13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Commentary On Science And Society

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Music style and science style diverge, says Adam Frank.

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Culture

The Divergence Of Art And Science

by Adam Frank

July 28, 2015 • Here at 13.7, we spend considerable time thinking about the similarities between art and science. Adam Frank, now, takes a look at one way they may differ.

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Religion

15 Questions About Science And Religion, Answered

by Tania Lombrozo

July 27, 2015 • More than a dozen cognitive scientists, including Tania Lombrozo, joined a discussion in April aimed to encourage a sophisticated, evidence-based look at the psychology behind science and religion.

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Science

This Is Your Brain On The Outdoors

by Adam Frank

July 26, 2015 • The New York Times recently reported that a walk in nature can actually change the wiring in your brain. So, Adam Frank suggests we go take a walk.

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Philosophy

The Art Of Knowing What You're Looking For

by Alva Noë

July 25, 2015 • What makes hitting in baseball possible is our participation together in an ongoing game or play or, better, a relationship, says commentator Alva Noë.

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Science

Putting Spiders On Treadmills In Virtual-Reality Worlds

by Barbara J. King

July 23, 2015 • The Matrix for spiders? Anthropologist Barbara J. King explores what scientists can learn about invertebrate perception and neurophysiology from chilling then magnetizing jumping spiders.

Computer generated image of the Higgs boson.

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Science

Game Of Quarks: A Guide For The Perplexed

by Marcelo Gleiser

July 22, 2015 • Last week, scientists working at the Large Hadron Collider announced the discovery of the "pentaquark" particle, clearing up 50 years of false signals and potential sightings, says Marcelo Gleiser.

The practice of mindfulness is hotly debated.

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Religion

Does Mindfulness Mean Anything?

by Adam Frank

July 21, 2015 • As the popularity of mindfulness meditation grows, questions about its effectiveness from both a scientific and a spiritual perspective will continue to be debated, says commentator Adam Frank.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

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Culture

The Negative In Positive Stereotypes

by Tania Lombrozo

July 20, 2015 • While negative stereotypes are obviously harmful, new research shows that positive stereotypes — like assuming blanket qualities of a female leader — aren't so great either, says Tania Lombrozo.

Modern automatic robot assembly line in a factory.

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Culture

Our Robot Servants

by Alva Noë

July 17, 2015 • If robots pose a danger, it's because, like cars, cranes and jackhammers, they're heavy machinery operating outside the performance specifications of flesh and blood human beings, says Alva Noë.

Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek. Ted S. Warren/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Ted S. Warren/AP

Culture

Powered By Plants On The Ultramarathon Trail

by Barbara J. King

July 16, 2015 • Are vegan diets good for athletes? Ultrarunners, says anthropologist Barbara J. King, show us the answer is "yes."

Pluto as seen from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft.

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Science

Pluto Encounter Is A Legacy Of Our Generation

by Marcelo Gleiser

July 15, 2015 • Astrophysicist Marcelo Gleiser wonders what the children watching the flyby will accomplish as they join the ranks of future space explorers. The probes have been there; perhaps now it is our turn.

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Culture

The Magic Of Words

by Tania Lombrozo

July 14, 2015 • Whether or not they involve genuine abstraction, words offer a way to reason and communicate — a respite from the tyranny of the specific, says commentator Tania Lombrozo.

Storms over the Bay of Bengal. Courtesy of Mark Vanhoenacker hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Mark Vanhoenacker

Culture

'Skyfaring': The Poetry And Science Of Air Travel

by Barbara J. King

July 9, 2015 • When you fly, is it all about the cramped cabin? Anthropologist Barbara J. King interviews a pilot whose book reconnects us to the joys of flying through the clouds.

A couple leafs through a family photo album.

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Science

The Brain's Remarkable Sculpting Of Memories

by Marcelo Gleiser

July 8, 2015 • Some memories persist for a lifetime, even if sometimes only at the level of uncertain contours, says commentator Marcelo Gleiser. How does the brain do that?

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Science

How Long Would It Take To Drive To Pluto?

by Adam Frank

July 7, 2015 • A road trip to Pluto is not something you want to try with kids — the asteroid belt is nothing but tourist traps, and the rest stops really thin out after Saturn, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.

Bicycles are less scientifically understood than one might imagine.

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Science

What You Really Know About Bicycles

by Tania Lombrozo

July 6, 2015 • It turns out the science of bicycles is surprisingly complex and only partially understood, falling under the "Illusion of Explanatory Depth" phenomenon, says psychologist Tania Lombrozo.

Lewis Black, who voices "Anger," attends the Los Angeles premiere of "Inside Out" at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. Dan Steinberg/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Dan Steinberg/AP

Culture

The Awkward Synthesis That Is 'Inside Out'

by Alva Noë

July 5, 2015 • There is something downright terrifying about the new Pixar movie's nihilistic conception of ourselves as zombie puppets living in a confabulated universe, says commentator Alva Noë.

A great white shark in the Pacific Ocean near the coast of Guadalupe Island, Mexico.

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Culture

Great White Sharks And The Thrill Of Unseen Nature

by Barbara J. King

July 2, 2015 • Unusual clusters of great white sharks are occurring just off a California beach where anthropologist Barbara J. King recently spent time, leading her to reflect on how much of nature is unseen by us.

The creation of superhumans may be on the horizon.

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Policy

Designing Superhumans

by Marcelo Gleiser

July 1, 2015 • Gene manipulation can be of great benefit and harm to humanity — and only time will tell whether our species is mature enough to use the new technology with wisdom, says commentator Marcelo Gleiser.

A cluster of mysterious bright spots on dwarf planet Ceres can be seen in this image, taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft. NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA hide caption

itoggle caption NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA