In the centuries since the first coffeehouse was opened in Istanbul in 1554, Turkish coffee has brought together people of different classes, cultures and ranks and helped shape politics and lifestyles, Ali Çaksu, visiting professor of history and political thought at Germany’s Ludwig Maximilian University, told a scientific forum at the University of Sharjah last...
Author: sp (sp )
Post
The Silent Force Behind Online Echo Chambers? Your Google Search
In an era defined by polarized views on everything from public health to politics, a new Tulane University study offers insight into why people may struggle to change their minds—especially when they turn to the internet for answers. Researchers found that people often use search engines in ways that unintentionally reinforce their existing beliefs. The study, published...
Post
Yale Launches Center for Civic Thought to Promote Thoughtful Discourse
Immediately after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, a group of 10 Yale students from a variety of backgrounds convened on campus to discuss the unthinkable. Brought together by the university’s Civic Thought Initiative (CTI), which encourages open dialogue on difficult issues in small, seminar-style settings, the group included Jewish students with diverging views...
Post
Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Announces 2025 Inductees: Celebrating the Visionaries Behind the Breakthroughs
The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is proud to announce its 2025 inductees — 10 pioneering inventors whose groundbreaking contributions span disciplines ranging from nanotechnology and regenerative medicine to energy systems and video technologies. Their work has established and reshaped entire fields, propelled scientific progress and exemplified the spirit of innovation that defines Florida’s growing ecosystem...
Post
AI Meets the Conditions for Having Free Will – We Need to Give It a Moral Compass
AI is advancing at such speed that speculative moral questions, once the province of science fiction, are suddenly real and pressing, says Finnish philosopher and psychology researcher Frank Martela Martela’s latest study finds that generative AI meets all three of the philosophical conditions of free will — the ability to have goal-directed agency, make genuine...
Post
From Defenders to Skeptics: the Sharp Decline in Young Americans’ Support for Free Speech
For much of the 20th century, young Americans were seen as free speech’s fiercest defenders. But now, young Americans are growing more skeptical of free speech. According to a March 2025 report by The Future of Free Speech, a nonpartisan think tank where I am executive director, support among 18- to 34-year-olds for allowing controversial...
Post
A Dancer’s Eye on Carmen: Miami City Ballet’s Fierce Reimagining at the Broward Center
As a professional ballerina, I experience dance differently than most. I look at lines, weight shifts, the stories bodies tell even before the music begins. So when I sat in the audience at the Broward Center to see Miami City Ballet’s latest production of Carmen, choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, I didn’t expect to be...
Post
‘Agreeing to Disagree’ Is Hurting Your Relationships – Here’s What to Do Instead
As Americans become more polarized, even family dinners can feel fraught, surfacing differences that could spark out-and-out conflict. Tense conversations often end with a familiar refrain: “Let’s just drop it.” As a communications educator and trainer, I am frequently asked how to handle these conversations, especially when they involve social and political issues. One piece...
Post
From the Chinese Exclusion Act to Pro-Palestinian Activists: the Evolution of Politically Motivated Deportations
The recent deportation orders targeting foreign students in the U.S. have prompted a heated debate about the legality of these actions. The Trump administration made no secret that many individuals were facing removal because of their pro-Palestinian advocacy. In recent months, the State Department has revoked hundreds of visas of foreign students with little explanation....
Post
In the $250B Influencer Industry, Being a Hater Can Be the Only Way to Rein in Bad Behavior
Since 2020, content creator Remi Bader had accumulated millions of TikTok followers by offering her opinions on the fits of popular clothing brands as a plus-size woman. In 2023, however, Bader appeared noticeably thinner. When some fans asked her whether she’d undergone a procedure, she blocked them. Later that year, she announced that she would...
