Interview

What Kinds of Creatures are We?: Noam Chomsky on the Scope and Limits of Human Knowledge

British biologist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) laid the foundations of the theory of evolution and transformed the way we think about the natural…

5 years ago

“The Inimitable” Charles Dickens: Jane Smiley on the British Novelist’s Many Sides and Enduring Appeal

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) has been widely regarded as one of the greatest British writers of the 19th century. His novels, including A Christmas…

5 years ago

He Came, He Saw, He Conquered: Timothy May on the Legendary Mongolian Conqueror Genghis Khan

Founder of the Mongol Empire and one of the most feared conquerors of all time, Genghis Khan (1162–1227) created the largest empire…

5 years ago

“Bound by The World Order in Which He Lived”: Gavin Kennedy on Why Adam Smith Was a Realist, Not an Ideologue

The author of what is widely considered to be “the Bible of capitalism,” Adam Smith (1723–1790) was a Scottish philosopher and economist…

6 years ago

Chalking It Up To Experience: Eric Steinberg On David Hume’s Immense Influence on Modern Philosophy

A major force in the fields of empiricism and skepticism, David Hume (1711–1776) was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist. He…

6 years ago

Mona Lisa Men Have Named Her: Dianne Hales on the “Ordinary” Renaissance Woman Who Continues to Spark “Extraordinary Interest”

Believed to be the model for Leonardo da Vinci’s (1452–1519) “Mona Lisa,” Lisa Gherardini  (1479–1542) was the wife of a Florentine silk merchant.…

6 years ago

Not Defying Gravity: John Moffat on Albert Einstein’s Centenary Theory and Beyond

Albert Einstein (1879–1955) remains to this day among the most famous and influential physicists, who developed the general theory of relativity, changing…

6 years ago

Electrifying Inventions: Michael Pravica on Why Nikola Tesla Was “One of Humanity’s Greatest Heroes”

Serbian-American inventor, engineer, and scientist, Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) made a number of breakthroughs in the production, transmission, and application of electric power.…

6 years ago

A Jack of All Trades: Cheryl Misak on Polymath and Father of Pragmatism Charles Sanders Peirce

Charles Sanders Peirce was an American philosopher best known as "the father of pragmatism"—America's only home-grown philosophy—who made important contributions in…

6 years ago

Deep Drama: Katherine Syer on the Political Connotations of Richard Wagner’s Operas

Richard Wagner (1813–1883) was a German composer known for his mostly complex and lengthy dramatic operas. Though a controversial figure due…

6 years ago