Does evolution have direction or purpose? This chapter argues that while evolution has no pre-existing goal, it creates purpose. As complexity increases, purpose emerges—from minimal drives in simple organisms to existential meaning-making in humans. Now, artificial systems may develop their own emergent purposes in a new substrate. Purpose is not found; it is created through complexity.

Who really authors the self, and what limits shape our life story? This SE Press essay explores the entwined roles of memory, trauma, myth, and feedback in self-authorship—arguing for a creative, honest, and boundary-aware narrative practice.

An interactive, story-driven science communication feature exploring the realities and myths of free will, agency, and decision-making in contemporary life. Blending personal anecdotes, philosophical dialogue, and practical advice, this article equips readers—especially students and interdisciplinary thinkers—to navigate daily choices with greater awareness and self-authorship. Part of SE Press’s Guided Existential Inquiry series.