Today’s AI chatbots are not considered sentient by most researchers. They can write, reason through problems and hold convincing conversations, but there is no solid evidence that they have feelings or experiences. At the same time, scientists do not fully agree on what consciousness is, so the question is debated more seriously than it was … Read more
Literary movements are groups of writers who shared ideas about what literature should do and how it should be written. Knowing them helps you see why a book was revolutionary in its time and how writers responded to one another. Start with an overview Romanticism (late 18th to mid-19th century) Emotion, nature, imagination and the … Read more
Why do we make irrational decisions, follow the crowd or deceive ourselves? Behavioral science offers answers, and several researchers have written accessible books for general readers. Here are some of the most influential. Decisions and biases Influence and social behavior Human nature Habits and change Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Power of Habit … Read more
Reading fiction means spending hours inside someone else’s head. Psychologists have studied whether this makes readers more empathetic, with some studies finding a link between reading literary fiction and understanding others’ feelings, although results vary. Either way, many readers say certain books changed how they see people. Novels that put you in another’s place Learning … Read more
Some books are comfortable; others leave you uneasy, questioning things you took for granted. This list brings together novels and nonfiction that have changed public debates and still provoke discussion. Novels that question society Race, gender and class Rethinking the world Reading with an open mind For the psychology behind our beliefs, read the science … Read more
Philosophy asks the biggest questions: how to live, what we can know, what is right. Reading philosophy, along with the religious and wisdom traditions of different cultures, shows how differently humans have answered them. Friendly introductions Ancient wisdom Modern thought Reading difficult texts Read slowly, use a good translation with an introduction, and read short … Read more
Films let you spend two hours inside someone else’s life, often in a place you may never visit. World cinema shows daily routines, family structures, humor and conflicts that news reports and travel guides rarely capture. “The one-inch barrier of subtitles” When Parasite won the Golden Globe for best foreign-language film in 2020, director Bong … Read more
Some human foods are safe as an occasional treat, but cats have very specific nutritional needs. They are obligate carnivores: they need nutrients found in animal tissue, such as the amino acid taurine and vitamin A in its active form. A complete, balanced cat food should make up nearly all of their diet, and treats, … Read more
