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Mind Matters
November 19, 2009 — 11:29 AM
Footnote about the Pinker-Gladwell kerfuffle: To discredit Gladwell, Pinker takes advantage of a truly embarrassing mistake (the science-writer's nightmare) in which Gladwell misspelled "eigenvalue'' as "igon value.'' (It seems a less successful gambit, though, after you learn that Pinker misspelled "sagittal'' in his list of Gladwell's errors -- a mistake which, though now corrected on the NY Times website, lives on in places where the freshly posted review was quoted, like here and here.) Read more
Mind Matters
November 18, 2009 — 3:39 PM
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 questions about people's ancestors and relatives. Read more
Latest Ideas
It was a mystery: how does the chromosome replicate itself precisely during repeated cell divisions without degrading over time? Structures called telomeres (the "caps" on chromosome ends) seemed to provide some clues, but their exact function was poorly understood. The solution to the puzzle, which molecular biologist Carol Greider explained to Big Think this week, won her a share of this year's Nobel Prize in Medicine. Read More
November 10, 2009
Snooping for Psychological Insight
Sometimes the best insights into the human mind can be found by poking about in odd places. This week Psychology professor and "Snoop" author Sam Gosling revisited Big Think to discuss the latest directions his inventive research has taken. Read More
November 6, 2009
From the mall to the car, music is always in our ears. Opera singer Thomas Hampson discusses the impact that technology has on song. Read More
November 6, 2009
Business Cards Are So Last Year
Gabe Zichermann, the founder and CEO of rmbrME, could never remember anyone he’d met. So he started a business. This video is part of a "Profiles in Entrepreneurship" series with Start Out, which promotes entrepreneurship in the LGBT community. http://www.startout.org Read More
November 5, 2009
You're as likely to win the lottery as create a winning application for the iPhone. Serial tech entrepreneur Gabe Zichermann explains. Read More
November 5, 2009
Big Think Interview With Gabe Zichermann
A conversation with the CEO and co-founder of rmbrME. Read More
November 5, 2009
Sherman Alexie weighs the joys and frustrations of different publishing formats. Read More
October 30, 2009
Chris Anderson Sits Down with Big Think
“Free,” to Chris Anderson, is a magic word. It’s the future of business. It’s something we all need to start wrapping our heads around. Anderson chatted with Big Think’s co-founder Peter Hopkins a couple of weeks ago about the concept that was the basis of his latest book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price. Read More
October 29, 2009
Chris Anderson on the next innovation that will make waves. Plus, which CEOs are using technology the most successfully these days. Read More
October 29, 2009
In the digital world, there’s disconnect between the price of production and the final price of the product. What does this mean for business? Wired editor-in-chief, Chris Anderson, explains. Read More
October 29, 2009
Daily Ideafeed
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Landscape
Distinct Extinct -
New research has revealed how the extinction of mammoths and mastodons changed the landscape of the earth.
November 20, 2009
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Afghan Detainees
Torture and Neglect? -
Detainees transferred by Canadians to Afghan prisons are “likely to have been tortured by Afghan officials” a former senior Canadian diplomat has claimed.
November 20, 2009
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Medical Breakthrough
A Downs Cure? -
Sufferers of the chromosomal disorder Downs syndrome could be helped by a new drug which increases the levels of message-carrying chemicals in the brain.
November 19, 2009
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Global Warming
6 Degrees -
The world is on course for a “catastrophic” 6 degrees centigrade rise in temperature, meaning that the worst-case predictions for climate change are coming true.
November 18, 2009
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DNA Privacy
Genetic Bust -
Privacy concerns have been raised after a leading genetics company pioneering personal DNA testing went bankrupt yesterday.
November 18, 2009
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Toddlers
Childish Fears -
Young children who are insensitive to fear are more likely to go on to commit crimes, according to psychologists.
November 18, 2009
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Dark Flow
What’s Out There? -
Something big lies beyond the visible edge of our universe, according to the largest analysis to date of galaxy clusters.
November 18, 2009
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Myotragus
“Mouse Goat” -
According to a new study, a now-extinct breed of miniature goats had bones that resemble a crocodile’s.
November 18, 2009
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Energetic
Pellet Power -
A tiny pellet the size of a multi-vitamin could provide an endless supply of safe, clean energy - But is this unrealistic optimism?
November 16, 2009
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Savant Lagrange
Fluid Pattern -
Building on the studies of Joseph-Louis Lagrange, a picture of coherent structures in fluids is emerging using advanced technologies.
November 16, 2009
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Drought Panic
“Bomb the Clouds” -
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is encouraging Cuban scientists to “bomb clouds” with aircraft in order to stimulate rainfall during sever droughts.
November 16, 2009
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Super Bee
Sniff This -
A new breed of “super bee” has been bred by government scientists in a bid to tackle the honeybee epidemic.
November 13, 2009
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Brain Power
Out With The Old -
A new study suggests that forming new brain cells can push out old memories as newborn neurons destabilize established connections.
November 13, 2009
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Unsubstantiated
Fort Hood Gaffe -
The Huffington Post says the media fell hook, line and sinker for the military account of what happened at Fort Hood last week.
November 13, 2009
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Contaminated?
Diluted Supplies -
Traces of cocaine, hormones and spices are among the things found in the drinking water of Puget Sound.
November 13, 2009
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Loch Ness
Nessie? Balls -
Scientists searching for the Loch Ness monster have unearthed 100,000 golf balls – and no Nessie.
November 12, 2009
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China
Unnatural Storm -
Chinese state media have reported chaos in Beijing after scientists artificially induced the region’s second fake snow storm.
November 11, 2009
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Lights Off
Brazil Blackout -
Brazil’s major cities were plunged into darkness last night after a large scale power outage.
November 11, 2009
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EBF3 Machine
Not Far Trek -
A group of NASA engineers have perfected a replicating machine that resembles something out of Star Trek.
November 11, 2009
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Criminal Fraud
Indefensible? -
The US government is suing a defense contractor for allegedly substituting sophisticated warhead ignition devices for unsafe equivalents.
November 10, 2009
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Deafness Gene
Say What? -
A gene thought to be responsible for causing deafness in the elderly has been discovered by scientists – and the discovery could prove cure.
November 10, 2009
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Dead Bread
Bird Dropping -
The world’s most powerful particle accelerator was shut down after a bird dropped some bread in it.
November 6, 2009
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Cellular Barrier
Nano Change -
Tiny metal particles can cause changes to DNA without crossing the cellular barrier, researchers have found.
November 6, 2009
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Intelligence
Intel Bribery? -
A law suit has been brought against computer chip giant Intel alleging it dominates the market through dodgy dealing and bribery.
November 5, 2009
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Jurassic
You’re How old? -
An examination of a Proceratosaurus skull suggests the Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur is millions of years older than first thought.
November 5, 2009