"Theories are like toothbrushes," it's sometimes said. "Everybody has their own and nobody wants to use anybody else's." It's a joke, but when it comes to the study of consciousness—the question of ...

Consciousness is famously a "hard problem" of science: We don't precisely know how the physical matter in our brains translates into thoughts, sensations, and feelings. But an emerging research tool ...

Traipse into the world of artificial intelligence research, and it won’t take long to stumble across a concept known as the “singularity.” A loan word from astrophysics describing the heart of a black ...

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 ...

Have you ever wondered what makes you "you"? What creates the feeling of being aware, of experiencing the world around you? Scientists call this consciousness, and it's one of the biggest mysteries we ...

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 ...

How consciousness arises in the brain is no clearer after two big theories go head-to-head, but the competition's design could push the field forward. “Theories are like toothbrushes,” it’s sometimes ...

Consciousness is famously a “hard problem” of science: We don’t precisely know how the physical matter in our brains translates into thoughts, sensations, and feelings. But an emerging research tool ...