in Gonzales. Here are the details.
Got that golden ticket?
It’s not just vaccines. How RFK Jr. is reshaping public health messaging
Under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Department of Health and Human Services uses its social media channels to promote Kennedy himself and his agenda.
Olympic, Paralympic sports weekend preview: Grand Prix Final to sort figure skating favorites
The world's best figure skaters gather at the Grand Prix Final in a preview of the Milan Cortina Olympic competition.
Kennedy’s handpicked CDC advisers to weigh major change to childhood vaccine schedule
Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may vote this week to make a major change to the childhood vaccine schedule, potentially delaying a dose of the hepatitis B vaccine given to newborns by weeks or even years.
Rebecca Lowe joining Fox’s World Cup coverage as host: Sources
Lowe’s role with NBC on the Premier League, the Olympics and Kentucky Derby will remain unchanged.
Sen. Andy Kim: NJ's 'broken politics' on display in Trenton
Kim joins a bruising debate over legislation that could weaken the state comptroller’s office
Kennesaw State wins 88-73 over Jackson State
KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) Simeon Cottle had 28 points in Kennesaw State's 88-73 win over Jackson State on Tuesday.
Space is filling with junk and scientists have a fix
Earth’s orbit is getting crowded with broken satellites and leftover rocket parts. Researchers say the solution is to build spacecraft that can be repaired, reused, or recycled instead of abandoned. They also want new tools to collect old debris and new data systems that help prevent collisions. The goal is to make space exploration cleaner and more sustainable.
Kentucky basketball vs. North Carolina: Get live updates, stats from critical game
Get live updates from the Kentucky-North Carolina men’s basketball game Tuesday.
Trump appears to doze off in another meeting
It was the second time in a month Trump has appeared to struggle to stay awake as his advisers have spoken to cameras about the administration’s initiatives.
Law of 'maximal randomness' explains how broken objects shatter in the most annoying way possible
A new mathematical equation describes the distribution of different fragment sizes when an object breaks. Remarkably, the distribution is the same for everything from bubbles to spaghetti.
Trump backs vessel strike effort amid follow-up hit fallout
“I want those boats taken out, and if we have to, we’ll attack on land also,” Trump said
The HPV vaccine is safe and cuts cervical cancer risk by 80%, 2 large reviews find
Hundreds of studies, including gold-standard clinical trials, challenge Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claim that the cancer vaccine is harmful.
Laura Woods: TV presenter 'taken ill' during England coverage
Presenter Laura Woods appears to faint while leading the coverage of England's friendly against Ghana on Tuesday.
Director Ken Burns almost turned down an offer from Steve Jobs 20 years ago. They struck a different deal.
Ken Burns and Steve Jobs made a $1 million deal to bring the "Ken Burns Effect" photo technique to iMovie in 2002.
South Minneapolis business owners cautiously optimistic about new E-line
Metro Transit’s new bus Rapid Transit route is scheduled to debut this weekend, but construction has caused some tough times for businesses in south Minneapolis.
A dementia vaccine could be real, and some of us have taken it without knowing | BBC Science Focus Magazine
Getting vaccinated against shingles could protect you from getting dementia, or slow the progression of the disease, says a new study.
Elden Ring Nightreign's DLC is "definitely a little bit harder" than the main game, "but it's not ridiculous", says director
The Forsaken Hollows, the forthcoming DLC for Elden Ring spin-off Nightreign, is "definitely a little bit harder" than the main game, its director has admitted.
Aerosmith permanently removed from Disney World's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster preshow
Disney World has permanently removed the Steven Tyler-starring Aerosmith preshow video from Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (also featuring Ken Marino) as the ride transforms into a Muppets attraction.
After Snowy Small Business Saturday, Chicago Shop Owners Urge Neighbors To Buy Local
With this weekend's snowstorm keeping some customers home on Small Business Saturday, local businesses saw 40-60 percent drops in sales. They hope the rest of the season can make up for it.
Lane Kiffin arrives in Baton Rouge, as the college football coaching carousel keeps going round and round
Michigan State, UCLA, Kentucky, James Madison, Northwestern all have coaches on the move
Library offers custom ornaments for children’s holiday reading program
The Old Forge Library has begun a holiday reading incentive for children, offering personalized wooden ornaments crafted by Dennis Kenny for completing 10 books.
