Guest Thinkers — June 21, 2010

Photos: Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2010

Lindsay Beyerstein

CONEY ISLAND, BROOKLYN.

See more photos from the 2010 Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

The Mermaid Parade marks the beginning of summer in Brooklyn.

The most popular theme for costumes and floats this year was rage at British Petroleum over the oil spill.

Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson presided as King and Queen of the parade.

Neuropsych

Rhyme as reason: The cognitive quirk that makes bad advice seem wise

Beer before wine and you'll feel fine? Well, it depends.

Starts With A Bang

The better way to measure cosmic time

For some reason, when we talk about the age of stars, galaxies, and the Universe, we use "years" to measure time. Can we do better?

A technician in a clean suit inspects a large, segmented, hexagonal mirror inside a circular gray structure.

Hard Science

Why a James Webb Space Telescope mystery doesn’t (necessarily) break cosmology

The JWST's observations of well-developed galaxies early in universal history may coincide with accepted astronomical theory after all.

A book titled "Cultures of Growth" by Mary C. Murphy lying on a dark blue fabric surface.

Business

“Cultures of growth”: How small changes can build stronger, more successful teams

Psychologist Mary C. Murphy explains why growth-mindset teams outperform those centered around a lone genius.

Starts With A Bang

The Universe might never run out of hydrogen

The most common element in the Universe, vital for forming new stars, is hydrogen. But there's a finite amount of it; what if we run out?

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