Topics
World
Smuggling Zhao's Story into China
Former "Wall Street Journal" Beijing Bureau Chief
An illegal PDF version of the memoirs is being circulated all over the country, says Adi Ignatius.
In World
-
Dale Jamieson Anticipates a Global Ethical Society
The philosopher says individual ethical stances are ill-equipped to face today’s global challenges. Watch
-
The Immigration-Industrial Complex
Immigration law in the United States is a maze of bureaucracy, quotas, and arcane restrictions. Even marrying into citizenship is a long and complicated ordeal. Why does it have to be that way? Immigration expert Lenni Benson says the problem of illegal immigrants is a small, over-publicized part of quagmire that is immigration law. Watch
-
Dambisa Moyo Discusses Future Models for Africa
Moyo argues that any political restructuring is moot until there is a program of sustainable growth. Watch
Related Blogs
The Voice of Big Think
November 20, 2009 — 9:45 AM
Are you an eligible prospective immigrant to the United States? Are you feeling lucky? If so, you have 10 more days to apply for the random selection process conducted annually by the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program—in other words, the "green card lottery." The entry window, which opened October 2, closes November 30, and your chances of winning are a sobering 1 in 240: 12 million will enter, 50,000 will win. Read more
Global Pedestrian
November 19, 2009 — 1:28 AM
The new Atlantic magazine has an intriguing dispatch about how "Iranians line up daily to cross the Astara River to buy and sell jeans, chickens, bras, laptops—and often sex and schnapps and heroin." Their destination -- the Azerbaijani town of Astara -- amounts to "the Tijuana of the Caspian," according to journalist Peter Savodnik, who wrote the piece. Read more
Latest Ideas
Are you an eligible prospective immigrant to the United States? Are you feeling lucky? If so, you have 10 more days to apply for the random selection process conducted annually by the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program—in other words, the "green card lottery." The entry window, which opened October 2, closes November 30, and your chances of winning are a sobering 1 in 240: 12 million will enter, 50,000 will win. Read More
November 20, 2009
Jason Christopher Hartley Tells Iraq Like It Is
When soldiers talk about being "in the shit," they sometimes mean it literally. This week Iraq veteran Jason Christopher Hartley, author of "Just Another Soldier: A Year on the Ground in Iraq," reveals the grungy, scary, and often darkly funny reality behind a war most Americans know only through television packaging. A Utah native who joined the Army National Guard at 17, he guarded the fallen Twin Towers on 9/11 before being shipped overseas for a tour of duty. There he began his dual career as soldier-blogger, posting candid on-the-ground stories and photos until he was forced to stop, having been accused of running afoul of the Geneva Convention. Read More
October 28, 2009
Big Think Interview With Jason Christopher Hartley
A conversation with the author of “Just Another Soldier: A Year on the Ground in Iraq.” Read More
October 28, 2009
An Iraq soldier’s gritty life at war, from confrontation to masturbation to defecation. Read More
October 28, 2009
How one American soldier blogged the truth about the war until his commander stopped him. Read More
October 28, 2009
An Iraq veteran reflects on the disturbing ratio of enemies to innocents killed in combat. Read More
October 28, 2009
Jason Christopher Hartley on creating “Surrender,” a play about his Army experience. Read More
October 28, 2009
A Visitor’s Guide To Saudi Arabia
Robert Lacey explains what you need to know about Saudi banks, why you should check out Saudi McDonald's tell you everything you need to know about the culture, and why Arabia was the birthplace of tourism. Read More
October 23, 2009
Big Think Interview with Robert Lacey
A conversation with the author of "Inside the Kingdom". Read More
October 23, 2009
Daily Ideafeed
-
Murder
Cosmetic Use -
A gang have been arrested on suspicion of killing people and selling their fat on the black market.
November 20, 2009
-
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
-
Meteoric
Fire Ball! -
Last night a fireball lit up parts of the Utah sky– and the phenomenon, which saw the dead of night as bright as day, was captured on CCTV.
November 19, 2009
-
Wife Murder
’Til Death Do Us… -
In South Africa a polygamist businessman has been convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife and the attempted murder of his second wife.
November 19, 2009
-
Action, Explanation
Obama’s Task -
President Barack Obama needs to take decisive action in Afghanistan and remind the American public why they are fighting the war he inherited from George Bush.
November 19, 2009
-
Hawaii
Super Submarine -
A super-submarine left over from the Second World War has been found in Hawaii.
November 19, 2009
-
Obama
Guantanamo Delay -
President Obama has admitted that the US government will miss the January 2010 deadline for closing Guantanamo Bay.
November 19, 2009
-
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
-
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
-
Scientology
Criminal Belief? -
An Australian senator has accused the Church of Scientology of being a criminal organization and has called for its investigation by the police.
November 18, 2009
-
E-Fit
Facebook Theft? -
Social-networking site Facebook is increasingly being used as a tool for thieves to target people – but also for cops to catch them red handed.
November 17, 2009
-
Israel Gaffe
Photo Forgery? -
After Israel released photographs claiming to prove Iran was importing weapons to Hezbollah militia, Iranian news agencies have retorted claiming the images were forged.
November 17, 2009
-
India
Infant Deaths -
The authorities in India’s Andrah Pradesh have launched an investigation after six new-born babies died in a hospital over the weekend.
November 17, 2009
-
Lang Lang
Piano Man -
Is Lang Lang the most popular pianist on the planet? CNN talks to China’s biggest prodigy a year after he took to the world’s stage.
November 17, 2009
-
Puerto Rico
Police Bigotry -
The police reportedly suggested that gay a gay teenager brutally murdered in Puerto Rico deserved what he got due to his “type of lifestyle”.
November 17, 2009
-
Gaddafi
“500 Attractive Girls” -
Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi tried to convert 500 “attractive girls” to Islam in Rome yesterday.
November 17, 2009
-
Falluja
Infant Deformity -
Doctors in Iraq are treating 15 times more chronic deformities in infants since the war – due possibly to toxic materials leftover from the fighting.
November 16, 2009
-
Yuletide Horror
Scary Santa -
Residents in Auckland, New Zealand are up in arms about a “creepy” giant statue of Santa Claus sporting plastic surgery installed in the city centre.
November 16, 2009
-
E-Grammar
Literate PC? -
Exam-marking by computers shows that the rules of grammar can hamper good writing – but are machines qualified to make literary assessment?
November 16, 2009
-
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
-
Inside View
Living With Osama -
A new book by Osama Bin Laden’s first wife and son give an insiders’ view on one of the world’s most notorious terrorists.
November 16, 2009
-
Climate Change
“Out Of Time” -
President Obama has ruled out the setting of binding targets for tackling climate change at the Copenhagen summit next month.
November 16, 2009
-
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
-
Compost
Pee Visit -
Gardeners at a UK heritage property are urging visitors to urinate in the gardens to help the gardens “go green.”
November 13, 2009
-
Russia
Little Wonder -
In response to Europe’s “Seven Wonders of the World” list which didn’t include Russia, the former Soviet Republic has compiled its own list of “wonders”.
November 13, 2009