Culture & Religion — July 29, 2014

Big Brother is Watching You

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

This looks like a still from Federico Fellini‘s classic film Amarcord, inspired by the filmmaker’s childhood in fascist Italy. According to Historical Pics, it’s Benito Mussolini’s Fascist Party headquarters in 1934 Rome.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

An older man with white hair and a suit receives a document from another man in a robe during an event, as several people look on in the background. In the age of viral misquotes, capturing such moments accurately becomes ever more crucial.

High Culture

Einstein didn’t say that: How viral misquotes evolve and replicate

From Einstein to Twain, Garson O’Toole investigates the truth behind your favorite — and often misattributed — quotes.

An open book with a black-and-white photo of a woman on the left page and a close-up image of a flower bud on the right page.

Smart Skills

3 subtle traits of successful late bloomers

Late bloomers often find their moment of transformation when life throws them a curveball.

A monochrome portrait of a man against a blue gradient background, evoking the intense drama of House of the Dragon. Features partial text overlays on the left and right sides.

High Culture

From fan to showrunner: How “House of the Dragon” creator Ryan Condal landed TV’s biggest job

Ryan Condal, who worked in pharmaceutical advertising before Hollywood, talks with Big Think about imposter syndrome, “precrastination,” and Westeros lore.

Ancient stone structure with stairs under a blue sky with scattered clouds, surrounded by vegetation.

The Past

A beginner’s guide to sociopolitical collapse

How (not) to end up in the ash heap of history.

A man holding a transparent rectangular object up to his eyes, reminiscent of the analytical gaze of Robert and Frank Oppenheimer.

The Past

The atomic bomb, exile and a test of brotherly bonds: Robert and Frank Oppenheimer

A rift in thinking about who should control powerful new technologies sent the brothers on diverging paths. For one, the story ended with a mission to bring science to the public.

Up Next

Words of Wisdom

Cusack on the Senses

“I force people to have coffee with me, just because I don’t trust that a friendship can be maintained without any other senses besides a computer or cellphone screen.” – John Cusack