Have you ever wondered if you’re just a character in some elaborate simulation? You shake the thought off because you’re a real person, living a real-life, in a concrete reality. But can you be ...

Imagine you are shopping online for a new pair of headphones. There is an array of colors, brands and features to look at. You feel that you can pick any model that you like and are in complete ...

In a world full of options, it can be difficult to know how to make good decisions and choices. What is free will and how do we exercise it in order to benefit ourselves and others? In this interview, ...

The takeaway of Robert Sapolsky’s Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will is basically the same as that espoused by those Snickers commercials: You’re not you when you’re hungry. Except ...

This is the first in a new series of posts, on “Science and Philosophy," featuring interviews with influential scientists and philosophers of science. This is part 3 in an interview series with Bas ...

When we walk into a coffee shop, we think it is up to us whether to have an espresso, cappuccino, or strawberry-toffee-flavored latte with soymilk. Similarly, when we think about more serious ...

Imagine standing at a crossroads. You pause, thinking you’re about to make a choice — left or right, stay or go, yes or no. It feels deliberate, conscious, yours. But what if that moment of decision ...

Philip Ball argues that “free will” is not ruled out by physics – because it doesn’t stem from physics in the first place Wrong way If physics can disprove free will, then it must override everything ...

Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021. It’s no surprise that Stephen Cave’s story in our current issue, ...

University of Essex provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK. From coffee table books and social media to popular science lectures, it seems it has has become increasing fashionable for ...