Vaccine Committee May Make Significant Changes to Childhood Schedule
Comments by President Trump, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and some panelists suggest the committee is likely to delay hepatitis B shots and discuss revising the use of other vaccines.
In Pictures: Sporting photos of the week
A selection of some of the most striking sports photographs taken around the world over the past seven days.
Holiday events entice New Haveners to shop at small businesses
Downtown New Haven and Union Station featured two celebrations of the city’s small businesses on Saturday.
Shein faces Texas probe into materials, labor, and data privacy
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Shein is selling cheap and dangerous products to US consumers.
Small business Saturday brings disappointing turnout for Omaha stores
While this weekend’s snowstorm played a role in the underwhelming turnout, some think it’s part of a bigger trend.
McKinney food truck business suffers setback after break-in
McKinney-based King Kups lost $3K–$4K in equipment after a Thanksgiving weekend trailer break-in, canceling two catering events.
Sources: Kentucky hiring Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein to replace Mark Stoops
Kentucky fired Mark Stoops on Monday after 13 seasons.
Small Business Saturday rescheduled after snow disrupts shopping event
MADISON, Wis. -- Small Business Saturday faced significant disruption due to snow, but local businesses and advocates remain optimistic about a rescheduled event planned for this upcoming weekend.
Why AMC Entertainment Stock Got Mashed on Monday
Many an investor eye was on the holiday weekend, a crucial stretch for movie exhibitors.
Chris 'The Bear' Fallica's Top 10 College Football Rankings: Week 15 Edition
Chris 'The Bear' Fallica delivers his top 10 rankings ahead of conference championship weekend of the college football season.
Why AMC Entertainment Stock Got Mashed on Monday
Key PointsThe Thanksgiving weekend period didn't compare favorably to the 2024 version.
Inside this year’s White House holiday decor
It took 150 volunteers working for one week, with 25,000 feet of ribbon, 120 pounds of gingerbread, more than 10,000 butterflies and a 6,000-piece Lego portrait of President Donald Trump’s likeness to deck the White House halls this year.
Olympic sports weekend recap: Mikaela Shiffrin as peerless as ever in slalom, makes 4th Olympics
Mikaela Shiffrin extended a slalom win streak but still has work to do in another event.
Lane Kiffin picks LSU to highlight college football coaching carousel chaos
It was a crazy weekend in sports from Lane Kiffin taking the LSU job to all of the NFL upsets
The most powerful news photos of the year
The most powerful news photos taken by Getty Images photographers in 2025 captured political unrest, natural disasters, and other major news events.
Indigenous knowledge and science join forces to save the choro mussel in Chile
Huellelhue means “place for swimming” in Mapudungun. It’s also the name of one of the rivers that flow through the Lafken Mapu Lahual Multiple-Use Conservation Area, established in 2005 in southern Chile’s Los Lagos region. The name of this area is more than just a grouping of words, says Eduardo Vargas, president of the Nirehue […]
Lesley Netter-Snowden named executive vice president and chief business officer
Kennesaw State University President Kathy S. Schwaig has appointed Lesley Netter-Snowden as executive vice president and chief business officer (EVP/CBO) effective immediately, following a national search.
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.
Morning Sports: December 1, 2025
Sheridan Hawks Junior Hockey: The Sheridan Hawks Junior Hockey Team won both ends of their home and home series this past weekend vs. Gillette. Friday’s score on the road was 4-1 and Saturday’s score at home was 3-1. Sheridan will play another home and home series this weekend vs. Rapid City.
Kongsberg Discovery and MacArtney enhancing defense, energy, and ocean science underwater menu
Kongsberg Discovery has taken a step to combine its offering with MacArtney to create a new level of turnkey capability in underwater sensing.
Historic Yorktown Kicks Off the Holiday Season with Series of Festive Events
YORKTOWN — Historic Yorktown is filled with community traditions, and it all kicks off the first weekend of December. The weekend begins with Yorktown’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at Victory Monument & Riverwalk Landing on Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m., with the Tree Lighting at 7:30 p.m. According to the county, this community tradition dates […]
How the cuts have shaken HIV/Aids care to its core and will mean millions more infections ahead
Reports highlight devastating impact of slashed funding, especially in parts of Africa, that could lead to 3.3m new HIV infections by 2030
Lane Kiffin, Thanksgiving and CFB conference champs: A busy weekend at the sportsbooks
How sportsbooks are evaluating Ole Miss and the College Football Playoff race, plus more on NFL underdogs winning big on Thanksgiving.
