It is one thing not to discriminate against people, says Salman Rushdie, i.e. peaceful practitioners of Islam, but to foreclose an open debate over the merits of religion is a mistake.

Modern “theories” suggesting the Earth is flat are ignorant of basic experiential data, historical scientific findings, and how technologies like smartphone functions, says Bill Nye the Science Guy.

The road to eugenics was paved with good intentions, says Siddhartha Mukherjee. So what questions are essential to ask now that we can change human DNA through gene editing technology?

We assume that getting a “yes” from the other side is the goal of any negotiation, but former lead FBI negotiator Chris Voss says knowing how to get a “no” is actually more important.

Lewis Black argues that when it comes to comedy, defying political correctness is categorically different from mean-spirited rhetoric, plus political correctness has no desire to laugh.

People want to know that their efforts matter, says former Yum! Foods CEO David Novak, but 82 percent of workers say they don’t feel recognized by their supervisors.

Your state of mind affects how you breathe, and how you breathe determines your emotional state. Here is a breathing technique to restore calmness, concentration, and energy.

Nine wars have been predicted to erupt since the early 1990s, and all have failed to materialize. That’s a result of trade, the interconnectedness of financial markets, and supply chain integration.

NASA could get a crew of astronauts to orbit Mars by 2033 without increasing its budget beyond the rate of inflation, says Bill Nye the Science Guy. That’s exciting news.

Everything we know about gravity suggests the universe should expand at a decelerating rate, but the opposite is true says Christophe Galfard, Stephen Hawking’s protege.

Life is a marathon, says Dr. David Agus. Maintaining longterm brain health is all about having positive social relationships, and scheduling time for the brain to relax.

America’s vision of security after the 9/11 terrorist attacks excluded domestic threats like gun violence and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, says a former assistant secretary of President Obama’s Homeland Security team.

Music mogul Russell Simmons was close with Donald Trump for many years. He says even if Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton defeats Trump, his effect on our politics will prove lasting.

Doing ritual, whether it’s a religious ceremony or a simple greeting on the street, is a powerful way to break bad habits and improve our lives, says Harvard historian Michael Puett.

How you perform on an individual task — an exam or project at work — does not predict longterm success as well as a behavior called “grit.” So what is grit, and how can we use it to succeed?

Being your true self means being present under trying circumstances, but that takes practice and a certain amount of self-knowledge. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

Music is an undeniably powerful force, and the science behind it suggests we create music because of some deeply rooted impulses. Bill Nye the Science Guy explains how deep our love of music is.

Enlightenment is a traditionally mystical and slippery concept, but when it is subjected to the rigors of empirical analysis, there is a lot to be learned about our brains and ourselves.

Multitasking is a myth, says McGill University Psychology Professor Daniel Levitin. Switching focus across tasks comes at a neurological cost, depleting chemicals we need to concentrate.

American anti-drug laws are inspired by colonialism and racism, not science. They are at odds with our current understanding of addiction and ignore the economic blight of this second gilded age.

Tony Award-winning actress Mary-Louise Parker says the stereotypes that accompany being in the military, and growing up in a military family, don’t really apply.

Science writing, or the way scientists describe their research, purposefully removes the human element, but this is what readers want most, says career biologist Hope Jahren.

James Brown was the godfather of American soul music, yet despite leaving specific instructions that his estate be used to education poor children, funds remain tied up in South Carolina courts.

Bill Nye the Science Guy explains how reinvigorating basic research and development in our schools resulted in the acronym STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), and why new acronyms are emerging.

Most people are familiar with the technique of taking deep inhalations to relax themselves, but one breathing technique is more effective at returning your body to a naturally calm and connected state.

Creativity takes places equally in the conscious and subconscious mind, and while popular definitions often emphasize intuition over rationality, you won’t have breakthroughs without both.

Groundbreaking digital companies like Google, Amazon, and Uber operate using a “scorched Earth” method of value creation, says Rushkoff, which resembles 13th century colonialism.

There are only two events in the universe that defy the laws of physics: black holes and the Big Bang, and while scientists try to explain them, crucial evidence may be eaten up in the meantime.

Not all love is the same, says psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz. When your brain experiences romantic love, as opposed to maternal love, it exhibits signs of obsession, depression, and emotional stress.

Meditating will make you more open to a plant-based diet, says legendary music producer Russell Simmons, who calls eating meat “the biggest karmic disaster in the world.”