All Ideas
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Big Think Interview with Jeff Sharlet
November 19, 2009 | In Media & Internet, Belief, Business & Economics, Politics & Policy
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Jim McManus visited Big Think today to talk about the poker habits of the men who have inhabited the White House. The stories he told come from his new book "Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker." We'll post our video interview with him in the coming days. In the meantime, if you like poker, take a look at our conversation with female gamester Annie Duke. Read More
November 19, 2009 | In Arts & Culture, Politics & Policy
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In the 1960s, the world seemed on the verge of a global food crisis, as the population grew faster than the food supply. As I wrote last week, thanks largely to a suite of technologies known as "the Green Revolution"—which combined high-yielding varieties of wheat, rice, and corn with the intensive use of irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides—grain production more than doubled in the developing world and the global food crisis never materialized. But the prospect of worldwide food shorta… Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Politics & Policy
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Iran and Russia Rethinking Their Relationship
It looks like the Iranians have balked on their promise to ship lowly enriched uranium to Russia. One wonders if the whole thing was a ruse to tamp down the criticism that followed Pittsburgh (when it was revealed Iran was operating a secret nuclear facility)—if in fact they never had any intention of letting the Russians enrich their uranium in the first place. After all, a similar proposal was tabled a few years back, and the Iranians scoffed at it then, too. Are Iranian-Russian relations heading south? Read More
November 18, 2009 | In World
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NYU Law professor Lenni Benson explains how U.S. immigration law uniquely imperils children, and suggests what the country can do to help. Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Truth & Justice
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Bereavement expert Dr. Katherine Shear reveals what happens inside the grieving brain and offers strategies for coping with loss. Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Health & Medicine, Life & Death
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The United States' Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act takes effect on Saturday. Subsequently, it will be illegal for employers to use genetic test results to make decisions about their employees, or even to gather genetic information on people. That includes family histories of heart trouble, stroke, and other common maladies—which means that businesses' frequently-used "health risk" assessment forms will have to lose their intrusive que… Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Science & Tech
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David Small on NBA Nomination: "I'm Overwhelmed"
“Stitches” was only the second graphic novel ever to be nominated for a National Book Award. This afternoon, author David Small discussed what the honor meant to him and why his dark memoir was NOT miscategorized as “Young People’s Literature.” Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Arts & Culture
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"Stitches" Win Would Be No Small Feat
Later this evening, the literary community finds out whether David Small's "Stitches" will be the first graphic novel ever to win a National Book Award. This morning, Big Think asked Mr. Small what the honor would mean to him personally and whether he believes (as some of his fans do) that his book was nominated in the wrong category. His answer, which will be posted prior to the ceremony, revealed much about which side he takes in the eternal conflict between young people and grown-ups. Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Arts & Culture
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Special: George Halvorson Interview
Big Think conducted a special interview today with George Halvorson, CEO of Kaiser Permanente. As the world's largest nonprofit health plan and hospital system, Kaiser Permanente is a micro-healthcare system unto itself. As CEO, Halvorson has a uniquely commanding perspective on the challenges America faces in its current healthcare crisis. Throughout this year, Halvorson has emerged as a leading voice on the issue, crusading to eliminate the price differential for healthcare costs between America and other countries. In a previous interview with Big Think, Halvorson outl… Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Health & Medicine, Politics & Policy
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Finding Peace in the Battle With Grief
For all of us, coping with the death of a loved one is intensely traumatic. For sufferers of "complicated" grief, however, the trauma itself never seems to die; rather than dissipating over time, it becomes a vicious attachment cycle that erodes the brain's ability to function normally. In her interview with Big Think, psychiatrist Dr. Katherine Shear of Columbia University drew on her pioneering research on complicated grief to explain how this devastating cycle works, and how it can be broken. Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Health & Medicine, Life & Death
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According to Columbia grief therapist Dr. Katherine Shear, we shouldn't mourn his passing from relevance just yet. Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Health & Medicine
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The grieving process, says the Columbia psychiatrist, doesn't happen in defined stages; it's about breaking an “attachment system.” Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Health & Medicine, Life & Death
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Is grief an illness? When does “normal” grief become clinical? Columbia's Dr. Katherine Shear shares insights from her groundbreaking research. Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Health & Medicine, Life & Death
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If a tiger ran in the room, says Dr. Katherine Shear, we'd all have one. Fortunately, like the tiger, panic attacks can be tamed. Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Health & Medicine, Life & Death
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A Grief Expert's Grieving Experience
Columbia bereavement therapist Dr. Katherine Shear discusses her personal encounters with the emotion at the heart of her work. Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Life & Death, Love, Sex, & Happiness
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Big Think Interview With Katherine Shear
November 18, 2009 | In Health & Medicine, Life & Death, Love, Sex, & Happiness
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After another fiercely contested election, political scientist John Aldrich wonders whether America's polarized politics will ever change. Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Politics & Policy
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Libertarianism Is Just a Small Thorn
Libertarians are not a threat to the GOP: It is not easy to build a large coalition against gun control and for gay marriage. Read More
November 18, 2009 | In Politics & Policy, History
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Big Think Interview With John Aldrich
November 18, 2009 | In Politics & Policy
