Surprising Science — April 20, 2011

Why Can’t We See Multiple Dimensions?

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Physicists have proposed that there could be dozens of dimensions in addition to the normal three we experience in daily life. But where are they?

The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

The image features the phrase "an excerpt from" on a red background next to the book cover of "Playful" by Cas Holman with Lydia Denworth, highlighting insights from play research.

Books

More than a game: How play helps wire our social brains

In this excerpt from “Playful,” Cas Holman surveys the research that brought the neuroscience of play into the mainstream.

A close-up of a spotted nudibranch with translucent, pointed cerata on a brown underwater branch against a black background, inviting reflection on the intricate nature of consciousness in marine life.

Books

What sea slugs can teach us about the nature of consciousness

In this excerpt from “One Hand Clapping,” Nikolay Kukushkin makes the case that neurons reveal how memory, meaning, and even consciousness emerge from the same biological roots in humans, sea slugs, and beyond.

Coastal Mediterranean village with white buildings, a sandy beach, colorful boats, and clear turquoise sea under a bright blue sky.

The Present

Seaflooding: How we could engineer the next Mediterranean

Bold megaprojects could turn dry depressions into thriving new hubs of life.

Business

Ask your boss: Can we have a “daydreaming workstation”?

Neuroscience supports the notion that mindfulness and meditation should become essential assets in our workspaces.

Abstract illustration of a figure reaching for a yellow sphere on the left, with colored overlapping circles and concentric arcs—evoking themes of physics and consciousness—set against a vibrant multicolored gradient background.

Starts With A Bang

Does physics truly have anything to say about consciousness?

Many, from neuroscientists to philosophers to anesthesiologists, have claimed to understand consciousness. Do physicists? Does anyone?

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