What removing large chunks of brain taught me about selfhood
I’ve cut brains in half, excised tumours – even removed entire lobes. The illusion of the self and free will survives it all
by Theodore H Schwartz
Freedom and choice
For Lucy, surviving on a remote island was hard, but returning was harder
Directed by Jesper Wachtmeister
Relationships are important, but so is feeling free to end them
Comparing ‘relational mobility’ and people’s average happiness across different cultures reveals some intriguing patterns
by Thomas Talhelm & Liuqing Wei
In the outback, a town of two awaits visitors to their emergency airport
Directed by Yannick Jamey
Why Charlie Chaplin was an ‘angel of peace’ for Walter Benjamin
Though a tramp and a misfit, Chaplin’s world fit him like a glove. His life of contingency appealed to the émigré Benjamin
by Eli Friedlander
Censoring offensive language threatens our freedom to think
The modern obsession with textual purity stems from a misapplication of the philosophies of Wittgenstein and Derrida
by Paul Ham
Recognise free will is an illusion and reap the emotional benefits
The idea that all our choices are determined by past events may seem dispiriting – but it can be emotionally liberating
by Francis Merson
The three reasons why it’s good for you to believe in free will
Regardless of whether humans do or don’t have free will, psychological research shows it’s beneficial to act as if you do
by Kennon Sheldon
Why not driving is my own form of resistance
As romantic petrochemical-fuelled narratives slip into the past, I’ve found my own kind of freedom in a life without a car
by Vicky Grut
I’m childfree by choice. Should I feel guilty about ending my line?
My uterus is not my ancestors’ vessel for future progeny. What’s the impact of my choice on my family’s genetic lineage?
by Starre Vartan
Pablo has a simple dream – to spread joy. But the reality is more complicated
Directed by Daniel Ifans
Founding the ‘world’s best’ restaurant made Sally happy. So did selling it
Directed by Ben Proudfoot
After decades in prison, Jack navigates the strange, beautiful outside world
Directed by Pete Quandt
What our fantasies about futuristic food say about us
Once ‘future foods’ were powdered and automatic, but times change and today they have become about speed and social justice
by Kelly Alexander
How to think about free will
You can’t escape cause and effect, but there is a way of viewing human agency that is motivating, plausible and humane
by Julian Baggini
Meandering with purpose across the US, on his mountain bike, aged 71
Directed by Brandon Watts