The World's Best Book Summaries
What did President Obama believe about climate change? Did this lead to any policy changes? For President Obama, climate change was an urgent issue. Obama wanted to ensure that on a political level, the U.S. took global warming seriously and was prepared to take measures to stop it. Read more about Obama, climate change, and his key policy plans.
Does the soul exist? What is the current scientific stance on the existence of the human soul? Is there any evidence that points to the soul aspect of the human being? Many people believe they have a soul—some sort of non-material and immortal essence of who they are at their core. But does the soul actually exist? As far as science goes, there is currently no evidence of the existence of the soul. Keep reading for the answer to the question: does the soul exist?
How did the Obama administration handle the BP oil spill? How did the disaster in the Gulf affect his presidency? During the Obama administration, the BP oil spill occurred. It was one of the largest maritime disasters in history, and was a substantial crisis for the Obama administration. Read more about the Obama administration and the BP oil spill.
What is the Behavior Design approach? Why do we often fail when we try to make behavioral changes? Behavior Design is the process of changing behavior patterns based on a scientifically designed approach. And if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean you failed, it means the approach needs to be redesigned. Keep reading to learn more about the Behavior Design approach.
Do we have free will? Do you think our choices come from the place of volition or could they be predetermined by fate? In the realm of individual subjectivity, we intuitively feel that our choices and decisions are the product of free will. But are they really? There is actually no consensus as to whether we really do have free will. In fact, the evidence points to the contrary. Keep reading for the answer to the question: do we have free will?
What do we know of the human consciousness? What causes consciousness and how does it translate into the subjective experience? Although we have learned a great deal about conscious states of mind, scientists actually know little about consciousness, human or otherwise. Modern science suggests that consciousness is likely the result of electrochemical reactions in the brain, but no one knows for sure how this translates into subjective experiences. Keep reading to learn about the current scientific stance on the human consciousness.
What is the book Homo Deus about? What is the most likely course for the future of humanity? In his book Homo Deus, Yuval Noah Harari maps out the past, present, and future of humanity, drawing from the interdisciplinary synthesis of history, psychology, economics, and biology. Dissecting the concepts of religion, immortality, and technology, Harari argues that the world of the future may be run by advanced AI algorithms, not human beings. Here is a brief overview of Yuval Noah Harari’s book Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow.
What do psychologists mean when they talk about the consciousness continuum? How many states of consciousness can a being experience? Do you think non-organic material can possess consciousness? The continuum of consciousness refers to the spectrum of mental, emotional, and perceptive states a being can experience. Although we have studied a variety of human and animal states of consciousness, we will likely never know all possible states since consciousness likely extends well beyond the experiences of organic beings. Keep reading to learn about the consciousness continuum.
What is transhumanism? How will transhumanism impact the future of mankind? Transhumanist ideas abound in sci-fi literature and cinematography. But what is transhumanism exactly? Transhumanism is a philosophical movement, the proponents of which advocate the upgrading of the human mental and physical form with the use of technology. Keep reading for the answer to the question: what is transhumanism?
What is the psychology of human sexuality and how does it relate to love? Why do humans fall in love? What is the difference between passionate and compassionate love? Human sexuality psychology is like that of no other animal. Human sex is not solely for reproduction and fathers actually fall in love with their mate and child. Why are we so different? It’s because of the child development process. Keep reading for more on the psychology of human sexuality.