Ablinger Franz

Raymond Tallis reveals the philosophical connection between medical ethics and hair loss. Photographic evidence shows that in 1980 I had a full head of hair, while in 1990 I was bald. It follows from this that some time in the 1980s I became bald. However, it seems impossible – or daft – to state when … Read more

BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling operation may have triggered an irreversible, cascading geological Apocalypse that will culminate with the first mass extinction of life on Earth in many millions of years. The oil giant drilled down miles into a geologically unstable region and may have set the stage for the eventual premature release of a methane … Read more

In a desertifying world short of water, the utilitarian camel, and the ancient cultures that depend on it, offer a way to use land too poor to sustain anything else. The camel has long had a special place in the imagination of the West, from the Greek historian Herodotus telling a story about Indians using … Read more

Here’s a link to a commentary by April Michelle Herndon. She is an assistant professor of English who also teaches in the Women’s and Gender Studies department at Winona State University in Minnesota. “Would you take a magic pill to make yourself straight?” That question came from an audience member at a recent panel discussion … Read more

What can a wide-eyed, talking robot teach us about trust? A lot, according to Northeastern psychology professor David DeSteno, and his colleagues, who are conducting innovative research to determine how humans decide to trust strangers — and if those decisions are accurate. The interdisciplinary research project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is being … Read more