The Scary Science of Nihilism (Level 1)

There is a famous video of a penguin. This penguin does not stay with its family. It does not go to the ocean for food. Instead, it walks toward the mountains. It will probably die there. Many people think the penguin is brave. Humans love stories about trying hard. Today, many people feel they have no control over their lives. They struggle to do simple things. So, they admire the brave penguin. However, scientists say the penguin's brain is just broken. This makes us ask a big question about humans. We want our lives to have meaning. But what if meaning is just a trick? Humans are the only animals that know they will die. Because we fear death, our brains invent purpose to make us feel safe. Is our search for meaning real, or is it just a biological trick?