Martin Gardner, who died on May 22 at the age of ninety-five, was described in his New York Times obituary as a polymath. That’s a word not often used anymore, because there are few who... Read More

As a pediatrician, I have a seemingly endless collection of hilarious stories. A toddler came in for a visit carrying along his security object—a spatula. Later that day, an otherwise perfectly well-adjusted mother admitted to... Read More

In an age of PSAs and the Vagina Monologues, many of us consider ourselves informed and educated about institutionalized female violence. “It happens over there,” we tell ourselves, pointing to remote locations on a map,... Read More

In his acceptance speech at the 69th annual conference of the American Humanist Association (which will be featured in these pages in the fall), Humanist of the Year Bill Nye remarked that if you’re someone... Read More

Adapted from "The Friendly Atheist." It's hard enough being a teacher when your private life can come back to haunt you. It's happened to me before and I wouldn't be surprised if it happened again in... Read More

If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, and if God is good, how can he allow evil and suffering to exist? Scholars know this question’s answer by the four-syllable name theodicy. The ancient Hebrews, those who... Read More

It has been bandied about and argued that poetry—or any art for that matter—changes nothing. But everything changes everything, including the least utterance, whether or not we track its significance. Among other many-splendored things—dance, music,... Read More