Kentucky expected to fire Mark Stoops, moving on from program's all-time wins leader
Stoops is owed his full $38 million buyout, potentially making this one of the most expensive firings in college football history
Sound Smart: 7 Observations from NFL Sunday in Week 13
Was Jerry Jones right? Are the Bears for real? What should the Panthers do with Bryce Young? Henry McKenna offers a big-picture look at Week 13.
Lawmakers from both parties voice concerns over follow-up strike on alleged drug boat
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle voiced serious concerns over the weekend over reports on a follow-up strike that killed survivors on an alleged drug vessel in the Caribbean, as the Senate and House armed services panels pledged to conduct “vigorous oversight.”
Nebraska, Kentucky, Texas and Pitt earn top seeds in NCAA volleyball tournament
Nebraska lost just one set in 20 Big Ten matches and just seven sets in a regular season that included 12 wins against ranked teams.
SCOOP: Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams's Black Friday Weekend message
Rep. Roger Williams explains to everyone why buying American is the perfect complement to Thanksgiving weekend.
High school football: State playoff pairings
CIF state football playoff pairings, with regional bowl games this coming weekend and championship bowl games the following week.
Editorial - Small Business Saturday 2025
As we reflect on the Thanksgiving weekend, KETV would like to encourage you to support local businesses.
Small Business Saturday At Kribi Coffee in Forest Park
This weekend marked 15 years since American Express first launched Small Business Saturday.
'Zootopia 2' roars to record-setting global box office with $556M opening
"Zootopia 2" broke box office records with a massive Thanksgiving weekend opening. The Disney sequel earned $96 million in North America over the weekend and $156 million over the five-day...
'Zootopia 2' roars to record-setting global box office with $556M opening
"Zootopia 2" broke box office records with a massive Thanksgiving weekend opening.
'Zootopia 2' roars to record-setting global box office with $556M opening
"Zootopia 2" broke box office records with a massive Thanksgiving weekend opening
Lowest prices ever on the Apple Ultra 2, Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch SE smart watches for Cyber Monday
While Black Friday weekend is about to end, Cyber Monday is proving to have some impressive deals, including huge discounts on Apple watches.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled after a snowstorm struck on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year
Chicago's O'Hare International Airport has seen the most cancelations, which came at the height of the Thanksgiving travel season.
These Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Black Friday streaming bundles will have you fighting over the remote this festive season
Enjoy a whole host of nature, sci-fi and space exploration documentaries with this streaming deal — save up to 44% this Black Friday weekend.
These Are The Best TV Deals This Black Friday Weekend
Here are the best deals on screens from Hisense, TCL, Samsung, Sony, and more this shopping holiday.
Wes Ramsey Returning to ‘Days of Our Lives’ — Who Is He Playing?
The actor previously played Owen Kent back in 2009.
Buc-ee's political and economic impact front and center as travel center set to break ground in WI
"UPFRONT" travels to the nearest Buc-ee's in Kentucky to explore the looming impact.
Health literacy a challenge for some Kentucky populations
Low health literacy can lead to poorer health outcomes, and groups across Kentucky are working to help communities make more informed decisions about their health.
Razed Blue River business launching community-based fundraiser to rebuild
More than five years since the Holiday Farm Fire swept through the McKenzie River Corridor, affected businesses are still struggling to pay rebuilding expenses.
Social media detox linked to better mental health
Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier joins 'Fox & Friends Weekend' to discuss how social media detoxes can benefit mental health and the health benefits of orange juice.
Cyber Monday deal on "world-class fitness tracker", the Garmin Forerunner 970 smartwatch just hit a best-ever price on Black Friday weekend
Get the Garmin Forerunner 970 for $100 less; this smartwatch's only downside was its price, but it's now reduced on the Black Friday weekend. Hurry before stocks run out.
Two new businesses set to open in Bay County with events and free food
New local Cumberland Farms and Costa Family McDonalds franchises to host grand openings. Perks? Free happy meals for a year, fried chicken samples.