They called him possessed. They chained him for months
[ 4 minutes to read] Julien’s family believed he was possessed. For months, rusty chains bound his ankles while he lived…
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Seventeen Arrests in Alkaleri: What a Witchcraft Accusation Looks Like in 2026
[ 3 minutes to read] At approximately 1:00 am on Sunday, 18 October 2026, an armed mob breached a family compound…
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Jesus and Augustus: Very little evidence vs. overwhelming evidence
[ 5 minutes to read] Augustus left coins, inscriptions, monuments, and portraits made during his lifetime. His contemporaries discussed his actions…
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Child Brides of the North: The Law That Exists, The States That Refuse It, and the Girls Caught Between
[ 7 minutes to read] In Jigawa State, 63 percent of girls are married before they turn 18. In Zamfara, 63…
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The biology and environment behind religiosity
[ 5 minutes to read] Why do some people become deeply religious while others remain indifferent or reject religion altogether? The…
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The Lost Hospitals: How Northern Nigeria Was Left Without Healthcare — And Who Left It There
[ 8 minutes to read] In Bauchi State, where I live, only 10.9 percent of surveyed health facilities had at least…
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There is no “me”, only a network of neurons
[ 9 minutes to read] We wake up every morning with an extraordinarily convincing impression. There is someone inside our heads….
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Born Guilty: The History of Witchcraft Accusations Against Children in Northern Nigeria
[ 5 minutes to read] In March 2024, a young boy in Alkaleri Local Government Area, Bauchi State, reportedly lost his…
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Nigeria Has Banned Street Begging in Almajiri Schools. We Have Heard This Before
[ 5 minutes to read] This month, the Federal Government unveiled what it is calling a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s Almajiri…
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The Medicine Men: How Unregulated Drug Sellers Endanger Public Health in Nigeria
[ 8 minutes to read] Go to any bus stop in Kano, Bauchi, or Kaduna. You will find him. He has…
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Gender inequality: Innate or acquired?
[ 12 minutes to read] Few debates have generated more political heat than the origins of gender inequality. One side argues…
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The neuroscience of prayer
[ 9 minutes to read] For thousands of years, believers have regarded prayer as a conversation with God. They have viewed…
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The curse of privilege: Why I don’t believe in free will
[ 19 minutes to read] Every successful person enjoys hearing that they deserve everything they have achieved. Society constantly celebrates hard…
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The Almajiri Pipeline: How a Centuries-Old System Became a Recruitment Ground for Extremism in Northern Nigeria
[ 5 minutes to read] The Boy on the Road He is easy to miss. He stands at a junction in…
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Your Rights, Your Body: What Nigerian Law Says About Witchcraft Accusations And Why Nobody Told You
[ 5 minutes to read] A Boy in Nasarawa. A Law Nobody Used. When Ovey Friday was 13 years old, his…
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The Business of Blessings: How Spiritual Exploitation Drains the Poor
[ 4 minutes to read] The Transaction A farmer in Bauchi State harvests his groundnuts. The season was hard. The rains…
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Chained to Faith: The Dark Underworld of Unregulated ‘Spiritual Healing’ Centers in Northern Nigeria
[ 3 minutes to read] If you walk into the outskirts of certain towns here in Northern Nigeria, you might hear…
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Neuroscience behind immigrant integration
[ 4 minutes to read] Public debates about immigrant integration in Europe often revolve around economics, law, or cultural values. However,…
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The Silent Killer: How ‘Islamic Medicine’ Sellers Are Deceiving My People
[ 3 minutes to read] If you go to any market in Northern Nigeria today, you will notice something strange. You…
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New Systematic Review shows: God is in the Synapses: Why Religion Is Just Your Brain Talking to Itself
[ 2 minutes to read] The Neuroscience of Religion: What Science Reveals About Faith and the Brain Religion has long claimed…
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Where Rationalists Go Wrong: Stop Sharing Facts — Start Changing Minds
[ 2 minutes to read] Rationalists, skeptics, freethinkers — we love facts. We collect them, share them, throw them like darts…
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What Science Got Wrong (And What It Tells Us About Truth)
[ 2 minutes to read] Spoiler: science is wrong a lot. And that’s exactly why you should trust it. Let’s start…
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Do gods also govern the oceans of K2-18b?
[ 2 minutes to read] The recent discovery of potentially habitable exoplanets—especially K2-18b, with its tantalizing atmospheric hints of organic compounds—marks…
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8 ‘Common Sense’ Ideas That Science Proved Completely Wrong
[ 3 minutes to read] Ever thought something was obviously true, only to discover science had other ideas? Here’s a mind-bending…
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10 Surprising Ways Science Has Changed Religious Beliefs Over Time
[ 3 minutes to read] Think you know all about the relationship between science and religion? Hold onto your prayer beads…
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How to Convince Flat Earthers That the World is Round
[ 3 minutes to read] Ah, the flat Earth debate. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving for science enthusiasts…
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A Beginner’s Guide to Critical Thinking
[ 20 minutes to read] In 2024, there is information overload. In the country where I live, media and their super-rich…
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Is AI the Future of Freethinking or Its Downfall?
[ < 1 minute to read] As we navigate a world increasingly influenced by technology, artificial intelligence (AI) stands out as a…
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“There is No Such Thing as Philosophy-Free Science. There is Only Science Whose Philosophical Baggage is Taken on Board Without Examination.” — Daniel Dennett (1942-2024)
[ 2 minutes to read] Daniel Clement Dennett III, a towering figure in philosophy and cognitive science, who profoundly influenced our…
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Daniel Kahneman, the man that challenged our views on human thinking, died age 90
[ 2 minutes to read] We are saddened to announce the passing of Daniel Kahneman on March 27, 2024, a visionary…
