In a controversial 2025 paper, a researcher proposed a theory that consciousness may give rise to matter—not the other way ...

New research offers a way to identify consciousness in living and artificial systems.

Ever since we published our very first issue 123 years ago—yes, we’re old—Popular Mechanics has endeavored to help you understand all kinds of technological marvels, from the tools in your shed, to ...

Explore bizarre mysteries science still can't explain, from dark matter to the Fermi Paradox. Dive into cosmic conundrums and ...

A dancing humanoid robot gyrates to music at a fair in Beijing. - © AFP Pedro PARDO/File A dancing humanoid robot gyrates to music at a fair in Beijing. - © AFP ...

An unprecedented experiment seven years in the making has shaken the field of neuroscience. Researchers set out to answer one of science’s most puzzling questions: Where does consciousness come from?

Is consciousness a product of the brain, or could it be something more fundamental? This is one of the central questions addressed by Christof Koch, one of the most influential contemporary ...

Why does consciousness exist? This question lies at the heart of my book, A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness, in which I argue that consciousness evolved to help animals navigate ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Science routinely puts forward theories, then batters them with data till only one is left standing. In the fledgling science of ...

Explore 25 Unsolved Mysteries That Haunt Modern Science. From dark matter to consciousness, these profound puzzles challenge ...

While many of my readers are philosophers, or have at least studied philosophy for a while at university, many are not. So I was reluctant to get into metaphysical debates within philosophy, fearing ...