Surprising Science — March 3, 2014

The Science of Lucid Dreaming

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Think you don’t dream? Everyone has 3 to 7 dreams a night on average. Lucid dreaming means that you can control your dreams–with a little practice. AsapSCIENCE provides a helpful overview on the research into lucid dreaming and how you can turn your nightmares into a choose-your-own-adventure film.

Image credit: 2493/Flickr

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Electric vehicle in blue being charged with a white charging cable against a blue background.

The Future

The master plan to end EV “range anxiety” forever

The US needs 28 million EV chargers by 2030. Here’s how it can get there.

Silhouettes of three people in red stand on a podium made of white cubes, evoking the spirit of ranked choice voting, with blue circles against a dark grid background.

The Present

Can ranked-choice voting heal our poisoned politics?

The electoral reform also known as instant-runoff voting promises bridge-building and broad appeal instead of culture war and gridlock.

A collage featuring close-up images of hands, faces, eyes, and text excerpts. The central focus is on various hand gestures performing actions with small objects and cards, evoking the mysterious art of mentalism.

Neuropsych

Unlock your potential with mentalism: An interview with Scott Barry Kaufman

Meet the scientist mixing mentalism with principles from positive psychology and the science of human potential.

Film strip collage of abstract images—including faces with X marks, colorful patterns, and nature elements—evokes the vibrant allure of "Crazy Rich Asians.

High Culture

“Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon Chu on the American Dream and silencing your inner critic

“No matter how long you’ve been doing a job or how good people say you are, you need to care as if you’ve never done it before.”

Illustration depicting "Humanity vs. Nature" with diagrams of evolution, ecocentrism, biocentrism, and anthropocentrism, featuring images of a tree, human evolution, and a whale.

The Past

Why harmony with nature is a myth

Slowing growth and limiting development isn’t living in harmony with nature—it is surrendering in a battle.

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