How the Soul Became Consciousness By Kocku von Stuckrad The soul is a strange thing. Depending on which expert you trust, you might regard the soul as the immaterial essence of our existence, as a material substance wired into our bodies, or neither, because the soul is too vague to Read more
We Need Elders, Not Heroes By Kocku von Stuckrad When Barry Lopez’s long-awaited book Horizon came out earlier this year, I read it immediately with increasing excitement and admiration. Twenty-three years after his now-classic Arctic Dreams, Lopez presents us with a thorough reflection on the state of the planet, perceived Read more
Shorter and Sweeter By Alissa Jones Nelson The issue of immortality, whether spiritual or corporeal, has fascinated human beings for as long as we’ve told stories. The idea of eternal life has been both a motivation for better behavior in this life and a panacea (or a placebo) for all Read more
Poetic Science: How Literature Conveys Knowledge of Nature By Kocku von Stuckrad For most non-specialists, much information about the natural world is drawn from newspapers, TV, and popular books. Even scientists are influenced by those sources. Another source of knowledge, however, and a thoroughly underestimated one, is literature—historical fiction, novels, Read more