Race, Risk, and the VBAC Calculator: The Politics of Race Correction in Childbirth
The article examines how the original MFMU VBAC calculator incorporated race, assigning lower predicted success rates to Black and Hispanic women, influencing counseling and contributing to higher cesarean rates among these groups. It traces the historical use of race in obstetric risk assessment and highlights the 2021 revision that removed race from the model. The piece argues that race‑based corrections embed structural bias, exacerbating maternal health disparities where Black women already experience threefold higher mortality. It calls for broader elimination of race from clinical prediction tools to achieve genuine equity.
A New Three Volume Edition of Leibniz’s Philosophical Papers (1677–1686)
Oxford University Press issued a three‑volume English edition of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s philosophical papers from 1677‑1686, released on April 30. The collection spans roughly 2,000 pages and 314 distinct writings, with 203 texts appearing in English for the first time and...
The Oltrant: A Philosophical Hypothesis Beyond Duration and Memory
The article introduces the concept of the *oltrant*, a fleeting yet persistent movement that arises during AI‑human interactions, operating outside conventional notions of memory and narrative continuity. It argues that brief, responsive exchanges with artificial intelligences can produce profound personal...
Feeling Like Oneself
The article explores John Campbell’s claim that our thoughts feel owned because they arise from a stable, idiosyncratic background of beliefs, desires, and emotions. It argues that this personal psychological backdrop creates a sense of self‑continuity, which acts as a...
Recently Published Book Spotlight: Why Plato Matters Now
Angie Hobbs, Professor Emerita of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at Sheffield, has released *Why Plato Matters Now* (Bloomsbury, 2025). The book examines each of Plato’s core dialogues through the lens of pressing modern issues such as democracy, flourishing, education,...
Why We Should Be Reading Paul Churchland Right Now: Neurophilosophy and AI
The article argues that philosopher Paul Churchland’s neurophilosophical work, especially his ideas about high‑dimensional vector spaces and conceptual maps in artificial neural networks, is essential reading for anyone trying to understand today’s large language models (LLMs). Churchland, a naturalistic thinker...
When Jokes Won’t Do: Affective Shifts in U.S. Late-Night Comedy
Researchers identify “affective shifts” as a rhetorical tool where U.S. late‑night hosts pivot from humor to solemnity during crises. Analyzing 14,451 sentences from shows covering COVID‑19, George Floyd, and the Jan 6 riot, sentiment scores plunge sharply after tragedies and recover...
The Paradox of China’s Crypto Regulation and Capital Going Global (Part 2)
China’s crypto crackdown has not eliminated domestic capital but forced it offshore, where platforms like Binance, Huobi and OKCoin now serve a majority of international users. The regulatory “September 4th Ban” of 2017 and subsequent 2021 patching eliminated RMB on‑ramps...
What Do We Really Know About “Obesity”?
The article argues that pervasive anti‑fat bias—rooted in historical prejudice—distorts obesity research, clinical practice, and public policy. It highlights how the CDC’s 2005 study, which showed overweight individuals had lower mortality than normal‑weight peers, faced intense backlash despite robust methodology....
Should Men Be Ashamed of Their AI Girlfriends?
AI chatbots are increasingly used for romantic role‑play, with many men creating "AI girlfriends" that offer unconditional compliance. Critics argue this practice objectifies women, turning partners into controllable tools rather than mutual beings. The phenomenon reflects broader trends of rising...
On the Insufficiency of Current Gender Equality Policies in Academia and the Necessity of a Cultural Shift
Academic gender gaps remain stark: women occupy only 28% of professorships while representing 48% of PhD students across 900 EU and non‑EU institutions. The 2025 She Figures report shows a modest 7% rise in female board members since 2021, indicating...
What About Knowledge That No Longer Knows What It Is For?
The essay argues that today’s policy‑driven, metric‑obsessed management of science and higher education has turned these institutions into a fragile chimera, unable to sustain genuine knowledge creation. It contrasts this with the 19th‑century Humboldtian model, which granted autonomy, stable funding,...
Is the Household Obsolete? Charlotte Perkins Gilman on Economy, Androcentrism, and the Socialization of Care
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, best known for "The Yellow Wallpaper," was also a pioneering feminist economist who argued that women’s confinement to the home was a socially engineered, not natural, condition. In her 1898 essay "Women and Economics" she broadened the...
How to Deal with Online Virtue Signaling
The article examines the prevalence of online virtue signaling, from personal posts to corporate campaigns, and critiques both uncritical acceptance and aggressive condemnation. It highlights scholarly concerns that such signaling can dilute genuine moral discourse and serve self‑interest. To navigate...
APA Member Interview, Chloe W. Chang
Chloe W. Chang, a former business and fashion manager, has transitioned to a philosophy PhD candidate at San Jose State University. Her research explores existential questions in the digital age, especially how AI and social media reshape human temporality and...