Why Philosophers Are Obsessed With Brains in Jars

Preserved brains have had a mysterious appeal for decades.

• Philip Ball
• Jul 25, 2017

'Frankenstein' Reflects the Hopes and Fears of Every Scientific Era

The novel is usually considered a cautionary tale for science, but its cultural legacy is much more complicated.

• Philip Ball
• Apr 20, 2017

Musicians Are Wired to Steal Each Other's Work

The rules of Western music limit originality in songs—and the human brain doesn’t want it, anyway.

• Philip Ball
• Sep 14, 2016

The Tyranny of Simple Explanations

The history of science has been distorted by a longstanding conviction that correct theories about nature are always the most elegant ones.

• Philip Ball
• Aug 11, 2016

How Quantum Mechanics Could Be Even Weirder

And what it could mean for the future of computing

• Philip Ball
• Jun 22, 2016

Stop Calling the Babylonians Scientists

The ancient civilization may have tracked Jupiter using sophisticated methods, but their reasons for stargazing were very different than ours.

• Philip Ball
• Feb 10, 2016

Inside the Lab Where Invisibility Cloaks Are Made

Can science compete with magic?

• Philip Ball
• Jan 11, 2016