EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE

The Media is Lying To You

The Media is Lying To You

While in the past the job of passing on necessary life skills, history and information was a collective effort, today, all of that power has been given to commercial media. In the words of George Gerbner, “Commercial media has eclipsed religion, art, oral traditions and the family as the great storytelling engine of our time. And whoever tells the stories of culture gets to govern human behavior.” 
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Shower Thoughts

Shower Thoughts

Dreams are confusing. Some people believe they can tell the future, others feel they are just a way for our brains to remember our past. Whatever you think about them, dreams shouldn’t be that confusing, right? I mean, after all, our brains are the ones creating them. So why are they also simultaneously being surprised, entertained, confused and scared by them? Like one half of your brain is creating a short film for the other half to watch.

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The Fear of Death

The Fear of Death

Death can only be interpreted by people who are alive, yet since no one who is alive can simultaneously experience what it's like to be dead, who then does death actually concern? This logic is oddly reassuring. Even so, if my doctor were to call me up right now and tell me that I would die in 12 hours, I would still likely spend all that time in a state of debilitating fear and anxiety. Just thinking about this possibility makes me realize that whether I like it or not, death terrifies me right now, even as a person who is fortunate enough to be in good health.

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How Money Works

How Money Works

Money. How does that word make you feel? Is it a rush of adrenaline, dollar signs running through your head like a slot machine? Perhaps you feel motivated, ready to send those work emails you’ve been putting off, or spend an extra hour writing that movie script that you’re certain will be a hit. But maybe you don’t feel so good when you hear that word. Maybe the mere mention of money causes your hands to go clammy, your heart rate to rise and your brain to start doing somersaults around all the ways in which you don’t have, need more, want more, money.

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Why We Love Anti-Heroes

Why We Love Anti-Heroes

I have a pretty serious confession to make. I don’t like Superman. Before you destroy me in the comments, I know this is an unpopular opinion, but the Man of Steel has just never resonated with me. The problem for me has always been that he is too strong. I mean, one of his primary powers is invulnerability. Talk about a tension killer. The conflict is never if Superman will save the day, only how.
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Why Do We Love Sports?

Why Do We Love Sports?

Today, the Olympics still brings countries of the world together in the spirit of healthy competition, many of whom are not friendly with one another anywhere else. Why do we love sports so much that we’re willing to put aside even our most extreme differences to participate in them? Maybe it’s because we want to feel the highs of winning without the fear of the consequences of losing. When the soldiers played against each other, they could get excited over the potential of winning, without worrying about what would happen to them if they didn’t.
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TikTok Is Causing A Mass Psychosis

TikTok Is Causing A Mass Psychosis

In June 2019, Kirsten Muller-Vahl, a psychiatrist at Hannover Medical School and head of its Tourette’s outpatient department, noticed unusual symptoms in her new set of patients. To begin with, all of them were teenagers, and they were suffering from sudden and uncontrollable tics. Even though none of them had any history of the condition, they were all shouting different kinds of obscenities. 
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The History of the Entire Universe

The History of the Entire Universe

The entire Universe, every electron, proton, atom, every star and galaxy, was born out of a singularity that brought about our whole existence. The Big Bang, an isolated moment in space and time, created something out of nothing. For eons we didn’t know much about the Universe, but through advancements in science and technology we’re now able to travel back in time, right to the point just after the Big Bang to finally piece together its entire history. And in the next 10 minutes, I’ll be sharing that history with you.
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Thought Experiments No One Can Solve

Thought Experiments No One Can Solve

This is a thought experiment. It uses a hypothetical and oftentimes somewhat ridiculous situation to help get us to the core of a deeper philosophical or scientific question. This one being: Is there anything about you that’s irreplaceable? If some kind of computerized robot-clone were to replace your body, mind and memories, would that new you be enough to fool your parents, siblings, best friend or partner? Or would there be a vital, unseen, internal piece of you missing? Something that can’t be quantified physically.

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The Artemis Program: One Giant Leap for Humankind

The Artemis Program: One Giant Leap for Humankind

Now, after five decades of remote exploration, we are once again aiming to send humans back to the Moon. This time, with much greater ambitions that are set to revolutionize space travel and catapult us into further planetary exploration of our Solar System. Apollo, the Greek god of the Sun, took us to the Moon and back, but it’s Artemis, his twin sister, who’s going to lead us toward building a base there and guide us in landing the first human on Mars.
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What if Black Panther Was Real?

What if Black Panther Was Real?

Who is your favorite superhero? There are so many to choose from that it can be tough to pick just one, but for millions of people, the answer is undoubtedly Black Panther. Portrayed on the big screen by the beloved Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther was an instant global phenomenon. Millions of moviegoers the world over flooded into theaters, some more than once, to escape into the colorful, Afrofuturist nation of Wakanda and watch the daring exploits of King T’Challa.
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Minimalism: The Pursuit of Less

Minimalism: The Pursuit of Less

The new PlayStation you swore you couldn’t live without. The heap of clothes in your wardrobe that you said you might have a need to wear again someday. We hoard so much stuff and convince ourselves that we need it all. But when our eyes glow red and the fire truck blares its sirens in the distance, none of that seems to matter. Why then do we cling on to these things so much?
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