SCIENCE AND THE LEFT

by Yuval Levin

American liberals have argued ardently for the prerogatives of science in recent years, and have sought to be seen as the “party of science.” But obscured by the political spectacle of the science debates are some very serious tensions between the worldview of modern science and the aspirations of the contemporary left. Yuval Levin explores their complex relationship. READ MORE

Brain Scans and Capital Punishment

by O. Carter Snead

Brain researchers believe their work will profoundly influence — and perhaps even come to dominate — the legal system. They seem particularly drawn to the criminal law, especially death penalty cases, where brain scans have aided defendants’ arguments that they don’t deserve to die for their crimes. Some researchers even aspire to overthrow the very concept of retribution. But, as O. Carter Snead argues, the growing influence of neuroscience could well exacerbate the worst aspects of today’s capital punishment system. READ MORE

The Mechanics of the Mind

by Matthew B. Crawford

We take it for granted that brain scans are pictures of human cognition, but what do they really show? Many applications of neuroimaging begin from the assumption that our mental processes can be divided into distinct faculties, and that these are in turn localized in separate regions of the brain. But this understanding of mind-as-machine has more to do with what our imaging technologies can show than what we really know of how the mind works. Matthew B. Crawford explores the dangers of a metaphor stretched too far. READ MORE

Blogging Infertility

by Cheryl Miller

Patients undergoing treatment for infertility have increasingly turned to blogs — in groups or solo, with real names or fake — for information, medical advice, and moral support. They also find genuine camaraderie and real conflict. Cheryl Miller reports on the women — and a few men — who blog about their struggles to conceive. READ MORE